"But you can find an American-Chinese restaurant in almost every po-dunk country town across the entirety of America." This is a relatively recent development,

"But you can find an American-Chinese restaurant in almost every po-dunk country town across the entirety of America." This is a relatively recent development, BTW. I grew up in small town Michigan. In the 70s, when we wanted Chinese food, we actually drove 30 minutes to Sarnia, Canada. (Or cooked it ourselves.) In the 80s, a place finally opened in town. As late as the early 90s we were still occasionally going for Chinese in Canada because they were still marginally better than the local places. But in the last 20 years only nostalgia would get me going to Sarnia primarily for Chinese food. (The dim sum place in Windsor is a different matter!)