An attitude of xenophobia in America developed and immigrants were forced to assimilate to the ways of majority culture.
The "melting pot" idea pressured people to "melt" into the majority ways of American life and not maintain ties to their own heritage. A rival theory has developed, that of a "salad bowl" rather than a "melting pot," which encourages diversity in the cultural practices within the American population. However, this emphasis on multiculturalism has sometimes caused controversy as well, seen as keeping groups separate from one another in American life.