Another example is that the Chinese-Americans speak Chinese when living and working in Chinatown. In U.S. very few Americans would like to impose their will on other people. For instance, a husband may be a Republican, but he will never force his wife to change her political views; she may be a Democrat. In the same way, the parents may thoroughly be the Puritans, but they will never force the children to convert beliefs. It?s a little similar to the Confucius? great adage: “The subject that one does not enjoy should not be intruded upon the others”. Each person in the United States has the rights to choose different ideas, lifestyles, beliefs and traditions.
C. A general idea of the American multiculturalism
There are many kinds of version to describe the American multiculturalism, such as: melting pot, salad bowls, Mosaic. Actually, the precise description of the American culture is the salmagundi. Next will be the general descriptions in the definition, manifestation and cause of formation of the American multiculturalism.
1. Definition of the multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the specific term of the American culture. It is a complicated part of the U.S. Here has come the definition, followed by the manifestation of the American multiculturalism.
Multiculturalism begins to appear in the 80s?(1980还是1880 American multiculturalism refers to differences among human groups in the criteria of value, ideas and even the behavior. Multiculturalism is formed under a more and more intricate society and information flows increasingly advancing circumstance. Transformation of the cultural update is accelerating, and all kinds of cultural development is faced with different opportunities and challenges. At the same time, the new culture will be endless. People, in the modern complex social structure, are bound to demand a variety of cultures to service the development of society. These cultures applying to the development of the community created a cultural diversification that is the multiculturalism.
2. Manifestation of American multiculturalism
American schools, leading the American culture, are the birthplace of new thoughts. The manifestation of the multiculturalism is the most outstanding. There are students from many nations. First of all, around you there may be some high schools who have applied for the further study in University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, or some state universities; or there are some students whom you know are studying in America. No matter he or she is male or female, Chinese or European, in America he or she has gathered.
Multiculturalism seems to be tolerant as a sea, which draws the wisdom from many nationalities. There is an authoritative example-The Heath Anthology of Literature.(此处回校要查一本资料，学校图书馆) Definitely, it is the concentrated expression of American multiculturalism, which includes not only the culture of earliest colonial period, but also the contemporary male or female writers? works; it not only covers the local ethnic culture, but also all different cultures from the country of immigrants.
3. Cause of the formation of the American multiculturalism
The formation of the American multiculturalism must have its own roots. According to development of the history, there are mainly the following sources:
a. The influences of the multi-originated immigrants
America has never been one pure \The population of the USA includes a large variety of ethnic groups coming from many races, nationalities and religions. There are the residents of Indian origin. Before Christopher Columbus discovered the North American continent, the North America belongs to the Indians. In 17th century, the first group of immigrants boating on the “Mayflower” arrived at American continent. Then, starting from the colonial period, the Spain and French colonists constitutes the earliest immigrants. Immediately, the Dutch, Swedish and English came to the North American continent. Particularly from 1620, British Puritans created Massachusetts Bay Colony; the British began an ongoing immigration. African blacks who were trafficked to the U.S. expand immigrant constitutes. After that, the European decent Germans joined the immigrant groups of the North American continent. In the late 18th and early 19th century the first batch of
Chinese landed in North America. After that, in the middle of the 19th century, the news of discovering gold in California quickly spread through China. Attracted by the gold, a large number of Chinese who were far away from home came to the United States for gold. Poor Chinese tried to seek the wealth, which is at the peak of the immigration.
From different countries, people rushed into the American continent, and also brought different languages, customs, religious beliefs and community structures. And immigrants kept some characteristics of their national cultures. Thus, the immigrants build up the American multiculturalism.
b. The influences of the great movements
As we know, Westward Movement is an important part of American history. At that time, the early pioneers either trekked or rode, from east to west, from south to north. Where there are opportunities, where they just moved. And Westward Movement takes on a strong mobility. It?s the immigration and relocation of massive domestic residents which lay a foundation for the formation of multiculturalism.
After World War II, the changes of U.S. ethnic groups further the development of American multiculturalism. Furthermore，one result of the Civil Right Movement which is the immigrants? fighting for the liberty and equality is the Immigration Act in 1965 that makes a large number of immigrants from Asia rush into the United States. At the same time, the upsurge of Nationalist Movement among the world is the main external factor for the development of the American multiculturalism.
