An Analysis of the Multicultural Interaction fromConflicts in Immigrant Families in America Through What's Cooking?

Abstract : This thesis aims to discuss the cultural diversity and multicultural background of the U.S. through the film titled What's Cooking? The movie shows four ethnic immigrant families abound in a same district with different ways of celebrating Thanksgiving amidst family tensions. By analyzing different living conditions and conflicts of life of the U.S. immigrants and their family relations， the author draws the conclusion that actually America is the country with no single form of a certain culture. The real culture of American society is the combination of \"Melting Pot\" and \"Salad Bowl\".

Key words : Thanksgiving Day; Melting Pot; Salad Bowl; multicultural society

What's a melting pot? A pot containing different ingredients and spices performs its own functions. Actually the melting pot idea is strongly associated with the United States， particularly in reference to \"model\" immigrant groups of the past. This thesis will discuss the cultural diversity and multicultural background of the U.S. by analyzing different living conditions and conflicts of life of the U.S. immigrants and their family relations of the film.

What's Cooking? is a film that represents cultural diversity in America. This film is written and directed by Gurinder Chadha. She zooms in on a multi-family multicultural view of the Thanksgiving Day. The movie involves four different families of four different ethnicities and the family conflicts over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The director uses four typical American immigrant families to describe vividly a complex relations and conflicts of what the American immigrating families deal with. These four ethical groups are taking the largest proportion of American ethnic minorities. But each of them has a distinguished origin. The African Americans originate from early slavery age of American Continent. Hispanic is a group mainly coming from Latin American countries such as Brail， Venezuela， or around America such as Mexico， Puerto Rico. Jewish is quite a peculiar group that long ago was persecuted by series of oppressions and outer invasions such as World War II. Vietnamese or we may say Asian Americans are considered as the consequence of the War of Vietnam.

From this film we see that Americans always consider their country a mixture of various cultures. Their multicultural diversity is based on the immigrants' differences. Here， a separate analysis of each family's conflicts and relations is needed to demonstrate Americanized way of life among immigrant families.

In Hispanic family， we see many divorced or separated women are starting new life of their own without restraints or forces from their ex-husbands or separated spouses. This is a great improvement of woman liberation to some extent. In African American family， this shows that in America， women are getting more and more aware of their roles both domestically and socially. They are no longer only taking the role of a dutiful wife and a loving mother， but have their liberties. In Vietnamese family， the sexual revolution was about female sexual empowerment. Feminists and social conservatives quickly clashed over morality of the \"Sexual Revolution\". In the midst of the civil rights and anti-war movements， the young generation of the 1960s questioned authority and rejected their parents' values. Troublesome incident to Nguyen's family is that their younger boy hides a gun under the bed. Many on-school tragedies have the same ends with the shoots of those young or teenager's guns. That will lead many unimaginable consequences. Last comes the Jewish family. Rachel has a \"girlfriend\" named Carla. Rachel's parents feel quite uneasy to have her friends come to their home and finally introduce her to their relatives. This would give them the same status as heterosexual marriage. (Amber). If the two were done perfectly， Rachel can have her marriage smoothly completed. This greatly shows America is a country with adorable generosity.

We should firstly make clear what is American Dream? For some it is wealth and power. For some it is religious freedom and justice. For others it may be a roof over their heads. So \"American Dream\" is based on its original culture.

Actually， there's no so-called singular form of American culture. So， now are we clear out what we should nominate the America? It should be more acceptable to apply the term \"melting pot\" or the term \"salad bowl\" to the American multiethnic conditions which brings about a large debate and discussion.

Here， one can be aware of the connection of this multiculturalists' view with the \"salad bowl\" tone. And the American society therefore is better described as a big bowl full of different ingredients. But firstly they should be put into the \"big pot\" made by Americans. They all make up the salad by being there， and the more the ingredients， the more the salad becomes colorful and vivid. From all the analysis of this film， the author reached the conclusion of this issue. Both the \"melting pot\" and \"salad bowl\" are needed to supply this nation. On Thanksgiving Day who should they really thank? The God? Themselves? No matter whom they thank for， they should know that their happy life would definitely have a firm relation with this kaleidoscope nation.

What's cooking? They are cooking their flavors with an American style!

Works Cited

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