Why are Japanese car companies considered "foreign" by American southerners?

As a spin off from the thread of Ford moving truck production to Mexico because of the UAW.....

The Japanese (and lately Korean and German car companies) have invested far more into your local economies than the American big 3 car companies in recent history.

Yes, I'm aware that General Motors has made a lot of investments in manufacturing in Texas and Tennessee lately. But Ford and Chrysler are largely absent from the southern US. Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Honda, Kia, and Hyundai build cars closer to where most of you live and work. Even Tesla is going to start building trucks in Texas very soon.

So why does Ford, Dodge, Ram, or Jeep deserve your loyalty?



Toyota has been building excellent, reliable, and practical cars in the south for 30+ years now, including the cars that absolutely dominated their market segments:



In fact, Toyota has moved their North American HQ from California to Texas as of last year. Nissan has moved theirs to Nashville. VW's to Chattanooga. Mercedes Benz to Atlanta.

Do you really think you have more in common with the average UAW striker in Michigan or Ohio than you do with people on the assembly line at Nissan, Hyundai, VW, or Toyota plants in the southern US? Why do so many of you prefer products made by Ford anyways?

Kia's factory in Georgia:


Hyundai's factory in Alabama (Montgomery area)

Nissan's massive complex near Jackson:


Mercedes-Benz plant near Tuscaloosa:


If you must buy a foreign-built vehicle, I can see preferring a Mexican, Japanese, Korean, German, British, or Canadian built vehicle over a Chinese one. But why consider Michigan, Illinois, or Ohio your home turf if you live and work in the deep south?