McDonalds, South of the Border?
 
 

    Here I am, I am in South Phoenix of all places. I am in class and I am supposed to stop and observe my surroundings, what are the people doing, what businesses do I see? I am inside of a McDonalds, we are checking out the décor compared to that of other McDonalds but what catches my eye first is not the decorations but the people, one family in particular.

     There is a playroom, but it has video games in there as well as the traditional objects. There playing is a young boy, around 9 or so. He is practicing his hand eye coordination by manipulating the joystick in the direction he needs it to go in order to get the spaceship. He is Hispanic, as the majority of the patrons of the restaurant. He is dressed as a little boy should be, in jeans, no brand name, and a t-shirt, no alligator or polo player on it. It amazes me how intense he is with the video game.

     Next to him is a younger boy, a little brother it appears. He is patiently waiting his turn at saving the Earth from the evil spaceship that is floating across the screen. As he waits for his opportunity he is mesmerized by his older sibling. His mouth is open and his eyes are wide, as his brother gets closer to the next level. He is dressed in the same fashion as his brother is.

     As the siblings continue to play peacefully I widen my vision and see what seems to be their mother. She is too young to look as tired and drained as she does. She has another child sitting on her lap, a young girl around the age of 2. Also at the table is an older woman, what may be the grandmother; she is watching the television on the wall in front of them. The mother keeps a watchful eye on the two boys as she tries to keep the little girl from throwing all of her fries on the floor.

     As I look around there are many other families there for an after school treat or an early dinner. I also notice that this McDonalds is for them. It isn't done in the usual red and yellow motif that you usually see; it is done with a Mexico theme in mind. For a minute you feel as if you may have crossed the border.  The welcome sign is in Spanish, there is a picture of the Lady of Guadalupe instead of Ronald McDonald, and the mariachis replace the large Grimace that usually overlooks the tables.

        

            


    This wasn't your typical McDonalds but as I came to find out it wasn't catering to your typical McDonalds customer. It is here for families like the one that caught my eye, families that have a Hispanic culture and also like the fun of an American McDonalds.

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