THE 32 YEARS THAT I HAVE HAD THE STORE HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH FASHION, MODELS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, MAKE UP ARTISTS, NEW INVENTORY ARRIVING DAILY, INTERESTING GUESTS VISITING MY HOME, ALWAYS NEW SHOES, AND NEW PLANS HAPPENING. THIS IS THE WORLD THAT MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO FOR DECADES. DEFINITELY A FULL LIFE!
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED WITH THE MEDIA. BEFORE I GOT MARRIED, I WAS STUDYING COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS. I AM ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT LOOKS AT A MCDONALDS OR LEXUS COMMERCIAL WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, WONDERING WHO CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE COMMERCIAL AND HOW MANY MILLIONS IT COST? I THINK ABOUT WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES WERE LOOKED AT WHEN DESIGNING THE AD AMONG ALL THE OTHER DETAILS THAT WERE THOUGHT OF. THIS FASCINATES ME!
AT THE MOMENT, MY FASCINATION IS WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS AND HOW SUBLIMINAL THEY ARE. REGARDLESS IF THEY ARE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, THEY PENETRATE OUR MINDS. RECENTLY, MY GRANDSON WHO IS 9 YEARS OLD ASKED MY DAUGHTER IF DONALD TRUMP GETS ELECTED WILL I, THEIR ABUELA (GRANDMOTHER), HAVE TO GO BACK TO MEXICO, SINCE I WAS NOT BORN IN THE US. WOW, WOW! HERE ARE MY GRANDCHILDREN GROWING UP IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS SOPHISTICATED, AND WE DO NOT FEEL, NOR ARE WE SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS. YET, THE MEDIA HAS PLANTED A SEED OF INSECURITY AND FEAR WITHIN HIM ABOUT HIS FAMILY. FASCINATING, ISN’T IT? MY GRANDSON DOESN’T WATCH REGULAR TV AT HOME BUT HE IS STILL INFLUENCED BY THE MEDIA. I STILL RECALL FROM WHEN I WAS STUDYING COMMUNICATIONS, THAT SURVEYS ARE A GREAT WAY TO UNDERSTAND HOW A PART OF SOCIETY THINKS/BEHAVES. IT HAD ME CONTEMPLATING, IF THE MEDIA HAS THAT AFFECT ON HIM, WHAT AFFECT DOES IT HAVE ON OTHER KIDS? I AM COMPELLED TO FIND OUT WHAT OUR CHILDREN THINK. AFTER ALL, THIS IS OUR HOME AND THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ALL OF US.
SO LET’S FIND OUT WHAT OUR CHILDREN IN SANTA FE THINK ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS. I CHOSE THESE KIDS AS THEY SHOWED UP IN MY LIFE, AND THEIR ANSWERS ARE UNEDITED. I WANT TO TELL YOU, I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THEIR INNOCENT AND IMPRESSIVE ANSWERS. THEY HAD ME LAUGHING!
CAMILO, AGE 12, 6TH GRADE –
Q: DO YOU KNOW WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
A: YES, I DO KNOW! HILLARY CLINTON, DONALD TRUMP, BERNIE SANDERS, TED CRUZ, MARCO RUBIO, JEB BUSH.
Q: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WIN?
A: I LIKE HILLARY CLINTON.
Q: WHY?
A: I DON’T KNOW. BECAUSE SHE IS NOT A REPUBLICAN.
Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE NEW PRESIDENT TO ACCOMPLISH?
A: I WOULD LIKE FOR THE PRESIDENT TO DEFEND US FROM ISIS, AND NOT TO FIGHT THEM WITH VIOLENCE. ALSO, TO MAKE RECESS LONGER AND NO HOMEWORK.
JOAQUIN, AGE 9, 4TH GRADE –
Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE NEW PRESIDENT TO DO FOR THE COUNTRY?
A: THEY SHOULD IMPLEMENT LAWS TO PROTECT AND BETTER TREAT THE ANIMALS WE EAT. AND TO NOT FEED THEM WITH CORN. AND THEY SHOULD LET KIDS VOTE!
Q: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WIN?
A: HILLARY CLINTON.
Q: WHY?
A: I DON’T KNOW, I’M JUST A KID!
DREW, AGE 11 , 6TH GRADE – WHEN I ASKED DREW IF HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS POLITICAL INTERVIEW, HIS ANSWER WAS “YES I AM! I AM A GOOD CANDIDATE BECAUSE I AM WELL INFORMED!”
Q: DO YOU KNOW WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?
A: YES I KNOW THEIR NAMES AND I AM SUPPORTIVE OF HILLARY CLINTON.
Q: IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK HER?
A: I WOULD ASK HER IF SHE THINKS THE EMAIL SCANDAL IS GOING TO AFFECT HER IN THE CAMPAIGN.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR ANY OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES?
A: YES, I WOULD ASK BERNIE SANDERS TO NOT MAKE THE COUNTRY SOCIALIST. I BELIEVE THAT IT’S NOT FAIR FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK REALLY HARD TO MAKE THE SAME MONEY AS PEOPLE WHO DON’T WORK AS HARD.
MARIANA, AGE 9, 5TH GRADE –
Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE NEW PRESIDENT TO DO FOR THE COUNTRY?
A: TO ALLOW LATINOS TO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY. AND TO STOP THE WAR.
Q: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WIN?
A: HILLARY CLINTON.
GRACE, AGE 11, 6TH GRADE –
Q: WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
A: IF DONALD TRUMP WINS, THAT BE A GOOD THING, BECAUSE IF HE SENDS PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT BORN HERE BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES, THAT BE A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE BACK TO CANADA AND WE WOULD BE REUNITED WITH OUR FAMILY.
MY CONCLUSION:
THIS SURVEY SHOWED ME THAT KIDS ARE WAY MORE AWARE THAN I GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR. THE FOUR KIDS THAT I INTERVIEWED ALL HAD SUCH DIFFERENT CONCERNS, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE ABOUT THE SAME AGE. THE FOUR OF THEM WERE ALL IN FAVOR OF HILLARY CLINTON. MY GUESS IS PERHAPS THEY RESPOND TO A MOTHERLY FIGURE, OR BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN IN THE PUBLIC EYE SINCE THEY WERE BORN…I DON’T KNOW. BUT WHAT I DO KNOW, IS HOW MUCH FUN I HAD!
PLEASE SHARE WITH ME YOUR THOUGHTS!
GUADALUPE