of six million, has the highest rate of death by starvation after Bangladesh. The poor can only do seasonal work on the coffee plantations. They live on $135 a year. Picking up the gun is just a sign of loss of patience. They're tired of watching their five children die one by one. It’s not ideology. I’ve met few Salvadorans who can explain the fundamentals of dialectical materialism, marxist- leninism, or capitalism. Who can define these things in the United States? It's hunger, anger, lack of hope that makes an ordinary person pick up a gun. Alonso Ke has been here off and on since 1972, at first just wandering. Then he fled his country. He is an artist; therefore, he was suspect. He likes it in America but yes he would certainly go back. He is waiting for the guerrillas to win so that he can return. He has a wife and daughter somewhere in the Northwest. The wife is with another man. He says, “You see, I had to go through that here too.” When his girlfriend comes to him she cannot go to his room because of the hotel rule. I ask what does he do if he is stopped by police. I try not to be, he says. I walk within the crosswalk and I always wait for the light. Once I was arrested and given a fine. The fine has my name on it, so now I can use that for identification. It is all I have to identify myself to them. There are problems, he says, with the Salvadorans here on the streets. There are three to four hundred in Seattle; as many as 5,000 in the state. “My brothers and I have many, many problems.” I mention that one-third of the restaurant workers in Washington, D.C., reportedly are Salvadorans. “Yes,” he says, “we are all over the country. We have many problems, many problems here.” Luis | uis is telling about how he has to live now. He steals like the other street people, then sells things the way Rosario and Raul went to sell the radio. They have no choice. I ask if he is afraid of being caught and turned over to Immigration. No, he says, the police only warn him. They are not interested just now in turning them over to Immigration. He says he has a place to stay tonight, if he can make it to the last bus, then sleep on a floor. Usually he doesn’t have this. Many of the refugees spend the night walking, then in daylight sleep in the part; beside a bottle of wine. As we walk away from the park a guard is talking to another man. Luis and Alonso don’t look at him. We walk along the edge of the locked booths of Pike Place Market. Luis quickens his pace and walks ahead of us. Then, turning, he shakes my hand, says, “Adios,” walks fast again, then stops suddenly, turns, scoops up a small red cube of watermelon from the street, and laughs. • MOUNTAIN HIGH Mountain High Yoghurt is a completely natural product, made totally without preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. Central Co-op is now featuring Mountain High’s unique flavors. Stock up for lunches and snacks at this great price. C en tra l Michael Daley is a Port Townsend Co-op writer whose most recent book is The Straits. Workshops NoontimeDemos Special Soles Your complete source for Graphic. Drafting. Architectural. & Fine Art supplies 1816-8thAvenue. Seattle 98101 (206)625-0711 (800) 732-1129 toll free mWa. f a n c y ' s THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER L o o k fo r J^Uncys o n y o u r G roce rs She lf ^mmwrV <Jm. FOODft QEVE^AGE CO. SALAHS, sANdw ichcs fREsh PASTA, so u p pizZA ch ic kEN , V E AL -COCKTAILSMON-TLI URS 1 1 : 7 0 AM -1 0 PM f R I - SAT 1 1 : J O AM -M idN iqhT SUN 4 pM -1 0 pM 5429 RUSSELL NW • SEATTLE • 785-4882 1835 12th Ave. Seattle 329-1545 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sunday noon-8pm non-profits, individuals AUTO, HOME, HEALTH PLANS (BUSINESS) INSURANCE (503) 228-8686, 1-800-443-8974 12-6pm daily THE GALLERIA. PORTLAND. OREGON auid&s S C A A L L A Z D ONE BAKED GOODS Clinton St. Quarterly 21
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