sunny innocence of Americans

"Roya Hakakian, an Iranian-born writer who met him then, said that “he displayed the quintessential sunny innocence of Americans.”"  I lived here long enough to know that foreign-born American--especially those born in the Middle East--have a desire to suck up to native-born Americans to prove how loyal to America they are.  But what on earth does "quintessential sunny innocence of Americans" mean?  And how is it displayed? In slavery? Early lynching? Or in the 23 murder of women by men per week? Or is it by the 232 rapes reported every day to the police?  And was that innocence displayed in the wildly popular wars on Iraq and Afghanistan where hundreds of thousands of Americans were killed?