Queens is filled with such a prodigious number of ethnic identities. Reasonably, these ethnic enclaves might be skeptical of penetration into their cultures by outsiders. It is for this very reason that Adam Ellick could not enjoy the authentic “Queens experience” that he had desired. Ellick in his attempt to explore the underworld of ethnic enclaves failed for the simple reason that he was a white American who had no connection to the venues and people he tried to connect with. Ellick was alone in his endeavor; it is not surprising that he was rejected for not having the credentials to integrate within the cultures he sought to explore. He says it himself most concisely, “The underworlds of Queens are so authentic that they are impossible to discover, at least for a white American like me.” While he notes that he brought some friends out to come adventure with him, it is likely that they too faced the same problem, of being an outsider to these places. Consequently, none of them are successful in discovering Queens’ hidden treasures. Being alone throughout these adventures furthermore demonstrates his decline in hope. He notes that the loneliness of eating at these places wore off the excitement that he had at first. Even when it even came to a more familiar culture, the Irish bar, Ellick was put off by its isolationist motto, that it was the “last white stronghold” and it would remain that way. Ellick could not find a comfortable place to continue his trek.
The overarching theme of Ellick’s failure is that he did not have a companion with which to explore Queens. His adventures, characterized by loneliness and failure to mingle with other people show that he could not succeed without having an equally willing partner. When he does finally penetrate the Korean bar, he accomplishes such when he is with a friend. Perhaps having someone along with him the whole time would have provided him constant motivation and a better means of connecting with the restaurants and bars that so enamoured him.
