Question

How did debates over american democratic culture and the proximity of many different cultures living in close contact affect changing definitions of national identity?

Answer 1

The changing definitions of national identity were largely affected by the close contact of various cultures within the United States leading to a melting pot of ideas and arts.
The interaction between various cultures resulted in assimilation/combination of the arts/knowledge of more than one culture into one, which somehow transform our perspective on what we considered as a national identity.