Except... All races could always be as strong or as smart as each other. Your racial ASI only ever determined your starting line, not where you actually end up. Because everyone's stats cap at 20. The exceptions to this is in class features and epic boons, not races. Half-Orcs get a leg up on their strength over races such as Halflings, but that just means it might take the Halfling more effort to get their strength to 20, not that they will never get to 20.
