If someone asks where Oklahoma is, I always respond “Texas is beneath us.”

Southwest seems the most fitting for our terrain, our culture, and our people.

I always here we are in the midwest

Steve–

That is indeed the question! Our unusual road to statehood and our place on the continent have both led to a peculiar crisis of identity that goes beyond geography. Here’s an article your blog readers may enjoy:

http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CU001.html

I’ve always preferred the Southern Plains. I think we have more in common with Texas and Kansas than New Mexico and Arizona. I can see that geographically, we are an anomoly. I’ve used Paige’s line before when I was in England: Oklahoma? We’re right above Texas.

Oklahoma is just between Texas and Arkansas, surrounded on three sides by those states. So we should be put wherever TX and AR go, geographically..which is usually the southeast.

Maps that cut OK out of the southeast and lump us with MO (which looks like ridiculous gerrymandering) always bothered me.

But we’re in the far northeastern part of the Southwest.

Which explains it all, actually.

Nick, did you mean between Texas and KANSAS (Arkansas is off to the side, see map above). LOL

Definitely don’t consider Texas as being “East/Southeast”. Generally think of the Mississippi River as the dividing line between East & West. Both Okla & Texas are a full state removed from the Mississippi River.

I’ve always said South Central.

Michiganders say that their state is either in the great northwest or the upper midwest.

Tom, back in the day, before the transcontinental railway, the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes area were often referred to as the Northwest. Then, with westward expansion, it became known as the Old Northwest. Go figure…

I grew up saying southwest and think that generally that is Oklahoma’s best description for our culture and sensibilities. However, Oklahoma, due to the manner in which we were settled, really has three geographic viewpoints. Those that settled in southeastern Oklahoma almost exclusively came from the deep south. (In fact its the only place in the state where you can still find grits on almost any diner’s menu.) So those from McCurtain county often say they live in “The South” because thats their primary heritage. Those people who settled in Northeastern oklahoma, and specifically Tulsa, say they are from the Midwest. Again this is true for them as they largely migrated from St Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, etc. Most Tulsan’s are much bigger Chiefs fans than Cowboy fans. Psychologically, their “mind’s eye” is toward the northeast (where their families were from) and therefore they see themselves as “midwestern.” However, the central and western part of the state was settled by land runs and our “mind’s eye” is focused to the south and west — Dallas principally and Texas in general. Therefore if you grew up in Oklahoma City, Chickasha, or Lawton, etc. you considered yourself part of the Southwest.

people i’ve met from new mexico and arizona think that we are definitely NOT part of the southwest, they think we are part of the south. i tend to agree with them. the midwest doesn’t think we are a part of them, either. culturally, we are south X southern plains. of course, we are always above texas!

Nobody really claims Oklahoma to be honest. If you ask someone from the Deep South if they think Oklahoma is southern, of course they’ll say no. Ask someone from the Great Lakes if they think Oklahoma is Midwestern, and they’ll also say of course not. People from the desert would also probably tell you Oklahoma is not part of the Southwest.

Nick said it best. I have family ties in New Mexico so I feel more Southwestern.

But to make it simpler… Oklahoma is absolutely a cowboys and indians state… it was the frontier at a later time than the eastern ‘frontier’ states… and it became a state during the same time as Arizona and New Mexico… and we have a large amount architecture with Spanish/southwestern/Mexican/Mediterranean influence… and not just the Paseo. Look at the clay tiled roofs… there are a lot more than you might have guessed.

Furthermore… growing up in Altus… whichis cactus and sage brush… it LOOKS southwestern.

We are a state divided… only one Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City is the gateway to the Southwest. Tulsa is the gateway to the Midwest.

People people. The majority of Oklahomans consider themselves to be Southern. Did it ever dawn on any of you that the majority of towns in Oklahoma are named after old south towns?

It’s easy to see who hasn’t traveled around when people say Oklahoma is more Midwestern or southwestern. In no way does Oklahoma resemble New Mexico or Arizona. That is ridiculous. The culture, politics and religious affiliations reflect the south and no other region. The US Census puts Oklahoma in the south for a reason. The Internet has been around for about 15 years, yet so many are geographically illiterate. LOL Tulsa some gateway to the Midwest. Tulsa is almost in Arkansas. The only part of Oklahoma that even remotely resembles the SW would be the panhandle. Oklahoma is not more like Kansas, and Oklahoma is not more like Texas. Who’s the fool who thinks we have anything in common with Illinois or Michigan?
We are more like Arkansas than anything else. Texas is not responsible for our culture, and people would realize that if they read any history. Indian territory was Confederate controlled and the Indians in the eastern half of the state considered themselves to be Confederate. Any of you thinking Oklahoma is southwestern really needs to travel west of Amarillo.

BTW author. Try using the census bureau instead of Encyclopedia Britannia

http://www.stats.indiana.edu/maptools/maps/boundary/census_regions_main.gif

and more about fellow Okies you are speaking for.
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun99/reed16.htm.

Anyone wanting more proof Oklahoma is Southern may may come here http://oklalittledixie.com/board/

and I can provide more information on the subject. I would also recommend people living in Oklahoma to finally visit the SE portion of our state.