Oklahoman: ‘Okie’ Now A Source Of Pride For Many
Once a slight, Okie now is source of pride for many
By Juliana Keeping, theoklahoman.com
“Okie.”
It started as a derogatory term for the thousands of impoverished Oklahomans who left the state for Arizona and California in the 1930s, seeking a better life.
As a relative newcomer to Oklahoma, I wondered: If Okie is a slight, why is the word turning up on bumper stickers and T-shirts all over town?
What does it mean now? And, is it offensive or not?
I began by tracing the word’s origins.