Despite the hardships that immigrants faced when coming to the United States, their contributions to the development of the country as it is known today cannot be replaced. The United States is a country that has been built and transformed by successive migration waves from any part of the globe. Lawrence Fuchs, who examined the role of immigrants in his book The American Kaleidoscope: Race, Ethnicity, and the Civic Culture, concluded that the system of coercive pluralism kept people of color from entirely participating in the civic culture. However, the groups managed to dismantle the system, encourage an inclusive culture of voluntary pluralism, and acculturated themselves to the environment.
In the First Way of War, Griener underlined the fact that early American citizens fought wars in a variety of ways, and the migration of Europeans encouraged the conflicts. For instance, as mentioned in A Lost World (1600-1680) – Philadelphia: The Great Experiment, those who arrived in the American land were challenged by the tyranny of local governors, thus perpetuating the struggle between groups. A similar scenario was described in Penn’s Shadow (1680-1971) – Philadelphia: The Great Experiment exploring an era of chaotic conflict and upheaval in Philadelphia.
Taking into account the opposition between groups is necessary for reflecting on the role of immigrants in America’s development. To a great extent, immigrants who were faced with a significant degree of opposition when coming to a new land taught American society how to persevere and develop as a well-rounded population with a distinct identity. The reaching of an inclusive, pluralistic culture and continuous acculturation allowed immigrants to integrate into society and become its irreplaceable part. The success of immigrants adjusting to life in a new country still attracts foreigners to the US. The country is referred to as the ‘melting pot’ because it combines a variety of races, religions, ethnicities, and cultures, all of which provide unique perspectives on life despite the past.