There was a legitimate reason for that. And calling any group "a curious bunch of people" has weird implications.
edit: Also, I challenge the notion that the reason was legitimate. I know the reason. But I wouldn't make that trade-off.
For all the talk of individualism, for example, it's pretty easy to blindly tell a random American from a random French with great statistical success just for their opinions on things. And those two cultures aren't even as different as each is with Japanese culture...