Tulsa will be written with an “ñ”

I have no doubt that Tulsa will eventually have a significant Hispanic presence. Everywhere people turn they will see the progression of the ñ, special letter of the Spanish alphabet. There will not be any organization – public or private – that will not have a Hispanic in a key position. But they won’t be just a token presence, a mere decoration, but a fine piece of art that provides ideas and solutions.

This is not just purely a matter of diversity. It goes far beyond that; it is the emergence of the new American – one that combines both new memories and old traditions.

Statistics bear this out. The ratio of Hispanics in Tulsa is higher than it is in the state. Plus, the Hispanics in the millennium generation, whose age is around 26, are like an unstoppable train.

They send tweets instead of text messages; they understand Spanish but prefer to communicate in English; they are loyal to brand names that respect the environment; they have a powerful tool in their hand – higher education; they celebrate Thanksgiving Day with great American pride, but they also love the traditional Christmas “posadas” in December, featuring thick hot chocolate and warm churros.

The invisibility that clouds the largest ethnic minority in the nation – and in this state – will soon be a thing of the past.

The political, professional, artistic and athletic leadership of Tulsa will be full of accents over the vowels, zees and n’s with a tilde.