- - the street. I have no idea how I appear. Alonso, however, seems undisturbed. He takes me to another bar, bigger, noisy, filled with people. Everyone appears young, most are black or Indian. There are a few whites and finally I begin to feel less conspicuous. Alonso goes to a table t w in h g e . re Th th e re me e m n e , n al a l n y d o t u w n o g, w r o o mbu e s n t, ar s e ee si m t drunk. One woman is older, the other a d y u ou ce ng d , a p s re s t o ty m I e n o d n ia e n fr w omom a an n . e I w a s mpap in e t r ro . I nod, yes, I want to talk to you. I'm sorry, I will have to tell them eventually, I do not speak Spanish, and you, I can see, speak little English. Alonso, who speaks Englist) well, i f slowly, will interpret. They are willing to go outside with us and talk ,. We say goodbye to the women, the older one has an unfathomable smirk. Alonso tells me as we walk along that there was a message for him at the hotel: his girlfriend is coming up from Raymond.It surprises me somewhat that l h a is tio li n fe sh is ip n w o i r t mh a a l g e i n rl o . u S g h h e t ' o s a su M st a a k in ah a , r h e e tells me. Alonso pays the rent at his hotel by once a week going to the studio of an art buyer and sculpting in soapstone as many figurines and statues as he can in a day.The buyer then pays him enough money to cover another week's rent. He is the only one of the Salvadorans who has a room. He says if he had enough money, he'd rent an apartment, because now, at the hotel, none of his brothers are allowed. No one may have• visitors in the rooms. my girlfriend's house," he grins, "my mother said they came and searched the house.They were looking for me." He left home, and for a short time fought as a guerrilla. I get the impression that, even while fighting with the Guerrilleros, he came and went in his own house. He fled the cou11try because his mother believed that the Death Squads Would .kill him. His g ri j e J d lfr . ie S n o d h w e a g s o w t o o r u ri t e . d. They were all wor · Santiago S d a o n r ti a a n go ref J u u g a e r e a s z . I i n s h la is w f y a e ce r t is o th S e al mva ix of humor and ardent intensity. He speaks about the war in El Salvador as one who has lived there all his life.Yet he is from v N a e d w or Man ex w ic h o o . H is e s is ee a k b in o g ut p to ol d iti e c f a e l n a d s a yl S umal. It will be the first such case in the Pacific Northwest. The distinction between the labels of economic refugee and political refugee t is ry' i s mp v o io rt l a e n n t ce to . t E h c o o s n e o f m le ic ein r g ef t u h g e e ir es co a u r n e thought to be simply seeking a better way t e o ia f n " c n l I i e t f . e . I is a a s d n k d if e f i d a cu r S e l a t t n t u o t r i a n d g e e d o f i t n b o e a t c e w k ll h , m _ii lik e t e a t h t r e h e e d fu if H g fe a e r e i is in legal terms. How many of the 500,000 Salvadorans in this country are economic refugees, how many political? You talk to many of them they'll tell you v d s i i o d n mc e e . a " t B h c u e a t · te i k n g ill o t i h n r e y gs [ f I o N o r S ft s e ] u n c c o h a u p r r t p a s e n d a d o r omn s o o n t e p r s a r s o n , " Santiago tells me. "It is not enough that everyone you know in your age group is being killed and you don't know why. You can't prove with absolute certainty that you will be killed i.f you return. So the courts can't give you political asylum." Figures from the INS for fiscal 1982 show 18,447 cases pending at the end o s tio p f n i t t h e e a c u y la t e h i a mo r r , s it 6 ie o 5 s f g in a ra d p n e p t p r e o e d v n , e d 9 e 7 a n 8 s c y d e l e , u n m Im ie md c . a ig D s r e a e s b m a e s n e t d . M o a n n l y et a te d r v s o f c r a o t mes th fe e el S t t h a a te t t D he ep h a ig rt h denial rate (some claim as high as 94.5 a pe tio rc n e s n : t G ) i r s a d n u tin e g to as fo y r lu e m ign in p l o a l r ic g y e c n o u n m si b d e e r r s a w r o y ul g d o i v n e d r ic n a m te en w t e w a h r i e ch su c p a p n o 't rt p in r g ot a ec m t il i i t t s citizens, and that there are more abuses d g th o r a aW ra n m h n o a s h t u a a r w s f i h t l r e l u e i r t m c b o th a e r e d n l e ik r w d i e g . a , h r I t ? s a s " c k Im e h r a t im i g fic i , n a f e o t i r o i S f n a o p l n v r e a otwelfth, or one-tenth of the population