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I find this complexly hilarious, since I'm 1) child of immigrants from a country allowed under those immigration reforms, whose cuisine has helped spice up US foodways and 2) taking advantage of the diversity of food and food information in the US to learn about all sorts of cuisines including some of those Northern European ones, which at their best can be about simplicity rather than blandness. It's not that I fully agree or fully disagree as that... there's a bigger picture, I think.

Actually, the reason for all the foreign restaurants is that there are networks of supporters that help make it happen. Each country has its "recent immigrants" societies, which do exist (and people find out about them from the churches that serve their languages). Unlike other minority societies of the past (Irish and Black, both of whom had histories of just being bitch-fests about "The Man"), these are more supportive of explaining the system to new arrivals and helping them get into it.

They'll help people find a place that needs something, sometimes a foreign cuisine restaurant of their culture, sometimes an all-American deli in a new office building (as there's never a shortage of those), sometimes (yes) a laundry mat. Then loan them the capital to get it started, along with one of their reps to deal with the legal paperwork.

This is doubly-advantageous to these investors because 1) they get a low-risk investment that almost always returns in time, and 2) they already own significant parts of the distribution channel of the equipment and the food supplies (like the pre-made sauces), so really they're just creating a "franchise" without the branding. Their culture itself becomes the brand rather than any specific name (and my guess is that these people from all of the asian countries *really* hate PFChangs for blowing that trend).

So why so many foreign restaurants in America? 'cause the asians discovered capitalism and made it work for them.