The eternal New Orleans identity question

The big picture: Rich argues you have to be born here and ideally attend high school here to call yourself a New Orleanian.

• It's not the same in other places, but that's the unofficial rule here.
• If you aren't born here, the preferred terms, Rich writes, are "longtime resident" if we like you and "transplant" if we don't.

Zoom in: "The question of what it means to be a 'true' New Orleanian has become more fraught since Hurricane Katrina," Virginia Tech professor Katie Carmichael previously told Axios.

• Case in point: The friction over the NOLA acronym. Many Axios readers weighed in on the debate last year when we wrote about it.

Thought bubble from an interloper (Carlie): I grew up in Gulfport and have lived in New Orleans/Metairie for 14 years this December. I know to say I live here, not I'm from here.

• I'm married to a North Shore High grad and we're raising a Touro baby, so that hopefully gets me some street cred.

• I've also learned that Gulfport is the absolute lowest social status answer to the "Where did you go to school?" question.

Thought bubble from a native (Chelsea): I'm just glad that saying I'm proud to call New Orleans home is one always uncomplicated part of my life here.

What's next: Rich has a new novel, "Cloudthief," that features a climate journalist from Kenner.