Voices of the Children

JONES: What is your name?

ARTURO: Arturo.

JONES: How old are you?

ARTURO: Fourteen.

JONES: Where do you live?

ARTURO: In Coyolillo.

JONES: Have you been to Carnival? What do you think of Carnival?

ARTURO: It is very nice. You can have a lot of fun at Carnival. Many people come from other places who like it for its amusement and for how nice it is.

JONES: Are you a student?

ARTURO: Yes, I study.

JONES: What grade are you in?

ARTURO: Second year of secondary school.

JONES: What do you do when you are not in school? What do you do in Coyolillo?

ARTURO: I go to the countryside with my Dad. Sometimes I help him a bit. Or sometimes I stay here.

JONES: What work does your father do?

ARTURO: He brings firewood, or sometimes he picks coffee. And sometimes he helps my Mom in the store.

JONES: In Coyolillo, what do you do when you are not in school and you are not working with your father?

ARTURO: I go with him to the countryside and I pick coffee and so does he. At times, we gather a bit of firewood to bring to my Mom. Or sometimes we go to feed the calves that we have up the way.

JONES: Do you like the work?

ARTURO: Yes, I like it a little bit.

JONES: Is the work with your father difficult?

ARTURO: No, it's not so difficult.

JONES: Why not?

ARTURO: Because we don't go to pick the small grain that is ripe.

JONES: When you are older, what do you want to do with your life?

ARTURO: Well, work.

JONES: What kind?

ARTURO: Here in the countryside.

JONES: Why?

ARTURO: Well, to make life easier.

JONES: When is your first memory of Carnival?

ARTURO: When those in costume come. I said then that it was very nice, and when I am big I will also dress in costume. When I was young and would see black people, I would run. I was afraid of them. They would follow me, and I cried. I would hide so they wouldn't look at me because I was afraid of them.

JONES: Do you like Carnival now?

ARTURO: Yes, I like it a lot.

JONES: Why?

ARTURO: Because we dress up in costumes and have a lot of fun and people come from all around. They like it, too.

JONES: Do you wear a mask?

ARTURO: Yes, we use masks on sticks that they make around here. Yes, I participate. We went to Veracruz; we took our dances to Veracruz.

JONES: What do you study in school?

ARTURO: We study mathematics, history, physical science, biology, English, and chemistry.

JONES: Do you have a lot of friends?

ARTURO: Yes I have a lot of friends in school and in Coyolillo.

JONES: In Xalapa?

ARTURO: I also have some there.

JONES: Do you visit Xalapa?

ARTURO: Yes.

JONES: Do you like Xalapa?

ARTURO: Yes, because it's pretty. And I like other places also. I like Veracruz.

* * *

JONES: What is your name?

ANELL: Anell.

JONES: How old are you?

ANELL: Thirteen.

JONES: What is Carnival like for you and your friends here in Coyolillo?

ANELL: I have a lot of friends here. I am their friend, too. Most of us are friends. Sometimes we get into fights. Sometimes we say what we don't want to say, and we get mad at each other. But we always play and have fun together.

JONES: What do your female friends do in Coyolillo when they aren't studying?

ANELL: I don't live here. I only come on the weekends, and right now the school has given us two free days. When I come on the weekends, I get together with my friends. We're going to go check out the soccer match. We all play.

JONES: And where do you live?

ANELL: I live in Xalapa with my...