Logan and Smith, justify their study with two factors; the continuing trend of globalization and local choices made by individuals in their search for success (41-5). Using these two concepts, they briefly examine the neighborhood and New York City in its entirety before nineteen ninety. They then examine and discuss the nineteen ninety census and subsequently the two thousand one. They recognize the concept of “white flight” where portions of Flushing’s white population leaves for the suburbs, replaced by minorities. In Flushing the Asian and Hispanic populations increase significantly before two thousand. They also discuss in great detail the economic and social draws that made Flushing an attractive choice for these people to live (49-55). After this they consider the racial tension boiling (mostly) beneath the surface. For example many were afraid that the community they grew up in was disappearing, that it would be “Manhattanized.” In general this tension did not lead to physical violence (55-8).

The two thousand census revealed that the Asian population increased dramatically while the Hispanic one stablilized at around twenty percent. In fact, Flushing became the most concentrated Asian population in New York, second only to Manhattan’s Chinatown (59-63). They then examine the Hispanic population and its many smaller enclaves within Flushing. They consider the many factors that encourage these neighborhoods to develop as well as the specific ethnic groups within the community such as Mexican, Puerto Rican etc.

Despite the incredible diversity that they tell us about, Logan and Smith maintain that, for better or worse, these are still societies based on the structure of an enclave. They are not truly integrated, they may coexist but preserve themselves as distinct cultural groups.