But not in the US - they eat mostly deep fried or boiled beyond recognition stuff and they still have not figured out how to use spices. There are of, course exceptions, e.g. Cajun but that is the food of the evil French, not that of the good folk of the Scottish-Irish stock that form of the bulk of the population there.
But you are absolutely right about Asian food - the further south you go, the spicier it gets.
Wojtek