Is this a great state or what?
Oklahoma has one of the most diverse ecological systems of any state in the country – from cypress swamps in the southeast to desert in the northwest, from tall grass prairies and beautiful rivers and lakes in the northeast to a jagged mountain range in the southwest.
We also can boast of a very diverse population. Most everyone who was born here is probably some part Native American, officially or unofficially. And, since we are a state of immigrants, our bloodlines run the gamut.
Me, for instance. I am part Cherokee, Chickasaw (unofficially since my family was never put on the rolls), Irish, English, French and probably a little German. In my family the German was known at Black Deutch (when I was a kid I thought I was part Black Dutch, whatever that would be). I suppose that grew out of World Wars I and II when no one wanted to be German.
The people of this state are gritty and hard-working. Those who migrated here in the early part of the 20th century had to be pretty tough. The land was harsh and hard. The weather was, and is, unpredictable and difficult. For the most part, the people distrust the government, hence our populist Constitution.
A lot of the people, maybe even the majority, have roots in the South. That doesn't mean much except for the way we cook our cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving – no oysters, please. And no doughy white bread. Ugh.
All this brings me, again, to the question of why many Oklahomans seem so afraid and distrustful of our Hispanic population.
I grew up in a segregated Oklahoma. My small hometown had its black community, south of the railroad tracks. It had its "colored section" in the movie theater (the balcony). Blacks did not eat in white restaurants. One of the exceptions was my Mom's and Dad's hamburger shop. Mom never refused service to anyone, black or white, as long as they were polite and didn't cause trouble. I saw her on more than one occasion eject a football player because he was using profanity. But the high school was integrated. African-Americans went to grade school "on the other side of the tracks" but attended high school with the white kids. And, as best I can recall of the 1950s and '60s there were few racial problems. I said few, not no.
Maybe some of those same folks or their descendants who wanted to keep the "colored folks" on the "other side of the tracks" have simply realized that they have lost that ignorant battle and have moved on to another ethnic group, Hispanics.
The smokescreen in this anti-illegal immigration fuss is that only illegal immigrants are targeted. For some that is probably true. But even those who truly believe that have been co-opted by a really mean group. There is no doubt in my mind that there is an underlying hatred of anyone of a different color fueling these pseudo-legal attacks on Hispanics.
They even have a new word. Numerous times after having written columns concerning Oklahoma's onerous House Bill 1804 I have had calls wanting to know why I love those "brownies" so much.
These people, who likely have as diverse a bloodline as I do, simply want someone to hate. And there are plenty of hate-groups to join their cause and fuel their hatred.
This remains a good state with a lot of good people in it. I continue to hope that in the end those good people will realize that their dignity is being stolen by a hateful few. And I fully believe that some day we'll look back on 1804 and similar bad laws as the "colored section" of the early 21st century.
