Oklahoma TV station comes under fire for anti-immigrant slur

TULSA, Okla. – Recently, the official Facebook page for Tulsa-based KOTV – The News On 6 has come under fire for a post it made in regard to the undocumented population of Oklahoma. The post reads as follows:

“Oklahoma has the fastest rise in people living in the US without legal status. Some bring drugs and crime along with them.

“Why has the Sooner State become so popular? We’re working on this story and will have the finished report tonight at 10:00 on News On 6.”

The post, which has a video attached previewing the news report, charges undocumented workers with being a primary source of an influx of crime, drugs and guns in Oklahoma. This is despite the fact that crime, drugs and guns have been a problem in Oklahoma long before any recent increases in the undocumented population. It’s also a problem that goes unresolved for the general population today.

This fact elicited a reaction from members of Dream Act Oklahoma, popularly tagged as #DAOK in their recent social media campaign. The campaign, which has been raising awareness about how undocumented workers contribute to Oklahoma, and blasts KOTV for its discriminatory report, has gained some traction since the original post. Posts about the campaign have been tagged as #DAOK and #IAMOKLAHOMA, the latter helping represent how undocumented workers are an integral part of Oklahoma’s economy and general population.

The campaign has also seen a use of infographics, such as this one. The plight of undocumented workers and peoples hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the campaign hopes to dispel some of the false accusations and associations made about them. It will continue be an uphill battle as immigration reform continues to be an issue in the spotlight around the country and is now seeing some potential for progress.

See this posting at Latino Rebels to read an email from DAOK and other information describing the campaign.

To see posts made by supporters, simply search #IAMOKLAHOMA or #DAOK on Facebook or Twitter.

Image: Immigration Policy Center Facebook page.