of .. the United States were to somehow be exiled, and seek political asylum in another country. Our culture would be destroyed.Our growth as a society would be stopped, stunted! v tr a y " d ' T s o h r p . is o O p s n u it e u la - a t t w t io io e n n l , ft h 5 l) a 0 , s 0 ro h ,0 u a 0 g p 0 h p , ly e i , n s o e n f d o t i h w n e E i c n l o S u t a h n l e United States. More than that have left: d a e rt n is t t s s , , l w aw rit y e e r r s s , , p b a u in s t i e n r e s s , s en st g u in d e e e n r ts s , , s e t t u c . ►Salvadorans who are no t under the pro t e ction of the churches , but on the s treets , have a double probl em s . They are a " refuge e on a: refuge e . " The other men are Luis, Rosario, and Raul.Only Luis speaks English, and it is difficult for him. We are going to a park that overlooks the waterfront. Rosario and Raul have their radio, they dance. They are young. Luis is energetic and says maybe we will have to fight the group of rowdy white people at the end of the park. I steer them to a table far from the noisy party. My attention is focused on Luis as he begins to tell his story. Rosario and Raul they're here to make money, support their families, send money home . . : ask them would they die if they went home, they shrug, they don't know. Do they know anybody who has been killed? Yes. Would they be killed? They don't know. They might be. Why would they be killed? They shrug. Why were the others killed? They don't know. There was no reason - you were walking along the stre,et one night with so and so, next day they were killed. You worry. You were seen walking The university has been shut down and inhabited by the National Guard. When t t a he rde w d ar so is ci o a v ll e y r, a t n h d ei c r u c lt o u u r n a t l r ly y . wA ill co b u e n r t e ry that was already underdeveloped made more so by our government, and our war. Why are there Salvadorans on the i s e t s r " e T s e h o t e , m I e a ch s o k u f , r t c h a h e n e d c s h n u o t r t h c w a h t i e th s g in a iv r t e e he o s f s a f a e n n r c i c n t t u g u a ? a r r y here in the Northwest ·are, of course, · " Imagine if one twelfth or one t enth o f the ►populat i on of the Uni t ed Stat e s were to somehow be exile d , and s e ek po li t i cal asylum in ano ther c ountry . " soon drift off, talking to one another and I later worry that I did not try to hear out each one's story. Alonso explains in a tactful way, ''the brothers are going off to sell the radio. . . . " Luis reveals that he lives by stealing. He lives on the streets. They have no other way to survive, Luis tells me. They cannot get a job. Immigration authorities will send them back to their country. Do you want to go back to your country ever? He hesitates. "No, I don't want to go back. Not now. I want.. ." he has to think all this out as he says it .. ."I want to . . . you know .. . get a girl . . . get married . . .have a house . . . and a job." Do you want to go back to your country? "If I go back, I think that I will be killed." I ask Luis why he would be killed and h v e ad t o e r l a ls n m A e rm h y is . A st n o d ry l . a H te e r h w e a w s a in s t w he ith S t a h l e guerrillas. I ask did he participate in the military searches of houses? No, he did not. Did he kill anybody, any of his own age, his own people? He does not a a r n y s ? w H er e t l h e is ft . b Wec h a y u d s i e d h y e ou sa le w av fi e na th ll e y mwh il a itt was going on: he could not do what was b o e rd r e s re s d e . ein A g lon a so sku b l r l e o a n k e s t in im : e h ; e th r e em h e e mad had been drenched in acid. Luis could not continue with the military. He gives the impression that he was in it before being aware of the Death Squads. But he would have been very young indeed to have been a soldier. Yes, he was very young. The Death S in q g ua h d is s s u h n o if o o k rmhi . m H u e p. d H r e op s p to e p d pe o d u w t. ea H r e stayed home. He was on the street once when two soldiers saw him. One knew him, they had gone to school together. They were going to arrest him. They knew he was supposed to be in the army still. The one who knew him told him to go home."He told me to be careful. Go away. Then when I was gone, staying at Clinton St. OLfarlerly with him. Was he in the union? Yes. No. Maybe. . . 