America as a (Selective) Melting Pot

America as a (Selective) Melting Pot

Anuja Bahulekar

The phrase “America is a melting pot” is one that every American knows. We take pride in the fact that people come to our great nation from all over the world and bring their cultures with them. The cultures from various places supposedly melt together to create the multifaceted American culture. However, a question to consider is whether or not America is truly a melting pot. Rather, it should be called a selective melting pot, because Americans choose the aspects of different cultures they find desirable to include in the American culture. This idea of America as a selective melting pot is especially true for Middle Eastern cultures, as proven by the continued success of the Middle Eastern restaurant, Mamoun's, and the continued rejection of Middle Eastern religions such as Islam.

Food is an aspect of culture that most people are open to. Americans love trying the cuisines of different areas and then adapting them into their culture. In this way, America is a selective melting pot because it chooses to incorporate food, an aspect of culture perceived as desirable, into its own culture. So, it is no surprise that Mamoun’s is a popular restaurant in the United States, particularly on the East Coast. Mamoun’s is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving authentic Middle Eastern food in America since 1971.

Figure 1: Mamoun’s first location in Greenwich Village in New York City. source: mamouns.com

Figure 2: The founder of Mamoun’s, a Syrian man by the name of Mamoun Chater. Source: mamouns.com

The first restaurant was opened in Greenwich Village in New York City, but the business soon after opened new locations in East Village, NY; New Haven, CT; Hoboken, NJ; New Brunswick, NJ; and Princeton, NJ (Mamoun’s). The location in New Brunswick, NJ is very popular amongst Rutgers University students.

Figure 3: Mamoun’s Falafel in New Brunswick, NJ. Picture taken by Anuja Bahulekar

Figure 4 & 5: The interior design of Mamoun’s Falafel in New Brunswick, NJ. The inside of the restaurant has pictures of the founder and is based off of Middle Eastern design. Pictures taken by Anuja Bahulekar.

Figure 6 & 7: Some of the popular dishes at Mamoun’s. The left is a “sandwich” containing chicken kebob, falafel, salad, and tahineh. The right is a “plate” containing falafel, hummus, chicken kebob, feta cheese, salad, tahineh, and pita bread on the side.

From my experience eating there, I would say it is often difficult finding a place to sit because of how many people the food attracts. This love for falafel is not unique to Rutgers students. In fact, because Mamoun’s has become so popular since it first debuted in 1971, the owners have partnered with FranSmart, a franchise development company, to further expand their business (Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant Partners). Obviously, Mamoun’s corporate leaders would not have had the confidence to continue expanding their business if they had not received a positive response from the public regarding their food. The sustained success of Mamoun’s indicates one thing: people seem to really like the Middle Eastern food.

While food certainly is a major aspect of culture, it is not the only aspect. For example, religion is also incorporated in Middle Eastern culture. Many religions are associated with the Middle East, but if asked, most people would probably say the first religion they think of when they hear “Middle East” is Islam. It is no surprise that in this country, especially after 9/11, there exists a stigma against Muslims. In fact, as published by The Guardian, a poll conducted this year indicated that “55% of the surveyed Americans had an ‘unfavorable’ opinion of Islam” (Chalabi).

Figure 8 & 9: Some Islamophobic advertisements paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative and displayed in New York City subways. Source: huffingtonpost.com

More than half of the participants of the study claimed they have negative feelings towards Islam; yet, we should question whether their rejection of this religion shared by many Middle Eastern people also suggests a rejection of other aspects of Middle Eastern culture, such as food. If we say the results of this study represent all of America, then we should have expected Mamoun’s business not to do so well. Yet, as indicated before, Mamoun’s has been prospering since 1971. Clearly, there is some discrepancy between the perception of various aspects of Middle Eastern Culture. One is widely celebrated and enjoyed, whereas another is feared and rejected.

What is interesting to consider is why Americans love Middle Eastern food, yet feel so negatively about one of the religions that is key to Middle Eastern culture. More and more Americans will continue eating at Mamoun's, but will they think about where this food has come from? Who the people who created these delicacies are? Mamoun's began franchising not long after the first location demonstrated signs of success. Management continued expanding business in years during which Middle Eastern tensions were high, such as in 2011-2012 when the Arab Spring occurred. Even today, with President-Elect Donald Trump spreading hateful rhetoric and misconceptions about Muslims and the Middle East, the Mamoun’s business is booming―growing, in fact. The business plans on opening three more franchises in New Jersey in the next three years (Mamoun’s Falafel Inks). Clearly, Mamoun’s is not concerned about how perceptions of the Middle East or aspects of the Middle Eastern culture such as religion will change with this new presidency. And why should they? Based on how the restaurant has been faring since it opened, it is clear that the only thing customers are interested in when they come to Mamoun’s is the food. They are not coming to eat some exotic dishes, not necessarily to learn about and become tolerant of different cultures.

This mindset indicates how America is a selective melting pot. Americans have a tendency to pick and choose aspects of cultures that they can benefit from (like food) to include in the combined American culture, and reject the aspects they find unusual (like religion). What is so hypocritical about this attitude is we act as if Americans love and embrace other cultures because the American culture is a combination of all cultures. But here is the question: are we really appreciating foreign cultures, or are we just exploiting them for our own benefit?

Anuja Bahulekar is a first year student in the Honors College at Rutgers University. She plans on majoring in cell biology and neuroscience and minoring in Spanish, with the hopes of one day becoming a doctor. Her interests include cooking, watching movies, and working with children.

Works Cited

Chalabi, Mona. "How Anti-Muslim Are Americans? Data Points to Extent of Islamophobia." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 08 Dec. 2015. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

"Mamoun's Falafel Inks Multiunit Deal in New Jersey." QSR Magazine. N.p., 7 Jan. 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

"Mamoun's Falafel." Mamoun's Falafel. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

"Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant Partners With Fransmart For Expansion." Fransmart. N.p., 11 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

Mathias, Christopher. "'Talk Back To Hate' Campaign Targets Pamela Geller's Anti-Muslim NYC Subway Ads (VIDEO) (PHOTOS)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.