Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-250) and index.

"The presidents' speeches, letters, and administrative records reveal consistent support for the "melting pot" model as an alternative to nativist racism. While McKinley, Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson supported the exclusion of racial aliens and those with mental or physical illness, they repeatedly praised the "new" immigrants for embracing American ideals while maintaining their ethnic cultures. They argued that everyone should be judged by their moral character rather than their ancestry." "World War I raised fears of disloyal aliens that Roosevelt and Wilson heightened by denouncing "hyphenated Americans." Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover continued to use "melting pot" rhetoric, however, rather than endorsing coercive assimilation. The "melting pot" legacy lives on, and still offers a middle ground between the demands for national unity and multiculturalism."--Jacket.

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