By Tracy López Published November 18, 2011 Fox News Latino The United States is defined by many things – but the tradition of mixing cultures has been part of its foundation from the moment European explorers set foot in the "New World" – a world which was not new to the indigenous people who had lived here for centuries. There is no way to romanticize the process of this originally forced mixing of cultures, although school text books try their best. Whether it was the Spanish converting native peoples to Catholicism or British colonists forcing African slaves to take on Anglo names – the history is often tragic and unpleasant. As more and more immigrants from around the world came to call the United States home, this country became known as a "melting pot." While generations ago many immigrants did attempt to shed their language and traditions – or were forced to melt or blend in – thankfully, today that isn't quite the case. More modern a