New York City is home to over 8.5 million people who are stacked on top of each other and living some kind of crazy shared experience. People move to New York City to experience life being thrown at you all at once, and hope they can “make it” in whatever way it means to them. People move there and stay their entire lives, building businesses and raising families. However, according to Jennifer Lopez, moving to NYC doesn’t make you a true New Yorker, and this bold statement has become quite controversial on the internet.
Jennifer Lopez Doubled Down On Her New York Hot Take
During an interview for Subway Takes, host Kareem Rahma asked Lopez what her hottest take was. The Out of Sight star revealed that she believed that to be a true New Yorker, you need to be born in New York City. She explained (via TikTok):
You have to be born in New York to be a New Yorker. I know everybody wants to claim the city! Everybody wants to claim our city, but you have to be born in New York. You have to be born in one of the five boroughs to be a New Yorker.
Obviously, this is a controversial take, and although Rahma agreed with her, he noted that when he first moved to NYC, he had heard that you have to live in New York for 10 years before you can claim to be a New Yorker. This is also famously the opinion of Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist on one of the most famous New York City-set TV series, Sex and the City. Lopez disagreed with this, saying:
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I have to say no. You live in New York, you take on characteristics of New Yorkers probably by that time. You have a New York sensibility…. You pay New York taxes. When you’re born in New York is when you’re really a New Yorker.
Rahma also noted that it’s hard to say that a person who has lived in NYC for 50 years and raised a family there isn’t a New Yorker, but Lopez still doubled down, saying you still have to be born there to be a true New Yorker.
How The Internet Reacted To This NYC Hot Take
Obviously, this is a pretty hot take, which is what Rahma was asking for. It went absolutely viral on the internet, and people had pretty mixed feelings about the criteria that the “On The Floor” singer was so adamant about. Some agreed with her, with one person stating that there is a certain quality you have when you are born in NYC that you don’t really have if you are a transplant. They said:
I’m not even American, but kind of agree with her. If you migrated there at the age of 20, how can u pick up NY accent? maybe ur kids will if they’re born there.
However, many people noted that this is a pretty narrow-minded take, especially considering NYC is famous for being a melting pot of people from everywhere. Immigrants are what bring culture to this city, and to say that immigrants aren’t authentically New York feels wrong. Someone commented:
New York, the city of immigrants, ‘you have to have been born here’
People were also quick to point out that Lopez herself doesn’t even live in New York City anymore. While she’s split her time between coasts, she has been living on the West Coast for quite some time since she became an actress and musician professionally. Someone said:
Mind u she lives in California
At this point, it’s almost safe to say that Jennifer Lopez is a Californian. She has had several homes in Los Angeles, and most recently Ben Affleck surrendered the house they lived in together directly to her. Lopez recently sold the LA house; however, she did so just to buy another dream house in SoCal. She has been buying and selling houses in California for over 30 years, which someone noted in the comments.
Ma’am you have live outside of New York longer than you lived in it…
Despite this, Lopez says she’s a New Yorker. She has always said her Bronx roots are something very important to her, still referring to herself as “Jenny From The Block.” This is probably why she wants to double down on what she believes makes someone authentically New York. And someone pointed this out as well:
My girl just wants to be part of something
This seems to be truly the crux of the debate, and I think it’s okay to feel like there is something unique about your connection to where you are from. New York is a special city, and it makes sense to want to carry that with you no matter where life leads you next.
You can check out stories about “New Yorkers” by consulting our feature on the best New York City movies and where to watch them. Fans of Jennifer Lopez can also check out her latest film, Office Romance (which ironically takes place in New Jersey), with a Netflix subscription.