Speaker 1: They say that New York City is a melting pot,
and if you've been here before, you certainly know how
true that is. As you walk down the streets and
avenues here, you can see people from all over the world,
hear many different languages, and even smell a wonderful tapestry
of international food. That's all thanks to immigration, let's discuss.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
This is Happy English Podcast, Episode seven forty two. Immigration
in America. Immigration has played a central role in the
history of the United States, from the early settlers in
the sixteen hundreds to the millions of people who have
arrived over the centuries. Immigrants have continuously shaped this nation's culture, economy,
and identity. Immigration has even played a huge role in
my family. My grandparents on both sides all immigrated here
from Italy in the early nineteen hundreds. The first significant
wave of immigration began in the nineteenth century, with people
arriving from Europe, particularly Ireland, Germany, and later Italy and
Eastern Europe. These immigrants sought a better life, often fleeing poverty, famine,
or political unrest in their home countries. They came here
to achieve the American dream. However, life in America wasn't
always easy, and immigrants often faced challenges such as discrimination,
language barriers, and difficult living conditions. According to one of
my grandfathers, they had to learn English to survive and
thrive here. As the US continued to grow so that
its population with people coming from all corners of the globe,
the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries have seen
large numbers of immigrants from Latin America, Asia, and Africa,
all contributing more to diversifying the population. Today, the US
is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world,
often described as a melting pot where different cultures blend
together to form a unique American identity. These days, even
though immigration remains a hot buy an issue in American politics,
most people believe that immigration is one of America's greatest strengths,
contributing to its rich cultural tapestry and ongoing innovation. And
now let's have a look at some of the key
vocabulary from this lesson. The first term is melting pot,
which is an idiom that means a place where people
from different cultures and ideas come to live together. For example,
New York City is often described as a melting pot,
with people from all over the world living and working together.
The US has been called a melting pot because of
its diverse population and cultural influences. In a melting pot society,
different traditions and customs mix to create something new. Next,
we have a hot button issue. A hot button issue
is a controversial or highly debated topic that provides strong
opinions and emotions. Here are some examples. Immigration is a
hot button issue in American politics, with different sides offering
varying perspectives. The use of nuclear energy is a hot
button issue in a lot of countries these days. As
you may have heard, gun control is another hot button
issue that divides public opinion in the US. The last
term for today is cultural tapestry. A tapestry is a
colorful work of art created on a fabric. It's composed
of many different colors and shapes. With this image, we
have a cultural tapestry, which is a society made up
of people from various cultures and traditions. Here are some examples.
Here in New York City, there are various cultural festivals
that celebrate the cultural tapestry of the city. These showcase music, food,
and art from different international communities. The cultural tapestry of
America is enriched by the diverse backgrounds of its people.
Each new wave of immigrants adds to the cultural tapestry
of the United States. Keep in mind the best way
to remember this and any other word or phrase in
English is to take that word or phrase, write it
in a sentence that's true for you or true in
your world, and then memorize your sentences and check this out.
Did you know that you can get the chance to
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To learn more, just visit Myhappy English dot com and
choose podcast lesson seven forty two. Remember learning another language
is not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here
to help you on your journey.
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