[SinCity]

Ponderosa, I don't think you have a thing to worry about. Though some places and people can be outwardly biased against interraical relationships and mixed offspring, i really doubt any of Green Country region would be considered as bad as may occur further south into the state. Tahlequah specifically has the diversity that makes it more progressive and open minded than many other smaller towns but the entire NE region is full of people from someplace else. My boyfriend who is AA visited the area with me and neither of us ever felt a sidewards glance was made. However we are people who don't look for signs and they would have to be very obvious. The only place we experienced any attention was Branson, MO during our trip through NE OK, NW AR, and Souther MO.

[peggydavis]

Originally Posted by SinCity

Ponderosa, I don't think you have a thing to worry about. Though some places and people can be outwardly biased against interraical relationships and mixed offspring, i really doubt any of Green Country region would be considered as bad as may occur further south into the state.

I live further south into the state, between Ada and McAlester. I don't think we are "bad." An inter-racial couple moved onto some property that adjoins ours a couple of years ago. Then another inter-racial couple moved onto some other property that adjoins ours. Well, that doesn't bother anyone around here. We heard they were from California. That doesn't really bother anyone either, except that they are kind of standoffish, in our opinion. We could be wrong about that.

We do not have a large AA population, except maybe Wewoka, where the Seminole Freedmen settled. Further south and east in Oklahoma, I don't see many African American people, but that does not necessarily mean that there is more racism in the area. I know you did not visit the area, and so I just wanted to give you a little more information.

[demoss2676]

I use to live in Tahlequah and I have family there so i visit it often. Its a growing city for sure. When I lived there it wasn't as commercialized but its still a good community. Lake Ten Killer is a great place. (Highly tourized) That part of the state has lots of trees and water. I live in the Western side now and its flatt and windy and trees and water are less available. But either side has its good attributes. I always get the feeling that people are more about the community and more friendly on the western side of the state and not as much on the eastern side but its just my opinion. I love either side for different reasons.

[SinCity]

peggydavis, you just made 2 very important points.
1) The interracial couples have been your neighbors for 2 years and your "heard" they were from CA? Kind of sad you don't know your neighbors better than that after such a long time.
2) "Standoffish" is what I was referring to when I mentioned that many interracial couples call on a lot of isolation themselves.

[SinCity]

I will be happy with wherever I make my home BUT it sure has been fun to have the freedom of choice now that my children are grown. Since my children grew up in the desert and feel most at home in that terrain, I imagine they may be more inclined to live outside of Green Country if they were to ever plant roots near me. They claim it feels somewhat clostrophobic to live among a lot of trees! What we grow up with tends to influence us more than we realize.

[Mattie Jo]

Maybe some interracial couples are standoffish due to fear.

I think our area has a lot of interracial couples, and I don't notice anyone treating them badly. Of course in the schools you will always have mean children. I grew up with it when I was a child. It seems that teachers are being made more aware of it, but maybe they have always been aware, but it seems like more is being done about it than in the past.

[peggydavis]

Originally Posted by SinCity

peggydavis, you just made 2 very important points.
1) The interracial couples have been your neighbors for 2 years and your "heard" they were from CA? Kind of sad you don't know your neighbors better than that after such a long time.
2) "Standoffish" is what I was referring to when I mentioned that many interracial couples call on a lot of isolation themselves.

1) Yes it is sad. We have lived in the neighborhood for 3 years, after retiring from Edmond, OK. It is a very rural area here. If you are from Edmond, you might as well be from Mars in the opinion of people around here. We know almost all our neighbors, and that is how we "heard" that they were from CA. I think it is a matter of cultural differences. People here flagged us down on the road to ask us questions when we first moved here. The two couples have literally ignored us when we have driven by them and stopped to talk while they were out by the road. Hello, we are the only people for miles around, there is no use pretending you don't see us. I think they may be afraid of us. One of the ladies is starting to wave as we pass each other on the road, so maybe she is getting more adjusted to the neighborhood.

2) Well, I guess I must have missed your use of the word standoffish when reading your posts, which I enjoy. I didn't intend to quote you. It is funny that "we" attribute the standoffishness to the couples being from CA, while to you it is maybe because they are interracial couples. That thought has never occurred to me. That just goes to show you can learn something every day.

3) Welcome to Oklahoma!

[trvlbella]

SinCity,

Originally Posted by SinCity

The only place we experienced any attention was Branson, MO during our trip through NE OK, NW AR, and Souther MO.

could you please describe your experience in branson? i am planning to visit there but do not want to encounter any racism towards my asian family. i'll leave it off my "to go" list if we'll be made to feel uncomfortable.

[SinCity]

trvlbella, there was no resemblence of racism while in Branson and certainly no reason why you'd want to take the place off your places to see. It just happened to be the only place that we felt like we stood out amongst the crowd which happened to be the only night we stayed there when we went to at a very busy movie theatre. So many people were in the place that had 2 theatres (one being the huge big screen) and just so predominantly white. Of other races amongst the crowd, which weren't many, none happened to be black and a few people seemed to give us a secone look which is what made me realize it at all. However we were not made to feel uncomfortable. People were actually very friendly and Branson actually ended up being one of my boyfriend's favorite places. Have no worries and don't miss the opportunity to see what makes that little city such a tourist meca.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by trvlbella

SinCity,



could you please describe your experience in branson? i am planning to visit there but do not want to encounter any racism towards my asian family. i'll leave it off my "to go" list if we'll be made to feel uncomfortable.

We had the same feelings in Branson. But it was not the people directly. It is just that Branson is so decidedly NON-diverse. In Talhlequah, you can't walk two blocks without seeing different faces. People of various races and ethnicities are everywhere - noticeably. Not so in Branson. Everyone was great to us and all, but I can't help believe a minority person would feel like a brown shoe at at wedding LIVING in that area.