I have Fenders from Japan, Mexico and the USA and although the USA one is head and shoulders over the others, that could be down to the higher specification, as well as my own personal preferences (the neck profile, how they look, how they feel to play and what they sound like).
As someone else has said, I don't think it's the country that is as important as the specification and quality control processes. After all, photos from Fender's USA factory show that the employees there look very similar to those employed in Mexico (not wishing to bring any racial/cultural stereotypes into the equation!).
From my own standpoint, it's nice to know my best Jazz is a USA-made one and my Warwick is German-made, but it wasn't a deciding factor in my choice. It was about the way they felt and whether I could afford them.
But, to play devil's advocate, reputations are often based on fact, so there may - once anyway - have been a reason.