The USA has often been called "a nation of immigrants." First, the country was settled, built and developed by generations of immigrants and their children. The first groups came from England and France. Secondly, even today America continues to take in more immigrants than any other country in the world. Today the latest growing-up group in the USA is Hispanic. There appeared a new term "spanenglish" when speaking about English. So, for centuries, the US has attracted people in search of a share of "the American dream".The USA is traditionally associated with the "melting pot" (a term coined by an immigrant Israel Zangwill) because many different nationalities and ethnic groups undergo the process of assimilation, or "Americanization". It really is a metaphor for the idea of immigration. Other Americans have maintained much of their ethnic identities. In this sense, the US society is linked to a "tossed salad" or "salad bowl". Generally, people who come to this country to some degree stop some of their cultural practices in order to adopt those of their new country.In recent years, better metaphors for American society than either the "melting pot" or the "salad bowl" would be that of "pizza" or "tomato soup". The different ingredients give the whole its particular taste and flavor and all are fused into something larger.If I had a chance to travel to the USA I would like to visit New York because it is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is over 11 million people. It is an industrial and cultural centre of the country.
