openers japan article november

my latest article for openers japan for november is up. as the theme is "new york city", i chose to expound on what it means to be a "new yorker". identity is an issue everyone deals with on some level everyday and writing this article made it painfully clear how difficult it is [to write about]! for example, i've always identified as a new yorker more strongly than as an american. i grew up with people who felt identifying as jewish or catholic was more important than other categorization. for me now, am i more designer or businessman? i think these are all very important things to self analyze, but my optimistic point of the article is that in a city like new york, the identity of "new yorker" has the power to transcend divisive traditional differences in larger global society. a bit naïve?

part 2 of this article will include short interviews with 3 people who are new yorkers born and raised somewhere else.

link to the article in japanese is here.

photo from my iphone this summer on the promenade at battery park city.