World Details(Just a few notes and a word on it.)
There are a lot of issues that come up in writing wizards and America. The issue of slavery and wizards (how many people practiced hoodoo coming over to the United States? Just where does that stand?) The issue of the different rights issues that have come up in the United States? Everything that makes us free is...not something I'm going to discuss.
Everything that I'm writing pertains directly to Kylee going back to her parents-Nicholas's Grandparents. I've only gone that far back because I don't know anything about the issue of racism, civil rights, and slavery.
But Ramen, Kylee is African American: Yes she is, and damn proud of it, but when discussing it with everyone else I'm still researching. Honestly she was always black in my head since I first conceived the short of the guy attacking the president and the secret service fighting back with wands. She's always been Gina Torres in my head too come to think of it.
Will you ever be discussing this?: Sure, with time and research. I'd
love to write out more of this. I'd love to do it. But it's such a massive undertaking that I'm not even going to think about it til I get someone who does know about it to address it. What people need to acknowledge is that she is who she is, her dad is who she is, he carried his wand and a service revolver and she carries a weapon and has a special holster for her wand and she's up there to curse any magical individuals who attempt to harm the president.
Wizarding Presidents The only thing I
do know for sure is that JFK is probably/was probably a wizard. Nixon was a Squib.
The Kingston Family The Kingston family has it's roots in Louisiana but Arthur Kingston-
Detective Arthur Kingston received a scholarship to the Salem Witches Institute in the early sixties. He moved to the city after school and worked in Brooklyn. He met
Maria Romero after attempting to write her a ticket. The two fell in love, married, and on the day of the wedding Kingston outed himself to his bride, his partner, and the rest of his precinct.
Nearly discredited, Maria Romero managed to smooth things over-the officers had their memories wiped, and Maria announced to her husband that no matter what she would love him-that at the very least she owed him a little leniency for the way he handled her parking tickets. The two had a marriage built on respect and a bit (just a bit) built on fear. Eventually, Maria joined a support group for women and men married to magical individuals where she-during the tough times-could discuss any particular issues with her husband.
Rubin, Arthur Kingston's partner-swore to keep it a secret and lied under oath at least once to protect Arthur Kingston and his magical abilities. He was named Kylee's godfather and remained a close part of the Kingston family. When Maria's interior design business took off, Rubin became a positive influence as the Kingston family moved into upper middle class. It's thanks to Maria's money that Kylee was able to be sent off to school in Salem-and it's thanks to Maria's money that her grandson Nicholas is also able to go away to school.
The Ramirez FamilyPaul Ramirez was a librarian with the library of congress who was overweight with glasses, a dyed-in-the-wool nerd who loved books and stories and dressing up on weekends. He and Kylee met on one of her early assignments (investigating someone counterfiting wizard money). There was a situation-a misadventure if you will, and Paul and Kylee ended up dating. She helped him clean up, get contacts (They fight regularly about his diet) and eventually they married. Kylee was open about her unique abilities. Paul, thrilled, spent a good portion of time trying to get her to do things like turn desks into animals and make birds out of thin air.
Paul is currently working on tracing the American History of Wizardry (as a sort of side project), helping his son who he is thrilled to have in the family as a wizard. However, Paul insists the boy take time to do "muggle stuff". He's tried unsuccessfully to take him fishing, snowboarding, and skiing. The two finally found a bond over horses and they rent a horse that they both ride over at a public stable. Nicholas has made a study of horses, particularly of unicorns and the reason why girls are more able to function around them then boys.
He looks like his mother and acts-quite a bit-like his father. Ultimately he'll be pursuing a career in mermaid research or a career in unicorn research.
The Salem Witch's Institute and it's branches in New Orleans, Four Corners, and Nevada.It's worth noting that there is a department for funding student loans given that individuals have to be flown away to either the school in Louisiana or the school in Salem. Both campuses are rather sprawling and rather crowded.
Of course, where does the funding for these schools come from? The only explanation is that there has to be something that the American Magical Agency is providing some kind of finding and resources to the federal government. While wizards aren't taxed differently, the wizarding community is providing some vital service.
Honestly the American Magical Agency is providing everything from exemplary individuals to a share of taxable imports from the world's largest unicorn herd (spreading through four corners between Colorado, Utah, and other states) and leading the world in mermaid research off the coast of Florida. Thanks to that, the government collects a share of those profits.
In exchange for that Salem is funded by partial government funding and private donations from students and families from around the world (as the Salem Witches Institute and it's subsequent branches have had open enrollment since the late 1800s. The following are branch locations:
New Orleans
- Offers special courses in
Hoodoo.
Florida
-Shares space with the mermaid research institute [MRI]
Nevada
-Offers special courses in "Shaman" magic.
Four Corners
- Maintains the Unicorn Herd.
Oregon
- Dragons.
Salem MA.
-Feeds into the FBI, NSA, CIA [who have been making use of wizards since their conception and world war two) and Law Enforcement Agencies.