How bad is the Racism in Oklahoma? (Oklahoma City, Tulsa: relocate, travel)

[azriverfan.]

I'm providing my view because a different array of opinions is important for one to make an informed decision. I think most of the responses on this thread have been from caucasians so they are not in any position to really answer this question. I'm not caucasian and I felt Oklahoma was certainly racist. It was not overtly racist like the states in the deep south. The racism there was subtle but was certainly present especially when it comes to mixed marriages and relationships. I also feel Oklahomans are pretty insensitive to race in general. For example, Asians are still called Orientals there. During the 1995 OKC bombing, Channel 9, the city's most popular news station, irresponsibly reported that two men in turbans were seen on I-35 insinuating they were potentially behind the bombing despite the fact that Sikhs not Arabs or Muslims wear turbans. I live in Phoenix now and I haven't experienced any racism that I experienced in Oklahoma. I was pretty shocked. I expect that from an ignorant person but not a professional news organization let alone the states largest and most popular broadcast. If anyone would like more examples or information regarding racism in Oklahoma, they can PM me.

[flintysooner]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I'm providing my view because a different array of opinions is important for one to make an informed decision.

We, or at least I, definitely appreciate you taking the time and expending the energy to describe our shortcomings. We certainly need morally and intellectually superior people like you to help us understand our inadequacies. Undoubtedly those who are seeking information about moving here will surely benefit from the wisdom of your counsel.

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I think most of the responses on this thread have been from caucasians so they are not in any position to really answer this question. I'm not caucasian

Ah, yes, of course. Makes sense now. Only non-Caucasians can comment on racism. I should have realized that sooner and probably would have except for my diminished genetic stock. You know I think we need a racial indicator flag on our comments so we can easily identify the race of the poster. That way non-Caucasians would be able to identify posts having the requisite racial purity and significance necessary for proper context. Maybe we could also add a place for people to include their IQ's and formal educational achievements so we would be saved the time of reading posts from those more ignorant and less well endowed mentally than ourselves.

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

and I felt Oklahoma was certainly racist. It was not overtly racist like the states in the deep south. The racism there was subtle but was certainly present especially when it comes to mixed marriages and relationships.

Subtle! I am not sure I know any subtle Oklahomans. Are you sure you lived in Oklahoma City?

I thought subtle meant difficult to detect. If that's true then we are even more in your debt for having the mental alacrity to apprehend the racism and now to point it out to us.

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I also feel Oklahomans are pretty insensitive to race in general.

You lost me here. I thought racism was where people were very sensitive to race. I'm going to have to walk outside on the trailer porch and think about this while I enjoy a refreshing beverage.

Have a good day now and y'all come on back when you can.

[Synopsis]

Reps for you flintysooner...

Thanks

[LadyRobyn]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I'm providing my view because a different array of opinions is important for one to make an informed decision.

Thanks to email updates I had the pleasure of reading your original post, before you edited it down to the one paragraph here.

I have to say that it was quite enlightening and truly priceless...I haven't laughed that hard in quite a while. (Especially you thoughts about Native Americans in this State.)

Afraid I can't give an informed opinion about OKC and racism, as I haven't spent much time there. Correct me if I am wrong but didn't I read that you were there less than a year? I'm curious as to what other parts of the State you visited or lived.

I can say that I have never encountered any of the things you mentioned here (or in your original post) but then our circle of friends is mostly made up of Blue-Collar types and Ranchers with clay on their boots.

I did find a post of yours that was 100% accurate and I think it applies here quite nicely.

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I envy the trolls. I really do. It must be fun to be able to come to this forum and chronically bash the city and get away with it. I think it's amusing how they come here to cause trouble and irritate members by venting about the city and then get away with it by saying they are providing the opposing view or the critical view. It must be fun. Hey let's bash Phoenix and then when someone calls me on it, I'll waive my first ammendment rights about free speech and say I have a right to provide my opinion. That's beautiful! The trolls have so much power here. They can destroy a thread and when someone gets angry at them for doing so, the person who gets angry gets into trouble or is blamed for feeding the troll but the trolls suffers no consequences.

As Flintysooner said, You have a nice day now! And watch out for those Haboobs! I hear they can be pretty nasty...

[colleeng47]

Flintysooner, I repped you, too. I really laughed at your response. I find that humor is always the best defense against hostility and ignorance. Thanks for starting my day off with a laugh!

BTW, those of you who have met me and my family know why I find this whole "racist" thing so funny.

[LadyRobyn]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

BTW, those of you who have met me and my family know why I find this whole "racist" thing so funny.

Same for us. Any artist that decides to paint a family portrait for us had better have every color of the rainbow on his palette!