'The military might think everyone in unions is a subversive, so they begin to kill everyone in' unions. They turn up dead on the roads, or are found without heads, or killed in public places . . . then they may think it's the students. The same to the students.They launch terror campaigns so that everyone stays away from unions, or students or whatever g d r e o r u st p an is d be th in is g , p it ut h u a p s on n . e Wve e r c h a a n p n p o e t n u e n d he " r T e h . e next step begins. They forget c g in r r g i o m u t i p n o a , l t a e s b l o y e m ls . e . o a . n n d e som t w a e k h e o o n o e lo u o y t k o p e u e d o w p l e i l k e r e e in y t d a o l is u k , someone in your age group. The age group is 17-35 roughly. If you're that old and not in the military, you must be a guerrilla. You cannot be non-political in that age group. Most Salvadorans in this country are 22, 23, 24. I've not met many . older. You wonder if they get older. "Yet men in the prime .of life, the age of soldiers, non-combatants, are being killed, creating a. nationwide terror.How could we function if we had in our minds pictures of soldiers tos_sing babies into the air - fetuses - catching them on their bayonets? I don't want to believe that's happening. How could Wf} believe there are people who rip open the belly of a pregnant woman, remove the fetus, insert the head of the husband? I don't want to believe it." To be granted political asylum by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (lNS ) , a refugee must prove that he or she will be singled out for persecution after returning home, because of race, t r i e c l u ig la io r n s , o n c a ia ti l o g n r a o l u ity p , , mor e p m o b li e tic rs a h l i o p p in in a io p n a . r I t i a s ns diff t i o cul p t r i o f v n e ot th imey pos w s il ib l le be for in Sa d lv a a n d g o e r r , doing an incredible service. They offer to those in need. So many refugees from Salvador live on the streets, down on First Avenue where everyone is already a refugee.Engineering students become winos - artists, law students: drunks, bums, thieves. Some of them just can't hack it with the churches.They're given a place to stay. They're tired, maybe they've been running, hiding, they're thinking about their families, not able to send money. There is a nice bottle of wine locked in a wine cabinet. They v b a re d a o k ra i n n s a a n r d e n fo e u x n t d da o y n th th re e e fl d o r o u r n o k f S th a e l church.So they have to go. On the street they face the possibility of getting picked mup ig f r o a r t a io n n y , th a i l n th g o , u m g a h yb th e is tu d rn o e e d sn o ' v t e h r a t p o p Imen that often. But they could easily be sent back as illegal aliens, undocumented workers, or just arrested as vagrants.In Salvador they will probably be killed. They are always in hiding, a class of persecuted people without a name." Alejandra I. n the office I had a few mim.1tes with her before Santiago came. She seemed more inclined to continue office work. And, in fact, with the frequent phone calls there was little time to talk. Three men came in, obviously clients there to pick up forms. They spoke only Spanish and there was much laughter. When they left I asked her to tell me her story and she laughed. She said v th a e d r o e r, w w a a s s n' c t a mug u h c t h. cr S os h s e ing ha t d he le b f o t r S de a r l, s p p ris e e n d t s m ix e m . o A n l t e h ja s n in dr a a T w e a x s as w ja e i l l l . d T r h e is ss s e u d r, sophisticated, clerical in manner. I would have expected that she came from a family that was very comfortable and had little to fear from the government. Why did she leave? There was some problem with her job at the phone company. Some co-workers refused orders from t c h o e rd m p il h it o a n ry e , c s a h l e ls. s O aid ne , t w o a m s o a n r i r to e r st a e n d d a r n e d tortured.Following the arrest and torture she and most of the workers refused to record phone calls. They were .threatened. She kept her job awhile longer, but going to work became dangerous and she had to leave the country. Was her family in danger? Everyone was in danger. Then she spent the six months in the Texas jail. It was horrible, as you may imagine. Texas jails, at least on der, are crowded with refugees t f h ro e m bo a r l l p o u f r g e e C s e s e s iv n e f t r r o a a m l n A d Mm u e e n x r s i i c c a o a n . ita a C n r o y d