Ask the Midwest

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Do Midwesterners include Oklahoma? (lemmy.world)

submitted 11 months ago by spicytuna62@lemmy.world to c/askmidwest@midwest.social

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My wife and her sister are from Mississippi and always tell me we're in the Midwest. Since the Southerners don't claim us, do you?

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[–] Jackcooper@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I've seen the Midwest include Ohio and Montana. WTF is the Midwest

[–] downhomechunk@midwest.social 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I would call Oklahoma the west. You're at least more west than mid.

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's not more or less west than Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, which are all Midwestern states. It's part of the Great Plains, I'd say that merits inclusion.

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 months ago

I agree. Great Plains kinda makes you The West. Although I used to live southeast of Tulsa and it was very much Ozarks Foothills. The soil and even the trees subtly change and the hills start to roll. The land just looks worn and older. There are many more exposed outcroppings of chert, granite and shale. Besides, most Oklahomans place football conference above all. Are you with the SEC? Big Twelve?

[–] Doug@midwest.social 1 points 11 months ago

Southern is fairly fluid depending on who you ask. A Floridian thinks they're southern but an Alabaman likely doesn't.

Texas is, well, Texas.

A while ago I was outside Saint Louis and one of the guys who traveled down there with me kept calling that the south.

If you wanna be Midwest you can be. If you wanna be Southern or Western I think that's alright too.

[–] EssentialCoffee@midwest.social 1 points 11 months ago

The Midwest is a census region and it's not included in that region, so no.

If it helps, the midwest used to be called North Central, but changed in the 80s to Midwest.

[–] planetaryprotection@midwest.social 1 points 11 months ago

I don't consider Oklahoma to be in the Midwest but regions are made up - be whatever you want, or nothing at all.

[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 1 points 11 months ago

Interesting question! I was going to say no, but then I looked at the map of Colin Woodward’s American Nations. The definiton of mid-west is relative to the early expansion of the country from the East Coast. Here in the northern part, we consider the Midwest to consist of the westward portions of Yankeedom and the Midlands.

But from a southern perspective, it was the Greater Appalachia nation that expanded into the middle portions of the continent. In that sense, Oklahoma might be seen as the Deep South’s own Midwest.