[n8tiv_okie]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I'm providing my view because a different array of opinions is important for one to make an informed decision. I think most of the responses on this thread have been from caucasians so they are not in any position to really answer this question. I'm not caucasian and I felt Oklahoma was certainly racist. It was not overtly racist like the states in the deep south. The racism there was subtle but was certainly present especially when it comes to mixed marriages and relationships. I also feel Oklahomans are pretty insensitive to race in general. For example, Asians are still called Orientals there. During the 1995 OKC bombing, Channel 9, the city's most popular news station, irresponsibly reported that two men in turbans were seen on I-35 insinuating they were potentially behind the bombing despite the fact that Sikhs not Arabs or Muslims wear turbans. I live in Phoenix now and I haven't experienced any racism that I experienced in Oklahoma. I was pretty shocked. I expect that from an ignorant person but not a professional news organization let alone the states largest and most popular broadcast. If anyone would like more examples or information regarding racism in Oklahoma, they can PM me.

Let me throw some kool-aid on the fire here...
I've lived in california, georgia, south carolina, texas and oklahoma. I am a native oklahoman. I can tell you that Oklahomans are not the only people to call asians, "orientals". In california and Georgia they were called much worse.
I worked in TV news after the OKC bombing. In fact, I was exposed to everything surrounding that act for 2 straight years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I can tell you first-hand that it was reported that way because of "eyewitness" accounts that morning. Yes, turbans would definitely stand-out in Oklahoma City but that doesn't make the report racially biased even if that is actually how they reported it.
Racism is ignorant. Bottom-line. BUT, so is reverse-racism.
If you lined up all the states and places I've lived, I wouldn't rank Oklahoma at the top of the most racist places I've ever been.
I was raised here and never once did my parents tell me to act differently or treat another person differently based on their race. All of my friends were raised the same way, so what you have to look at and base racism on is how a person was raised. It's called parenting. Black, white, red, yellow or green.....doesn't matter. If you're a crappy parent, your kids will be crappy people no matter what race they are.
I'll step away from the soapbox now.

[KurtTGS]

Originally Posted by imbubbles

Basically we have a lot of prejudice black people here. More than white. :-(

Is that a joke? I sure hope so.

[redbird4848]

Don't build a case on Oklahoma being racist because "they" refer to asians as orientals. New words come into vogue every 20 years or so, and we Okies just ain't city-fied enough to keep up to date racial monikers. Most people have ugly words for other races, and okies are no different.

I loved the story about the two men in turbans on the news at the time of the OKC bombing. At the time of the OKC Federal bld. bombing, no one would have guessed that a caucasian american commited the act.

If the news state they saw an arab or someone wearing a turban, it is NOT because Oklahoma is racist. It is because that is who they thought might have been responsible for the bombing.

There are a lot YouTube videos on the OKC bombing and they show how chaotic it was moments after the bombing. Its too easy to look back and criticize. Try watching the footage. And btw, there is still a lot of conspiracy surrounding that whole incident.

If you are in a mixed-race relationship/marriage, and felt the heat, then just come out and say it. My boss is in mixed race (black/white) marriage and has been in OKC since the 70's. You will always find people who are not accepting if they have not been raised around different cultures.

Thankfully, most white folks in Oklahoma have been raised around crazy NDN's. So they know how to laugh at each other, because we sure do laugh at the crazy white man and they laugh at us as we walk down the street eating raw kidneys listening to pow wow music!!

There will always be racist people, but please don't paint the state or even OKC as racist, because that is only a partial truth, and as such is an untruth.

And btw, I am not a paleface, so take my word for it.

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I'm providing my view because a different array of opinions is important for one to make an informed decision. I think most of the responses on this thread have been from caucasians so they are not in any position to really answer this question. I'm not caucasian and I felt Oklahoma was certainly racist. It was not overtly racist like the states in the deep south. The racism there was subtle but was certainly present especially when it comes to mixed marriages and relationships. I also feel Oklahomans are pretty insensitive to race in general. For example, Asians are still called Orientals there. During the 1995 OKC bombing, Channel 9, the city's most popular news station, irresponsibly reported that two men in turbans were seen on I-35 insinuating they were potentially behind the bombing despite the fact that Sikhs not Arabs or Muslims wear turbans. I live in Phoenix now and I haven't experienced any racism that I experienced in Oklahoma. I was pretty shocked. I expect that from an ignorant person but not a professional news organization let alone the states largest and most popular broadcast. If anyone would like more examples or information regarding racism in Oklahoma, they can PM me.

[n8tiv_okie]

Originally Posted by redbird4848

And btw, there is still a lot of conspiracy surrounding that whole incident.

it will be better suited for a whole new thread but let's just say that you're right. I worked with a reporter who lost her job because of evidence she found regarding that subject. There's way more to it than is being said.

Good day