Frank Nan
Architect born in Taiwan

Q. When did you consider NYC (New York City) your hometown?

AThe summer of '93, six months after I moved from Taiwan to the middle of nowhere in Los Angeles. I was 16. That’s when I first visited NYC. The condensed, energetic parts of the city invigorated me, and I knew right away that NYC would be my hometown. I’ve lived here ever since that summer, 15 years ago.

Q. When did you realize you were a New Yorker? Was there a specific event that triggered it?

AI always knew I was a New Yorker. I went to high school and college here. As for a moment when I felt like a New Yorker, I remember taking the subway every day for school and seeing all sorts of people in the same car. Europeans, Africans, Chinese, Koreans, Russians, Mexicans, Indians, all in their work uniforms commuting. It struck me as a scene I’d only seen in movies, seeing so many different people gathered in such a small space. Another memorable subway incident, the kind you see in movies, was witnessing a teenager snatch a necklace and bag from an elderly woman just as the doors were closing. But NYC has become much safer now.

Q. In your own words, what is a New Yorker?

AFor me, a New Yorker is simply someone who lives or has lived in NYC, who thrives on the city's energy and diversity, and cherishes both its past and its future. "New Yorker" isn't a single definition; there are as many New Yorkers as there are people here, each with their own idea of what it means to be from NYC. The stereotypical New Yorker is multicultural, multilingual, has multiple jobs, and everyone has their own unique personality and many faces.

Such a person knows where to find delicious kebabs (Turkish skewered vegetables and meat), knishes (a Jewish specialty of meat and potato filling), kalbi (Korean barbecue), kielbasa (a Polish smoked sausage flavored with garlic), and kulcha (an Indian dish of bread stuffed with meat or vegetables). They dislike slow walkers and give directions to taxi drivers. And someone who considers owning a personal washer and dryer a reward is what I think of as a New Yorker.

Miho Hatori
Musician born in Tokyo

Q. When did you consider NYC your hometown?

ASince I came to NYC in 1994.

Q. When did you realize you were a New Yorker?

AWhen my expressions were accepted in this city.

Q. Was there a specific event that triggered it?

AHmm, there have been many. Three come to mind right now. The experience of 9/11 was certainly intense. Fragments of office documents from the World Trade Center even landed in my garden.

More recently, Obama's election victory was deeply felt. It was the first time in a long time that NYC rejoiced so much, and I think it was an event that helped heal the wounds of 9/11.

And one more thing. Takashi Murakami's "Little Boy" exhibition at the Japan Society was personally very inspiring. Since then, I've become more conscious of exploring my own identity, delving deeper into my creative process. The exhibition catalog, in particular, was very educational.

Q. In your own words, what is a New Yorker?

AI resonate with Takeshi Yoro's assertion that cities are an expression of encephalization. A New Yorker isn't someone who can be simply described as "international" in a vague sense; rather, a New Yorker is someone who has a certain level of immunity to diversity, and NYC is a place for such people to live, wouldn't you say?

I think a relatively large number of New Yorkers have experienced moments or chaos that could fill two or three documentary films, so as the Dalai Lama says, it's also a very good place for spiritual training (laughs).

Tina Roth
Designer born in Switzerland

Q. When did you consider NYC your hometown?

AWhen I encounter small moments, like the guy at the coffee stand knowing my order without me saying anything. That's when I feel NYC is my hometown. When I met my current husband in NYC, I intuitively felt I would live here for a long time.

Q. When did you realize you were a New Yorker? Was there a specific event that triggered it??

AThe moment I got into a taxi from JFK airport after returning from Switzerland. The driver was rude, the streets were incredibly dirty. It was humid, and the taxi's air conditioning wasn't working at all. And there was traffic. But I didn't mind at all. In fact, I loved that kind of NY! It felt like coming home!

Q. In your own words, what is a New Yorker?

AAnyone who wants to be in NYC and loves NYC as it is, is a New Yorker. Or, if you've lived in NYC for 10 years, I'll give you the "You're a True New Yorker" stamp.