By Katherine Coates

My mom came to the United States as a refugee, escaping the Khmer Rouge genocide. In deciding where to rebuild their lives, my family had two options: France, a familiar option where our relatives settled, and the US, an unknown land with no guarantees. They chose the US for what it stood for: opportunity, freedom, and the American dream. 

The idea of a melting pot can be a good thing; people of different cultures meet and share their experiences based on the common American values. However, what happens when the American identity - the pot that holds us all - is boiling over?

Legal immigration is one solution to our demographic issue. With our ever aging population, immigration allows economic opportunity to thrive. Without enough young workers, or unpopular reforms, key programs are at risk. In 1950, there were 16 workers for every Social Security recipient; today, that number has dropped to just over 2.8. Social Security and other welfare programs rely on taxes from a dwindling piggy bank, effectively becoming a ponzi scheme.

Immigration, especially from countries with a very young population, adds to the working age population. Without a steady stream of young workers, the U.S. risks the same fate as countries like Japan, China, South Korea and Germany where a rapidly aging population has led to economic decline and labor shortages.

Although we need immigration, we cannot have a nation without a common identity. Most countries have historically based their national identity on ethnicity, such as Japan and France. Although recent reforms may have moved away from this de jure, the cultural emphasis on ethnicity still remains. However, the United States is different. Americans have never been bound by blood, but by shared values.

Immigration without assimilation will eventually erode the foundation of our nation, turning it into the very places immigrants sought to leave behind. When immigrants refuse to integrate into society, it creates division, rather than the unity that has always been our strength. In the long run, this can lead to cultural fragmentation and economic instability. Cultural enclaves, when isolated from the broader society, can often become trapped in cycles of poverty. The safety net of the community can inadvertently prevent individuals from finding success. 

I attribute my family’s success to our assimilation into American culture. We have never felt discrimination and have achieved prosperity in what was once a foreign land. Rather than push back against the melting pot, we embraced it. Our identities are complex, shaped by our family history, our individual experiences, and our culture. Although we all come from different backgrounds, we all share the values that make us American. 

This Op-ed reflects the views and opinions of the writer, not Westwood Review as a whole.