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I think it comes down to whether Southern cuisine is featured in Oklahoma and whether or not Oklahoma girls are truly Southern belles. I consider Oklahoma a Southern state (though Oklahoma and Texas are less Southern than the states further east).
I have family in northern Oklahoma, an area that is usually cut off from being part of the South according to various speech & cultural maps. To me they are Southern, and they identify themselves as Southern as well. The main differences are: the accent. Some people in their town have more of a South Midland accent, similar to what you would hear in Kansas or Missouri. People say "Pop" instead of "Coke" But still, I'd say a mild to moderate Southern accent is dominant.
The scenery looks more Western. It's mostly prarie, many ranches. Their town looks like one of those you'd see in old Western movies.
More Native Americans, less blacks. Lots of people with German heritage. This is in contrast with most of the Southeast.
But other than those things they still drink sweet tea, attend Baptist churches, go to friday night football games, fly Confederate flags, and many other things I associate with the South. My whole life I've always felt that my relatives in OK were way more Southern than people in my hometown in TN, so it really surprised me to read that a lot of people don't consider OK as Southern.
The south starts once you hit Southern, Va...the north starts once u hit anywhere north for DE or in DE ..I would even say Baltimore is where the north starts
Seeing is believing,but remember that the South's bounderies changed dramatically when the War Between The States came about.
ok just for everybody to know i dont include oklahoma as a southern state because i go by the old civil war confederate map oklahoma may have just as many southern values or traditions as mississppi but it was not southern at the time.
also i know a couple people from oklahoma they themselves are cultureally midwest and they hav no accent to speak of and we all know its the accent that makes were ur from lol
also i know a couple people from oklahoma they themselves are cultureally midwest and they hav no accent to speak of and we all know its the accent that makes were ur from lol
Okay, and I honestly know many folks from Arkansas that have neutral accents too. Even though I have a stronger Southern accent than they do, it does not make them any less Southern in my book.
Personally, I do have a Southern twang. I'm not particularly proud of it or showy with it, but I know I have one because I have had people from non-Southern states ask me where I was from (Answer: Proud Okie) when I lived on the East/West coasts as well as when I traveled through Midwestern states.
Also, keep in mind that with the amount of transplants invading Southern states (some simply to move from where they're from others for employment/job reasons) there is a heavy mixture of cultures in Southern states, especially in the more cosmopolitan or faster growing cities/regions.
On your own forum, many question whether Northwest Arkansas is truly Southern anymore. I actually do think NW Arkansas is Southern, but it proves my point = heavy accumulation of transplants will change the culture somewhat. Same goes for Atlanta. Should we not consider Atlanta a Southern city anymore because they're are many, many Atlantans that have no discernible Southern dialect? Well, that's ridiculous of course Atlanta is a Southern city. You following me here? It's like saying that we should not include Kentucky in the South because Louisville is not overwhelmingly Southern although 90% of the rest of Kentucky is overwhelmingly Southern. This is not sound thinking.
Hence, you have to go by the overall cultural/historical/geographical indicators of the whole state.
Last edited by Bass&Catfish2008; 02-01-2010 at 05:40 PM..
I think it comes down to whether Southern cuisine is featured in Oklahoma and whether or not Oklahoma girls are truly Southern belles. I consider Oklahoma a Southern state (though Oklahoma and Texas are less Southern than the states further east).
Well, we fry just about everything in these parts. You like catfish? Come to Oklahoma. I grew up eating fried okra just about every meal....still my favorite food on God's green earth. I'd also put Oklahoma BBQ up against anyone...Earl's Rib Palace, Van's Pig Stand, Dink's BBQ, Jake's Rib = make ya go slap your Grandma good!
I have family in northern Oklahoma, an area that is usually cut off from being part of the South according to various speech & cultural maps. To me they are Southern, and they identify themselves as Southern as well. The main differences are: the accent. Some people in their town have more of a South Midland accent, similar to what you would hear in Kansas or Missouri. People say "Pop" instead of "Coke" But still, I'd say a mild to moderate Southern accent is dominant.
The scenery looks more Western. It's mostly prarie, many ranches. Their town looks like one of those you'd see in old Western movies.
More Native Americans, less blacks. Lots of people with German heritage. This is in contrast with most of the Southeast.
But other than those things they still drink sweet tea, attend Baptist churches, go to friday night football games, fly Confederate flags, and many other things I associate with the South. My whole life I've always felt that my relatives in OK were way more Southern than people in my hometown in TN, so it really surprised me to read that a lot of people don't consider OK as Southern.
Great insights here, Smtchll.
And I don't think it's a lot of people, just some folks that have not bothered to really understand or know too much about Oklahoma's history or overarching culture.
ok just for everybody to know i dont include oklahoma as a southern state because i go by the old civil war confederate map oklahoma may have just as many southern values or traditions as mississppi but it was not southern at the time.
This is better. At least you're using some standard to base your opinion.
Of course, I have already showed you that this is simply based on Oklahoma Territory's status as a "territory" and not a "state." (Oklahoma became a state in 1907.) A mere technicality as Oklahoma Territory residents (Native Americans from Mississippi/Alabama/Georgia as well as transplant anglo Southerners from a slew of Southern states) were overwhelmingly on the side of the Confederacy.
One of my teachers in elementary school was from Oklahoma. She stood out because very few people from Oklahoma live in north central WV.
She reminded me alot of Dolly Parton. She had a very similar accent, same mannerisms..I will always remember Ms. Coyle!
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