Can you tell me about the melting pot and what life was like before 1960?

Answer 1

The melting pot is over rated. Life before 1960 was very much like life today.. except the jets went faster - car's on the highway went faster too. You could take a train from city to city if you wanted. There was no EPA, no "no child left behind", no voting rights act, and no gay liberation. There was about the same amount of crime, but poor people could still get ahead if they were willing to work. There was a draft, but military service was considered a patriotic duty. There was pot and drugs, but generally only losers used them. Most women usually didn't work outside the home, but a man in a good factory job, with no special skills, could make enough to support a family and buy a house and a car. We had TV, but if you were in your car or walking down the street, you didn't need to talk to someone on the phone, you could stop and talk to people in person. People had less, and as I remember it, they were generally much happier.

Quality things were manufactured in the U.S., and all the world wanted American products. There were very few condos, no big box stores, no asian groceries, no head shops. MacDonalds was just one of many hamburger chains. Went you went to buy things, the store owner was happy to see you and treated you like a human being. Sometimes, they even talked. A cashier could make change by herself, or himself and didn't need a computer to figure it out.

A young person had many opportunities.... all you had to do was be willing to work hard. As I see it, the civil libertarians, liberal politicians, environmental crusaders, professional educators and MBA's had made our world meaner and nastier and a lot harder to live in and a lot less just and free, in the name of justice and freedom.

so much for progress.

Answer 2

I was born in '53 so I can't tell you much but I can remember Integration at my school and the school in my town that was for Blacks.

I can remember dropping my fork on the table if a plane fly close, when I was eating, when I learned about the atomic bomb, the feeling of exposure when I realized, we didn't have a bomb shelter to run to.

I can remember whispering about my mother being pregnant, because it as considered rude to talk about that or to mention Diarrhea!

America has always been called "The Melting Pot" because of the apparent melting together of different peoples from other countries and America.

At least, until the different peoples began to expect to be treated like all other Americans!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Before 1960, most of America was against immigration because of the WWs.

Answer 4

Life was very slow, all we had was telephones, and regular TV. Three speed bikes were the big thing, and most families only had _one_ car and almost no teen had a telephone or TV in their rooms. They were expected to be part of the family.
Hi-Fi was the big music thing, stereo was coming along and we all be-bopped at school mixers.

Immigrants came to the US to work, get better educations and raise families.

Answer 5

No, sorry, I can't tell you about that. So, now, do I win Best Answer or what?