II. The manifestation of influences of Chinese culture on the American multiculturalism, particularly on language
There are so many Chinese Americans. First, because of the attraction of “gold rush” there starts the inflow of Chinese immigrants. Then,
during the Second World War, China and the United States became allies in their fight against the fascists. Under pressure from the Chinese government, the U.S. government repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 in 1943, and passed new legislation, permitting limited immigration
from China. Within a few years, more than 8,000 Chinese brought their wives to the United States, (……) These hordes of immigrants from Hong Kong doubled the Chinese population in the united states- from 237,000 to 435,000. From then onwards, with the passage of the new immigration law of 1965, about 20,000 Chinese from Hong Kong and Taiwan legally entered the United States every year, and probably an equal number also entered illegally. (……) Between 1965 and 1984, Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese mainland numbered 419,373, radically transforming the Chinese community from 61percent American-born to 63 percent foreign-born. (戴炜栋 70-71)
These Chinese immigrants bring the Chinese culture everywhere in America. Therefore, more and more Americans think that the Chinese culture is mysterious and seductive. Asian culture, especially Chinese culture has enriched the content of American multiculturalism and the Americans? life. It is an important component of the United States? multiculturalism which had a profound impact on the American multiculturalism. It mainly has following manifestations:
A. Chinese social custom advancing to (啥意思？)America
Taking diet culture as an example, and with the early Chinese labors advancing to the CUS(啥意思？), Chinese food culture has certain influences in American society. Chinese catering industry emerged in the U.S. and rapidly boomed. There are some people said that: \restaurant that cooks Chinese flavor food\were the major source of jobs, located in Chinese communities known as “Chinatown”. And the Chinese food made in Chinese restaurants became an institution for Americans. There is Chow Mein, Jiaozi, Wonton, Tang-yuan and other food with Chinese flavor. “An American popular magazine made a poll about which country has the most delicious food. Ninety percent of voters said the most delicious is the Chinese food” (Muren 186). Americans are fond of Jiaozi, Wonton, and Tang-yuan. So obviously, more and more Americans love Chinese food.
Chinese traditional festival, the biggest festival — the Spring Festival in all parts of the United States, for example in Chinatown, New York, Manhattan and Boston
people celebrated it. There are lion dancing, Chinese dances, the Chinese national dress show and fireworks (New York government in a particular area and within the fixed time allowed the fireworks). In 2003, the New York City formulates the Spring Festival as a legal festival in U.S. Then, many states have followed the New York. Spring Festival is not only the traditional Chinese festival, but also attracts the Chinese Americans and other ethnic. Spring Festival Gala Evening accesses to the American TV programs. And annually, there is Spring Festival Global Gala (the program of BTV) that the whole world is together to celebrate. Years before, the American elementary school celebrates the Chinese New Year holding entertainment activities about Chinese cultures. According to the report of the US Qiaobao, during the Chinese Spring Festival, Parkmead Elementary School develops activities that are the Chinese cultures again as children?s basic extracurricular activity. These activities involved different culture contents, from Chinese food to art, craft, calligraphy, language, music, dance and sports, which are introduced in detail. Meanwhile, the pupils in the extracurricular activities learned to make dumplings, use chopsticks to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
B. The influences of China on Arts and Literature
The Chinese Kungfu is an attraction to the American young generations. Here is one example-The Forbidden Kingdom. A young boy who was fascinated by the Chinese Kungfu watched lots of that kinds of movies, and he was pretty familiar with all kinds of the Chinese Kungfu, such as Fu Style Leopard Quan，Dragon Fist(Long Quan)，Qing Gong，Iron Palm, etc. Although these appear in the Chinese movie, they seem to stay from the reality, in Chinese history, it is the Chinese Martial Arts and Tai Chi is the origin of the Kungfu in the movies.
The famous pianist-Langlang is highly appraised. Langlang has given fine performances for many times in New York. It is said that every time the tickets are sold out immediately when they start to sell. Chinese music including the folk music, pop and instrument playing is extremely flaming in the American field of arts.
“Yenching Library” is located in Harvard University. Chinese culture greets to people firstly when they see two stone lions in front of the gate. The most important is that