The Face of a New Yorker

I was never so naive to think that I was the only person to move to New York City this summer, but I have been surprised to see the sheer amount of people constantly influxing into the city, and also the amount of people leaving. I was always meeting someone just coming or going. And in light of that, of all the people that I have met or run across so far, only THREE of them were actually "from" New York, in the sense that they were either born here or moved young enough that they went through the public school system here as kids.

One of these three was my coworker Joe, who was born and raised in Manhattan and "studied abroad" by going to college in Colorado. I asked him if it bothered him that people from all over the country and world crammed in here into his city. His response was "No, because that's a New Yorker. Once you live here for like six months, you're a New Yorker." I thought that was pretty profound, especially coming from someone who had the most right to claim New Yorker-ship. Yet, the more I think of it, the more it's completely true. It is the only city I've ever been to with such accepted diversity. It seems like the identity of a New Yorker is intertwined with emigration in some form or another.

In short, there is no face of a New Yorker, no pre-requisite of accomplishments or looks, just the fact of living here and trying to survive... and I suppose a love the Yankees doesn't hurt you either.