SAN ANTONIO – One San Antonio family is hoping their political relationship encourages others with differing opinions to work together.
Like other lawns around election time, Richard Arriola and Janie Niyakan’s front lawn has campaign signs. The difference? They each support a different candidate in the presidential race.
Arriola, a Republican, and Niyakan, a Democrat, show their support for their party’s pick for the presidential seat by decorating their lawn with both candidate’s campaign signs.
Arriola said he hopes the lawn can show people that differences in political ideologies do not have to end in arguments, but rather cooperation.
“It is about working together no matter who you are,” Arriola said. “If we can work together, then hopefully, everybody else can. At the end of the day, we all go to sleep the same way. And at the beginning of the day, we all put our pants on the same way.”
Niyakan said she fully supports Biden and her nephew’s political views.
“I just tell him to keep his signs that way and I keep mine that way,” Niyakan joked. “His Trump signs don’t go well with his aunt’s side here!”
The two said the election season is fun for them as a family, and their home is a place they get to debate and laugh about both sides of the aisle.
They said the most important thing to do is getting to the polls.
“That is what makes us Americans,” Niyakan said. “We can divide and still be family and still be together. Whether he goes for Trump and I go for Biden, we all must unite to vote! That is the most important thing. Get out there and vote!”