I think I'm turning Japanese

I still remember 9 years ago when I was completely anti-Japanese. I hated their culture, even though I didn't know much about it, their people (although I had never personally met an individual from Japan), and I disliked the fact that their economy was growing at supernatural rates throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. But I especially disliked the fact that their cars only kept increasing in popularity in the United States and overseas, and the reality that more and more people were buying Japanese cars. After all, I'm an American and have always believed that Americans should only purchase American products. However, after 7 years of college and MBA combined and a lot of traveling and reading, I guess I've opened my mind a little and changed my way of thinking about Japanese cars and culture in general.
I once thought to myself: "What makes GM, Ford and Chrysler true American carmakers?" Well, it is true that GM goes well beyond the Chevrolet nameplate, although the latter is its best-selling brand. But after a research on the history of Chevrolet, I realized that its founder, Louis Chevrolet was born and raised in Switzerland and even after moving to the U.S., he disliked America's culture and people, married a Swiss woman and dreamed of moving back to his native country. The Irish-born Henry Ford was also born and raised in Europe, so he was just as foreign as the founders of Toyota, Nissan and Honda. And Chrysler… yes, it was once a true American company. Too bad it was recently acquired by, not merged with, the German group Daimler-Benz. Chrysler is now so German that its shares are all owned by the Germans, the American board of directors was kicked out and replaced by German managers, and some of its cars are even made in Germany (i.e. Crossfire, a new Chrysler based on outdated Mercedes chassis). So it's as if Chrysler had died and had its assets acquired by Daimler, who just decided to keep the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep nameplates for marketing purposes. In fact, DaimlerChrysler is now being sued by its former major shareholder, Kirk Kerkorian, who claims the Germans took over the former American firm by falsely alleging the acquisition was a merger of equals. Mr. Kerkorian, however, was also foreign, as he was born and raised in a Middle Eastern country.
That leads us to another point: in the 21st century, major firms are no longer owned by their founders, and the country of the company's foundation doesn't necessarily make that company a national of that country. That's because of the system of corporations and the notion of stocks and shareholders. Ford and GM also have a large number of foreign shareholders. Proportionally, Americans also hold shares of automakers that originated in Japan.
Honestly, I consider most Japanese automakers American as well. Toyota, for instance, produces nearly half of its global output in the United States, generating jobs in America and revenues to both state and federal governments. In addition, Toyota is the world's most profitable automaker (in 2003, for example, it made more profits than Ford, GM and Chrysler combined) with the largest capitalization rate. That translates into more cash to its shareholders and more investment in America. The same can be said of Honda, Nissan and the other Japanese carmakers.
Today, it's hard to believe how many Americans still consider a Dodge Ram and a Chevy Silverado more American than a Nissan Titan or a Toyota Tundra, even though many Rams and Silverados are assembled in Mexico, whereas all Titans and Tundras are entirely built in America by Americans.
I recently replaced my 2000 Chevy Impala for a new Honda, which led me to the research and conclusion that Hondas (and Toyotas as well) are still superior to GM, Ford and Chrysler:

- First of all, Toyota and Honda keep gaining market share not only in the U.S., but in Europe as well, meaning that more people are buying their cars. We Americans are known to be the most informed consumers in the world, probably because we have greater access to the Internet, magazines and other sources of information. So, if more Americans buy "Japanese," oftentimes paying more than they would for a GM, Ford or Chrysler (who push their cars towards the consumers through huge rebates and other incentives), that can be a strong indication of Toyota and Honda's overall superiority. Well, let's assume then that American consumers are all blind and actually biased towards "Japanese" cars. So what explains the momentum that Toyota, Honda and Nissan are gaining in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia? Not to mention Africa, where 1 out of every 3 cars sold is a Toyota. Even the United Nations is substituting Land Cruisers for Land Rovers.

- Second, if you read Car and Driver and Automobile magazines, you will notice that Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans usually rank among the best cars for overall performance. J.D. Power and Associates has been ranking Toyota and Lexus among the 1st in reliability and customer satisfaction surveys for many years. These cars receive high praises from European and Australian presses as well.

- Finally, even if all these sources were to be wrong, I have a decent knowledge about cars myself since I love them and have owned so many (although mostly Fords and Chevys). When I test drove the Toyotas/Hondas/Nissans, I could clearly tell their superiority in relation to the Fords/Chryslers/GMs I also drove. They seem to be much better made and to drive and handle better as well.

Long story short, I dumped my Chevy and bought a Honda. I am very satisfied for now, and don't really plan on considering another Ford or Chevy again.

Well, I just want to remind you that what I've written is my personal opinion and doesn't necessarily mean that it must be shared equally by all of us. However, I do know many Americans who choose to buy Fords, Chevys and Chryslers out of false knowledge and bias, and I am just proposing an alternative to that rationale.