I have been here since 2003... am I a Phoenician? (Phoenix: living, club)

[More Rock]

I have lived here since 2003. Am I a Phoenician?

I could live in China for a century and never be Chinese. It is all relative.

[wit-nit]

No, you're now a 'Zonie'.

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

No, you're now a 'Zonie'.

The only place that calls Phoenicians zonies is San Diego trying to bring the word here won't happen no matter how hard you try. Plus zonie is a slam.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by More Rock

I have lived here since 2003. Am I a Phoenician?

I could live in China for a century and never be Chinese. It is all relative.

Yes. If you are a resident of Phoenix, you are properly termed a Phoenician. That term doesn't mean you were born here. As for your analogy, the city where you live, and your country of origin (which may also determine ethnicity) are two different things. If you were a resident of a CITY in China, you could properly be called by whatever term applies to that city's residents. But no, living there would not make you Chinese.

[azriverfan.]

Yes, you are. It's where your heart is. Some people have embraced this place immediately and they are Phoenicians. Then you have others who have lived here for over 20 years and still don't vote or consider themselves Phoenicians. The silliest thing is to hear people living here for most of their lives and still calling themselves Californians as if they are trying to somehow be cool or edgy. No, you're not a Californian when you've lived in Arizona for the past 30-40 years.

[Ponderosa]

As long as you don't talk about where you moved from as "back home" and you cheer for the Cardinals, then you are in the club as an associate member. Full membership requires blood like being born here or having children born and raised here.

[Colt AZ]

Observer is correct.

Ponderosa makes a good point about embracing your current residence.

In my totally biased opinion, if you're still going on and on about back home after a decade or more, you're probably not a true Arizonan.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

You are not a Phoenician if:
1. You continue to hang on to your cell phone number with the old area code.
2. If you left the state and came back (even if you were born here). Because everyone knows you are going to leave again.
3. If you know deep down that you cannot handle to heat for the rest of your life.
4. If you cannot speak English.
5. If you mispronounce Saguaro (suh-wah-roe), Gila monster (hee-lah), or Yucca (yuk-uh).

I fail test #1-3. It took a while to pass #5.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

Observer is correct.

Ponderosa makes a good point about embracing your current residence.

In my totally biased opinion, if you're still going on and on about back home after a decade or more, you're probably not a true Arizonan.

Yes, Arizonan not Phoenician. I rarely if ever hear the latter. Most of us around here don't live in Phoenix.

[KurtAZ]

You are an Arizonan...just not a Native. Doesn't matter how long you are here, if you weren't born here you will never be a Native.