[gfug]

I'm living in new england right now, and I'm thinking of moving to OK. What's the attitude towards immigrants there? Is someone from another country with a foreign accent going to be treated the same as in a more liberal state? Or is the redneck stereotype accurate, meaning I should look elsewhere? Will a person be looked down upon for having a foreign accent?

[Goodpasture]

Depends on the accent.............

We certainly have our share of rednecks. But for the most part we like to see people act like people. We aren't too into attitudes........someone posted the other day comparing Tulsa restaurants to Chicago's.....several people suggested that that person move back to Chicago if they didn't like what they found here. But people that are good neighbors are welcome anytime. Tulsa is home a numerous nationalities. We have one of the best Ocktoberfests in the nation, we host Native American Pow Wows, we have Buddhist temples, Muslim mosques, and a small Sikh community. We have one of the larger Muslim communities in the region simply because of the University of Tulsa whose focus has traditionally been in the geology and petroleum engineering which has attracted a large number of middle east students. Another attraction is Spartan School of Aeronautics, where students from around the world learn to be airplane mechanics and pilots.

We have an active interfaith council that works well between the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities.....we really do face similar issues and we have a lot in common in our daily lives.

We have Dutch and German and Greek festivals as well. We have a small Thai community and a large (legal) Hispanic community. I spoke with a teacher from Broken Arrow (a suburb of Tulsa) and they say they are tracking 37 different home languages in their students.

FWIW, Schousse, a member of this forum, is from the Netherlands, and people like her better than the do me, and I was born here. Diversity is well received......a**holes like me aren't.

[gfug]

I wasn't really asking about diversity, but rather how it is accepted. It would be pretty hard to find medium sized cities that don't have a significant number of foreign residents. The presence of those foreign residents, however, does not mean they are accepted. I apologize for what I'm doing, but I'll be honest with you- I've never been to OK, and I'm only going on stereotypes here (OK=conservatives=don't like immigrants). Yes, I realize this is ironic that I'm worrying about the stereotypical views of the stereotypes I have of OK'.s

I read an article recently that OK lost 20,000 hotel/restaurant workers due to a new law that is putting the burden of hiring legal workers on employers. If someone with a foreign accent walks into a hotel looking for a job, what's the reaction going to be? I know that if I was the one that owned the hotel, I'd be a bit wary of hiring that person. What if their working papers are fake? It would probably be easier to steer clear of foreigners and hire people that I know are American. It's a very understandable reaction to have. Would it be a bad move for an immigrant to move to an area with a political climate that puts this type of pressure on people? Are the politics a direct result of the viewpoints of a majority of the people in the area?

[Mattie Jo]

Oklahomans are not against immigrants; they are against illegal aliens, those that come here without proper papers. Those that sneak across the border and into our country. If you are an immigrant, meaning you have legal papers, then you are welcomed here. No one will bother you. I have a strong foreign accent because I am from CA, but I am welcomed here. Others from all countries are welcome.

[peggydavis]

My DIL is from Russia, and has quite an accent. She has her correct papers and she had a good job, and has tons of friends.

[BelgianPea]

i'm Belgian and have been living here since Januari. i don't have any problems with anybody. but alot of people dont seem to realise i'm not american. apparently i do NOT sound like Jean Claude Van Damme

only one lady asked me where i came from. but in all honestly i dont think people here have a problem with immigrants

[Annemieke Roell]

We live in a town of about 125 people. I have never had a problem with Okies looking at me funny or treating me with less than respect because I am a foreigner. When I lived in New England that was a whole different story.

One word of advise, though. When you decide to move here you may lose the word "rednecks" from your vocabulary. It is a derogatory expression for people who work outdoors. In addition .... Okies are very different from people in other southern states. You may want to do some research.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by Schousse

We live in a town of about 125 people. I have never had a problem with Okies looking at me funny or treating me with less than respect because I am a foreigner. When I lived in New England that was a whole different story.

One word of advise, though. When you decide to move here you may lose the word "rednecks" from your vocabulary. It is a derogatory expression for people who work outdoors. In addition .... Okies are very different from people in other southern states. You may want to do some research.

Okay, on behalf of those who will be joining your state in the near future, what do you see as the differences between Okies and people in other southern states?

[TheComputerGuy]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

Okay, on behalf of those who will be joining your state in the near future, what do you see as the differences between Okies and people in other southern states?

NJ is a Southern state?
(Sorry, you didn't see this and I wasn't here. I was being a wise-guy.)

M.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by TheComputerGuy

NJ is a Southern state?
(Sorry, you didn't see this and I wasn't here. I was being a wise-guy.)

M.

Actually, part of New Jersey is below the Mason-Dixon line.