Are People in Oklahoma Racist ? (Tulsa, Lawton: fit in, crime, new house)

[fshaurya]

I am an Indian Hindu guy ( Not native Indian) who lives in NYC. I am relocating to OKC and I wanted to know if people are quite racist there. Please be honest.

[Rubi3]

I think there are racists everywhere, but generally I think you won't have a problem at all. I lived in OKC for many years and there used to be a man from India who operated a pharmacy where I traded. He certainly did a thriving business. I liked him a lot as did many others. Unless a person is looking for a problem I don't think there will be one. Welcome to Oklahoma.

[PCALMike]

Originally Posted by fshaurya

I am an Indian Hindu guy ( Not native Indian) who lives in NYC. I am relocating to OKC and I wanted to know if people are quite racist there. Please be honest.

If you treat people as individuals and dont paint people with a broad brush you will be fine. No one likes to be demonized based on where they come from, whether it's Oklahoma or India.

[Skip OK]

I have never been in your position, but my guess is that the NYC-OKC culture shock will disarrange your life more than racism. OKC is a pretty big town, but it is NOT the Big Apple.

I once worked with a guy who brought his wife to Shidler OK (pop 717) after living in London, UK (pop>> 717) for 25 years. She saw her new house and just wept. It won't be so bad for you, but please expect some dislocation in your lifestyle.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

As others have noted you won't have a problem unless you're looking for it. Your question is along the same line as "Are all New Yorkers loud mouths with an Italian-American accent?"

I agree with Skip; the main issue you'll have is change from the city/Northeastern culture of NYC compared to the more countrified-suburban/SouthWest feel of Oklahoma. It will be different, but you'll be fine.

I can't see you having any trouble at all unless you're a Longhorn fan.....in which case you should keep that to yourself.

[chicagodude84]

Horse cr*p !!! Oklahoma is VERY racist !!!!!!


Never personally dealt with racism while living in other major cities !! Until I moved to Oklahoma.


I lived in OKC metro for 10+years.While working at Bob Moore Cadillac several years ago,I was called a wet-back and sp1c.Went to onque in Edmond and made some joke in Spanish and guy said "oh no we only speak English around here"


fshaurya: TRUST me take it from another big city guy,Don't move to Oklahoma !!,
Since you're Hindu and not a "Christian" they'll label you as a Muslim "terrorist"

[justanokie]

Originally Posted by chicagodude84

Horse cr*p !!! Oklahoma is VERY racist !!!!!!


Never personally dealt with racism while living in other major cities !! Until I moved to Oklahoma.


I lived in OKC metro for 10+years.While working at Bob Moore Cadillac several years ago,I was called a wet-back and sp1c.Went to onque in Edmond and made some joke in Spanish and guy said "oh no we only speak English around here"


fshaurya: TRUST me take it from another big city guy,Don't move to Oklahoma !!,
Since you're Hindu and not a "Christian" they'll label you as a Muslim "terrorist"

I don't buy this at all. I have lived up and down the east coast and by far the worst racism I have encountered has been in the northeast. Never lived in NYC so I dunno how to compare that to OKC.

I know many muslims here in Oklahoma where I live. People from Pakistan, India, Ethiopa and everywhere else like it just fine. My wife is part Indian and has many Okie friends now. She doesn't take to the wide open places yet but she digs the people.

What may make chicagodude84s story plausible is that a lot of people are ticked off about the current immigration problem. They are angry about losing jobs and the ones that have jobs are tired of paying benefits to people here illegally. Everyones tired of all the crime illegals are doing also. Of course in areas that deal with this there is probably going to be an uptick in racism directed toward spanish speaking people. So yes there unfortunately is a bit more racism in OK directed towards people with an hispanic background. I haven't seen this personally but I hear people talking about illegals all the time and they are angry.

[goodmockingbird]

All depends on where you go and what you do.

Oklahoma has multiple large thriving Hindu communities. Hindu people are part of daily life throughout the state.

This may sound "off the wall", but here are a couple of seemingly unimportant factors that sort of mark how easily or awkwardly one may be accepted:

How accented -- if at all -- is your English? If it is distinctly accented, rural and less educated people will shake their heads and consider you a foreigner. If your English is unaccented American generic Midwestern English, then you'll be accepted as somebody who happens to have come from somewhere else back in your past, but now you can fit right in.

And this other thing is a delicate topic, but I will address it forthrightly: Many first generation Hindu people here still enjoy traditional foods -- which are healthy and tasty -- but which include a lot of garlic. This leaves a lingering odor.

Traditional Indian food is infinitely healthier -- garlic and all! -- than what most Oklahomans eat, and I am not criticizing it. In fact I love it. But: Local people here look dislike the body odor of our recent Hindu immigrants who exude garlic.

In our local sort of collective consciousness there are two kinds of Hindu people: Those with unintelligeable 'foreign' accents and garlic body odor. Those are "foreigners", outlanders. Then their are readily accepted people with generic English and no percievable garlic odor. They happen to have been born somewhere else and practice some other religion, but they are wholeheartedly accepted just like everybody else with roots elsewhere.

One thing that local Hindus have learned to do is to be matter-of-fact but discreet about their religion. Most don't display their rudraksha or Ganesh pendants like people in larger cities. Temples are referred to as Cultural Centers.

In short, yes you may experience prejudice. But thousands of Hindus here find ways to be thoroughly accepted, loved, and respected.

A good sense of humor, a willingness to go along and get along with us and our own eccentricities will see you in good stead.

[Army_Guy]

Don't let the liberal indoctrination programs make you believe that everyone outside of NY, NJ, IL, CA, CT, WA and other liberal paradises are just racist places where blacks and Hispanics are beaten and dragged through the street by pickup trucks flying a Confederate flag.

I've lived in Oklahoma twice, though I've heard some Okies disown Lawton.

The OKC area is #2 on our target list to move to after Phoenix.

Just keep your politics in NYC and you'll be fine. There are racists everywhere, I've been around this entire country but the most racists I've come to meet are the ones from the liberal havens.

Just make sure you tell everyone how you're a NY Giants fan and how great they are.

[Howest2008]

You run into racist by chance , and believe this or not the most racist encountered by this 63 years old young African American man was in New York City and the Golden State of CALIFORNIA....

I was stationed at a Air Force Base on the Gulf Coast of Mis...sis...sippi.... the most racist state in America , and didn't run into any racist acts against me.......

I moved back to my Home Town of Tulsa Oklahoma in 1988 to 1990 and had all types of racist acts directed at me because I had items " like grand touring bicycles " with saddle bags attached , and used the city streets with my bicycles. People knew that I came from a Liberal Big City Locate and I was treated accordingly ....

I had car trying to side swipe me on my bicycle , and people throwing nuts and bolts at my head. One car load of young men threw a wine bottle at my head from a car , a professional white man saw it and promised to be my witness.. took down theirs license number and everything... the D.A. refused to charge them and take it to trial......

OKC is putting in a ton of bicycles lanes now and people are used to people using bicycles for transportation , as it's more main stream now " I would inform you to try and fit in without let-ting folks know that you are from a BIG LIBERAL METROPOLIAN AREA..... Welcome.

Grand Touring Bicycles.....
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http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...JAw&ajaxhist=0

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