A few months ago, a Croatian journalist who had recently moved to Phoenix came to Columbia, Missouri for a visit. I was invited to join him and a group of other Croatian journalists (most visiting the U.S. for the first time) for dinner. Being a large group, we had to wait quite a while for a table. I found myself in conversation with this man, and I asked how he found Missouri. He said he really liked it, and especially liked bringing other Croatians, because Missouri is where one could find the “real Americans.”