Elmhurst, Queens is a quaint neighborhood just south of La Guardia Airport. Known for little more than the famous McDowell's (converted from a Wendy's) for the 80s movie "
Coming to America" and the near by Queens Center Mall; its a minute blip on the often overlooked borough of Queens. Htat Lin Htut 18, a recent immigrant from Burma calls it home after migrating to the U.S. 4 years ago. He lives alone with his father an employee of the Staten Island Ferry, a single parent following a fatal accident in which his wife was struck by a speeding vehicle while crossing the street.
Htut is one Asian amongst many in a neighborhood 0f 104,000 with whites in the minority at 34% according to a NYC.gov poll in 2008. The majority often shifts between Asians and Hispanics currently 39% Asian and 43% Hispanic; the census fluctuates yearly and doesn't consider illegal immigrants. Elmhurst is a example of racial integration at work as well as the conflicts in culture that arise in it's wake.
