I forgot to mention this: Americans are either descendents of risk takers or risk takers themselves (if they are immigrants). I've forgotten the article/research but even in horrible times of famine, economic disaster, or war; for some reason very few people actually leave their country. I think less than 30%. I'm willing to bet that the US probably has taken in a huge majority of the people that were willing to take a risk in a place where they know little of (including the native language) for greater opportunity...