n . d W e it c i h o o e n n n s om s a h r ic e e r o g e p o ft out she came to Washington state and worked for the Salvadoran Refugee Legal Service. Because she had been threatened before leaving El Salvador, she thought she might qualify for political a m in s g e y n lu l t is m of t a o N f n a d a t b u s o r o a u a l t iz p a 2 p t ,0 l i i o e 0 n d 0 . a Sw nd h it e h Im i t s h m o e i n g D r a a e t w p io a a n r i . t t era I t a e sk wi h th er th if e , w m h i e lit n ar s y he in re re fu c s o e rd d in to g c c o a o ll p s , she could have had any recourse to her e e m r," p s lo h y e er t s e . lls "T mhe e. m "T ili h ta e ry m i i s lita th ry e r e u mns plo th y e t v e e le rs p it h y o . n T e he c y om co pa nt n r y o , l t b h u e yi b n a g n a k n , d th s e el u lin n g i of all commodities. To buy groceries you must go to the door of the store and order through a slit. The grocer will pass things to you, but is supervised. It is a military state to an extent that we in the United States can't imagine. Santiago S antiago tells me that to understand the Salvadoran refugees I must know something about the military structure. "There is a process of advancement i n the Salvadoran army. Starting as second lieutenant, first lieutenant and so forth. You become general, then minister. This is a political appointment - one officer a m p e p n o t in o t f s th a e no g fh o e ve r r t n o m a e d n m t. in A ist mer in a is d te e r p h a a rt s the opportunity to control departmental v re a s n o c u e r mce e s n . ts O i f n fi t c o er th s e lo mok ini f s o tr rw ie a s rd be t c o au a s d e a career in the military alone provides no economic base fromwhich to operate. All t t c c u r o o o t m f e l f le e e o e d f i b n p A v y la g o t n r h lv a t e a e r t i o d a io l n i i g n n s a R a , r e c f m f o h o r y i r n . m e i A s x . t n a r T y mo h l f p e i f k i l c e e m e , t r a i h n c r e i e a st n I r c n y b o s e t n i i s the recipient of economic aid from the t t U r a o n l l i r t e o e s f d o th S u a r ta c t e t a e s i s d . , T a a h s n e d w r t e e h l s l e u a l m t s i i t s n h i g e st r e d a r e ft p , is t a h i r n e tm c o o e n n n ly way for the military to take advantage of economic aid to their country. "Many people thfnk the United States initiated the Institute of Agrarian Reform f in or 1 e 9 1 7 9 9 7 , 9 b . u I t t w th a e s In o s p t e it r u a t t e ed ex b is y t t e h d e l mon il g ita b r e y . One way the military became rich was to v o e v l e o r p p e ri d ce th l r a o n u d gh th e a c t o h n a o d m a i l c re a a id dy w b h e ic e h n w d a e s usurped by the oligarchy. The military w te o d u t ld o u tti s e e c In a s p ti i t t u a t l e w o h f ic A h g h r a a d ria b n ee R n ef a o l r lo m t, pay the landowner millions of dollars, and then they would get their kickbacks. "Economic aid we send to Salvador goes into the pockets of the colonels. They don't have a natural economic t b e a c s t e t . h S e o ir o in w t n his ec w o a n r o t mhe ic y in a t r e e re o s u t ns. o T p h r e o y don't care about communists, democrats or socialists: Anyone who tries to create a democratic system in Salvador is a threat to the military. Each and every member of the military has taken part in the various forms of graft and corruption. In a democracy somebody will have to pay the price for that corruption. The military will not tolerate that. va " d T o h r e an U s n f i o te r d th S e t s a e te m s in tr i a st in ry s p it o s s o ts w , n try S i a ng l to create a system we can better control, a system in which the military will fight to win, will fight more than a nine-to-five, no-weekend war. But the Salvadoran military doesn't want that. Each officer w ril a la n s ts w h i i l s l c w h i a n nc b e ec a a t u b s e e in - g th r e ich S . a T l h v e ad g o u r e a r n military doesn't have the wherewithal for a a ta n m s ts i c l . i a t A a m r f y t e e v r t i o c S t o o S m r a y o l . v z T a a h d e o fe r ir . ll o , N f m f o ic wa e n t t y s he a S r r o e e m i a t o i r n e c e is r a number of them in the Salvadoran army, the Honduran army, and the Guatemalan army. lan " c T e h d is e s c i o tu n a o t m io y n . E p l ro S d a u l c v e a d dor t , he a ir co u u n n b t a ry . ...
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