Angel Garcia, age 14

East L.A., CA

Skateboarding is the most fun thing I do.

I never tried drugs. No. Not drugs. I want to keep myself healthy. 'Cause if you take drugs while you're skating you're going to get tired quick.

Jimmy Vazquez, age 14

East L.A., CA

I used to be all gangster and stuff... when I was little, but not any more. When I was like nine or ten. I got out of it. It was a little crew. We didn't do nothing wrong, but just hang around and stuff... I used to dress all baggy. My shirt was out all the way to my knees and stuff. Skateboarding with my friends and stuff makes me happy now.

I have a job. I help my dad... He works with my Uncle, so I help him fix the cars... I've done it since I was thirteen. I make $50.00 a week. I spend the money on new clothes, a new skateboard.

My dream, in the future, would be to be rich... to live in a two-story house or something. In reality, I'll be a mechanic.

Marcos Norberto, age 16

East L.A., CA

Getting into drugs changed my life. I messed up in school and then I didn't know what to do... I was fifteen. I did drugs like weed, everything... I got in trouble. They sent me to some place so I can learn about life. Like a jail ... and I gotta go for a class to learn about my life... I stopped, and I'm doing good right now.

My mother is in Mexico. She was not good to us... I came over here 'cause she hit us a lot. With cables and everything. All she had in her hands. So me and my brother and my sister and my dad came to America.

My dream is to be a drawing person. An artist... like, not painting, like regular pencils.

I'm most scared to be in jail.