依然是“熔炉”——论美国民族关系中的同化问题

本文主要围绕学术界对美国早期民族关系理论———“熔炉”论的不同评价，探讨以下三个问题：（１）同化与融合作为美国民族关系的主流，怎样促成了美利坚民族共同体的形成和发展；（２）民族同化的具体形式和过程，尤其是个体民族成员的同化模式；（３）怎样认识不同的同化途径，以及同化与文化多元性之间的关系。本文认为文化多元性和同化是美国民族关系中并存的两个特征和两种趋势。尽管各种否定“熔炉论”的经验和实证研究都有其重要的客观依据和学术价值，但都无法从根本上否定“熔炉”论的合理性和现实意义。民族“熔炉”论，既符合美国民族关系中的既成事实，也符合远渡重洋来到美国的许多民族集团成员的价值理想。因此，“熔炉”论仍是认识和理解美国民族关系的主要理论之一。

Focusing main attention on various evaluations by academic circles on the ＂melting pot＂theory concerning the ethnic relations in the United States in the early period, this paper discusses the following three questions： （1）How did assimilation and blend as the eflmic relations＇ main stream of the United States promote the taking shape and development of the American National Community; （2） The concrete form and process of ethnic assimilation, especially the assimilation patterns of ethnic individual members; （3）How should we understand the different assimilation ways, and the relationship between assimilation and cultural pluralism. This paper holds that cultural pluralism and assimilation have been the two features and trends coexisting in the U.S. ethnic relatios. Although the various experience and case studies that deny the ＂melting pot＂ theory all have their own objective bases, and have been of some academic value, yet all of them have not been able to deny the ＂melting pot＂ theory＇s rationality and realistic significance. The theory of ethnic groups＇ ＂melting pot＂ has been coincided with both the existing fhcts in the U. S. ethnic Mations and the value and ideal of the various ethnic groups＇members who had travelled across the oceans and an＇ived the United States of America. Therefore, the ＂melting pot＂theory is still one of the main theories for understanding the U. S. ethnic relations.