Poor uncultured America

I like how we in America claim that we don't have a culture all to our own or that our lack of culture is the culture. I think it is this supposed lack of culture that drives us to try and "experiment" with many other well-defined cultures' cuisine. Indian, Asian, Italian, and even Ethiopian. But we know rather commonly that what we call "Chinese food" isn't. Neither is Thai, Japanese, or any other Asian food we like to eat with chopsticks and in little bowls. Nor is Italian food really Italian food, and that I can claim pretty assuredly, seeing as I went. It's more like the people who start these restaurants only use the "Chinese" or "Italian" or whatever as a basis for a few ingredients or the staple (rice, semolina, noodles, nan, etc.) and then make something that actually just appeals to the people in the area.
I'm not saying anything new here, I've heard it a bunch of times. But then why do we deny that we have our own culture and taste and general area of things that appeal to our tastes? If not, what are the restauranteers aiming for? Why don't they just make the food the same way they would back in China / Italy / Greece / etc. "where they came from" because we also all know that ethnic restaurants are operated by people from the area the food is claiming to be from?
"Growing up with a lack of culture in America": I've heard that a bunch of times too. Maybe other countries, in Europe or Africa for instance, notice their unique culture because of their close relations to other countries with different cultures. With France being right next to Germany and having warred against them most of the time they've existed, clear definitions in the two countries cultures start to form. Maybe if America paid more attention to the huge difference it has to other countries clear definitions would form for its culture.
Not even! Just think about the different regions of the country. The South has its own culture surrounding it, the East coast has its own, California has two (NoCal and SoCal), Washington and Oregon have their own as well. How many have I missed? You can pick them out yourself without much thought.
How is this a lack of culture? More like we are brimming with it.