A 10-year-old boy sits cross-legged against a wall, wearing a large, colorful sombrero.
Slowly, he removes it, revealing a white, knit taqiyah underneath. As one head covering gives way to another, he speaks directly to Donald Trump:
"I am Mexican. I am Muslim. I am not a terrorist."
Andrew Morales started posting videos to Facebook when he was 7 years old, as a way to keep in touch with his friends back in Mexico.
Andrew, dressed up on his school's "Wacky Wednesday." ¿Where is Andrew/Facebook?, used with permission.
Now 11, with several years of on-camera experience under his belt, Morales is increasingly using his growing page as a platform to stand up for himself and his family against Trump's anti-Muslim and anti-Mexican rhetoric, which he takes personally.
Andrew Morales. ¿Where is Andrew?/Facebook, used with permission.
"After [Trump] said he was going to build a wall from here to Mexico, that just made me, honestly, really angry," Andrew told Upworthy.
He explained that he was motivated to respond on behalf of his mom, who was born in Mexico, as well on behalf of the millions of Mexicans living and working in the U.S. — including at Trump's own companies.
Morales also believes that Trump, "doesn’t know anything about Islam."
"We’re not terrorists. All we want is love and peace for everyone," he said.
Morales credits his friends from school for introducing him to politics and helping him find his voice online.
Andrew (center), with friends, waiting at IHOP. ¿Where is Andrew/Facebook?, used with permission.
Most mornings before class, Morales gathers with classmates at his Houston-area Islamic school for "Trump Time," where they discuss everything from Trump's latest statements to their passion for Bernie Sanders to where the race currently stands.
"They actually really motivate me a lot," Morales said. "Without them, I would just be sad ‘cause everybody needs a friend, right?"
Andrew's mother Nahela Morales said that while she guided her son early on, he has started taking on more responsibility for the videos in the past year.
"Now that we’re doing them live, he says whatever he wants," Nahela told Upworthy.
She continues to monitor and help manage his page — deleting angry comments so that Andrew doesn't see them. She described the current political environment as "scary."
"I know a lot of colleagues and a lot of people that have been attacked or abused because of the rhetoric," Nahela said.
The Morales family recently moved from New Jersey to Texas, which has been an adjustment for Andrew.
Andrew poses in front of the Statue of Liberty. ¿Where is Andrew/Facebook?, used with permission.
"It’s really hot. Like, it’s too hot over here," Andrew said. While he likes his new school and has made friends, he still misses things about his old home.
"I liked when I could build a snowman," he said
Nahela explained that the long, hot days in Houston make their Ramadan fast challenging, but manageable.
"As long as you stay inside in the A/C, everything’s OK," she said.
Andrew told Upworthy that he would love a chance to talk to Trump one-on-one, though he's not sure Trump would listen.
"He’s very rude and arrogant, but I would try my best," Andrew said. "I would try and talk to him."
More than anything, he wishes the candidate knew that "Islam is peace and love."
For now, he plans to continue to use his videos to send Trump a message:
"Educate yourself," Andrew said.
¿Where is Andrew/Facebook?, used with permission.
"You can’t talk smack about something if you don’t know anything about that topic."
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."