Chapter fifteen’s main idea of crossing cultures helps with answering the ways America is a similar to a salad bowl or melting pot and the ways that it is still struggling against this idea.  The part that specifically helps with describing these ways is the section titled “Borderlands”.  This section displays one image in particular that sums up America being a melting pot/salad bowl perfectly.  The image is in the shape of the United States filled with pictures of those who have immigrated here.  Words are blended in between the images informing the viewer of the various origins these people have.  America is like a salad bowl/melting pot since this is a country that is made up of a large number of people that have different backgrounds.  Since the beginning of the country, everyone was an immigrant.  However, the country is also struggling against this idea in many ways.  One specific way that we struggle to maintain this image is the issue surrounding the border between the US and Mexico.  A road sign located near the US-Mexico border displays the word caution across the top and features what people would stereotypically consider to be illegal immigrants.  Although most Americans have no concerns with people of different backgrounds, certain cultures have been branded by the acts of those who try to get into America illegally.   These illegal immigrants are seen by most Americans as a drain on society since the people who are in the country legally pay for the services of the illegal immigrants through taxes that the illegal immigrants do not pay.