The United States is often referred to as a melting pot of cultures and nationalities. Former President Jimmy Carter famously characterized it in a slightly different way.
“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic,” the former president said. “Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”
1. English – 231,122,908 native speakers
2. Spanish – 37,458,470 native speakers
3. Chinese (including Cantonese, Mandarin and other varieties) – 2,896,766 native speakers
4. French and French Creole (including Patois and Cajun) – 2,047,467 native speakers
5. Tagalog – 1,613,346 native speakers
6. Vietnamese – 1,399,936 native speakers
