The me!ting pot also worked when we insisted that immigrants assimilated into our culture and way of life. Once we stopped requiring assimilation; it was all over.
That was the key. The metaphor of the melting pot depended explicitly on newcomers forsaking their foreign allegiance and adopting a new loyalty to America and American ways. For generations, this was reinforced by the American culture and especially the education of the next generation. That’s how immigrants became Americans. Since the Left destroyed public education, that crucial function has been disabled.