How did the influx of 13.5 million immigrants impact the United States. Explain what is meant by the so called "melting pot." Describe the positives and negatives that came with this impact.

The 13.5 million immigrants increased the cultural diversity and provided employers with a wider range of diversity of employees, so they were able to hire more specialized individuals for a lesser cost. The "melting pot" is essentially what is a mix of many different cultures into a culture conglomerate. Think of a stew, you throw in the potatoes, the carrots, the broth, and whatever else. While each element of the stew remains distinct in of itself, its still part of the larger element, the stew, and as such has become affected by it and is no longer the exact same as before you put the ingredients into the stew. The positives of these elements are that the US has a greater economic force due to the diversity of ideas creating new products and the availability of workers, but such a wide range of opinions of differing cultures may cause conflicts and polarization.