Answers

I have found a partial answer to one of my questions:
"What is the difference between Chinese food in the USA and in China?"
One of the ways is in the USA they almost always serve a Fortune Cookie after a meal. In China the really only place you will find a Fortune Cookie is in "China Club" in Hong Kong. They are considered a joke to Hong Kong diners while in the USA they are meant to be fun and entertaining.

This is an answer to one of my questions:
"Why did the USA make up their own version of Chinese food?"
The reason is to make it taste better to the people. They changed it so that it would taste better to the "Western" palate. They first catered to railroad workers. Then after the catering for a bit, they made several restaurants.In the places that the Chinese went to, Chinese food was completely unknown. They adapted by using more common ingredients to cater to the customers taste.

Source: Wikipedia