¿De Qué Se Acuerda La Gente?

In our research, we found these comments by people who remember the irrigation ditch in Barrio Anita. Thanks to the team of teenagers who documented the oral histories of barrio residents in the book, Visions of Barrio Anita. It helped us a lot.

"The beauty of the irrigation ditch was that while the Oury Park swimming pool was segregated, the irrigation ditch was not, so we all went swimming—Blacks, Whites, Browns, everybody, it didn't bother us.

"And then on Dia de San Juan, for some reason, people think you are supposed to at least go swimming or get wet ... People would get together and spend a lot of time along the irrigation ditches where there was shade. They would eat there, just celebrate there. That was a community-building thing also."
–Father Arsenio Carrillo born April 2, 1930

"I was never in trouble. I was too busy taking care of raising rabbits, chickens, ducks, pigeons . . . It was all up to me to take care of them . . . I used to walk those ducks to the [irrigation canal that ran through Barrio Anita] and they jumped in and then when I thought they'd gone away ... I called them back, 'Pato-Pato-Pato!' They come up to the edge, then they come home again."
-Alfred Tellez Barrio Anita resident born December 14, 1918

(excerpted from "The Roots of a Religious Life," interview with Father Arsenio Carrillo, by Vanessa Medeiros and Anjounette Martinez, p. 17; "I Knew Where All the People Were," interview with Alfred Tellez, by Monique A. López, Jannell Davis, and Alicia Pérez, p 9. Visions of Barrio Anita, July 1998, Tucson-Pima Arts Council).
(excerpted from "The Roots of a Religious Life," interview with Father Arsenio Carrillo, by Vanessa Medeiros and Anjounette Martinez, p. 17; "I Knew Where All the People Were," interview with Alfred Tellez, by Monique A. López, Jannell Davis, and Alicia Pérez, p 9. Visions of Barrio Anita, July 1998, Tucson-Pima Arts Council).

 

En nuestras investigaciones, encontramos los comentarios de personas que recordaron de Ia acequia en Barrio Anita. Gracias at equipo de jóvenes que documentaron las historian orates del barrio en el libro Las Visiones de Barrio Anita. Nos ayucló mucho.

"Lo atractivo de Ia acequia era que mientras en Ia alberca de Oury Park había segregación, en Ia acequia no, entonces todos nadábamos juntos -- negros, blancos, morenos, todos, no nos molestaba."

"Y entonces en el clia de San Juan, por alguna razón, Ia gente piensa que uno tiene que nadar o por lo menos mojarse ... La gente se reunia y pasaba mucho tiempo por las acequias donde había sombra. Comfan alli y celebraban. También era algo que seria aumentar el sentimiento comunitario."
-Padre Arsenio Carrillo nacido el 2 de april de 1930

"Nunca me metía en problemas. Estaba muy ocupado criando conejos, gallinas, patos y pichones ... Era mi responsibilidad cuidarlos … Caminaba con los patos a la [acequia que corría por Barrio Anita] y se metían y yo pensaba que se habían ido … los llamaba 'Pato-Pato-Pato!' Venían a la orilla, y regresaban a la casa de nuevo."
-Alfred Tellez residente del Barrio Anita, nacido 14 de diciembre, 1918

(citado de "The Roots of a Religious Life," entrevista con Father Arsenio Carrillo, por Vanessa Medeiros y Anjounette Martinez, p.17; "I Knew Where All the People Were," entrevista con Alfred Tellez, por Monique A. López, Jannell Davis, y Alicia Pérez, p 9. Visions of Barrio Anita, julio 1998, Tucson-Pima Arts Council. Traducido al espanol por Kimi Eisele).
(citado de "The Roots of a Religious Life," entrevista con Father Arsenio Carrillo, por Vanessa Medeiros y Anjounette Martinez, p.17; "I Knew Where All the People Were," entrevista con Alfred Tellez, por Monique A. López, Jannell Davis, y Alicia Pérez, p 9. Visions of Barrio Anita, julio 1998, Tucson-Pima Arts Council. Traducido al espanol por Kimi Eisele).

 

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