Families are reason
for merchants’ work
By Colleen Pohlig
Emerald Associate Editor
Although the two merchant*
art’ literally worlds apart. thi*y
havit two things in common:
They Ixrlh sell colorful. Import
ml clothing and they are both
doing it for their families
Kafanl Guchlguango, a villag
er from Kcuador on his third
trip to the United States, is cur
rently selling wool clothing and
other items in the KMU His
family makes the clothes by
hand in their country.
Gachiguango then sends most
of tire money back to Lxuudor.
where his wife and seven chib
dntn live in a small dwelling
Al lire table |usl around the
corner In the LMU sits Kob
Lamti, an Laslern Oregon bust
nessrnan who travels to Guate
mala frequently to buy Items
from the villagers and sell thorn
in lire United States
Although he has a store that
sells Guatemalan clothing irt Jo
seph. Ore., he is selling ul the
University ibis week to raiser
money for a "new car fund"
that will go to his daughter,
Melissa, a Junior al lire Univer
sity
Lamb, who spends half tire
year al bis house in Coslii Kira
and the other half on his Last
ern Oregon ranch, said this
business has turned into a hot)
by for him.
Because costs and tabor are
typically less expensive in Gen
iral America, Lamb pays the
villagers who hand-make the
clothing about a tilth of what
he sells them for in the United
States But (re said there are
many other costs involved in
transporting the Items, such as
shipping, customs duties and
storage space.
“I wish a higher perconlage
of the actual sale price could go
to the Guatemalans because
they're the neatest people in
the world," Lamb said. "It's
just a business, it's the way it
has It) bo."
Lamb trxrk his daughter, Me
lissa. to Guatemala Iasi summer
to experience what ho docs for
his business
"(The villagers) nnjoy what
Ihoy'ro doing." Melissa Lamb
sold "It's sad they're not get
ting more money, but it's like
that in almost any trade where
products are coming from an
other country."
further south, in Ecuador,
where muc h the same poverty
c.art he found. Lac.higuttngo's
wife and young children hand
weave and make the items ev
ery day after school to help
support the; family Colorful
wool sweaters, rugs. bags,
bracelets and paintings are
among some of the product* hi1
sells
Lac higuungo's 2 1 year-old
son, C a-sur. cu c ompanied him to
the United States on this trip to
help bun sell the items 'Hiey.
set up their tables which
overflow with vibrantly c olored
items in IkiiIi Oregon and
Washington and said their pri
mary c ustomers an: students
Lachiguangn said hi1 plans to
return to Ecuador around
Christmas to Ik* with his family
and work for a few months un
til he returns lo sell more prod
uc ts in the United States
When he is in the United
Stales, Lachiguangn stays with
friends He said In* considers
himself and Ins family to be
poor, hut they have enough lo
get by.
"I work (or my family so I
don't have a lot for me." he
said
Lachiguangn said he chooses
to do his business in the United
States because there is too
much competition in his coun
try from the markets the vari
ous villages set up each week
Lac.higuango said he makes
more profit here because there
is less competition, and he can
c harge more
Although he likes America,
he said he is eager to return
home because he missus his
family. His wife recently had a
baby who he was not able to
spend muc h lime with before
he came to the: United States.
Ralaal Cachiguango, a villager from Ecuador, aalla colorful wool clothing in tha EMU.
Photo by J#ff PaiUy
Woman sells goods for progress
By Colleen Pohlig
(m« aid Associate Editor
Sitting at a small tablo in the EMU with
neatly displayed imported jewelry, silk
scarves, books and T-shirts, the Brazilian
woman talks to browsing students about the
plights of people in developing countries.
Teresa Ftaxman, who came to the United
States three years ago, brought to thn Universi
ty her passion for helping people in develop
ing countries. More specifically, she brought
that passion to her table in the EMU.
l-'iaxman's recently formed company. Fair
Trade, is a non profit organization dedicated to
the promotion of social and economic progress
of pooplo in developing countries
As part of her commitment, Flaxman buys
all of thn products directly from the Rainforest
Action Network and various Alternative Trade
Organizations, all of which are non-profll or
ganizations dedicated to helping people in the
developing world.
Those products are bought by the two organ
izations directly from the villagers and indig
enous people themselves. Flnxman said
“This is one wuy the producers can make a
living inside their own culture and insido of
their own village and still preserve their envi
ronment." she said.
The Rainforest Action Network was founded
In 1<M5 and has been working to protect tropi
cal rain forests and the rights of the people liv
ing in and around thoso forests.
The profits that Fair Trado makes go directly
to buy more products from the two organiza
tions. she said.
“The more we sell, ihe more wu buy, and
the more (people in the developing world) we
employ." Flaxman said. “This means more
people will have roofs over their heads and
food to oat."
Fluxrnan's job doesn't stop there, however.
She said she believes education is important
and she tails people about the plights of the
producers and explains exactly where the
money will go.
Flaxman said she will continue to sell the
products at the KMU indefinitely and is trying
to reserve the space at lonst five days a week
every wook.
Jack Maddex
Right to vote means little unless used
By Mandy Baucum
Emerald Reporter
Lack of voter turnout is a problem that
has Increased since the turn of the cen
tury, said a University history professor
Monday.
And few people turned out for the
opening night of ASUO's first sympo
sium on the "Historical Impact of Elec
tions."
After giving an overview on the rela
tionship between historical events and
voter turnout, history professor Juck
Maddex presented a scries of eye-open
ing figures.
"Participating in government was for
those? who had something to lose in it, a
stake in it." he said.
Maddox said during the 16 elections
that took place from 1840-1900, the turn
out of eligible voters never dropped Ixc
low 69.0 percent, the average being 77
percent
In the years from 1912 to present, the
lowest percentage of eligible voters was
in 1924 when turnout was at 46 9 per
cent The highest turnout of voters was
64 percent during the Kennedy vs Nixon
election in 1960.
Maddox suid the South is often blamed
for low voter turnout, but in recent years
Mississippi and Louisiana have had
higher turnouts than New York, (Califor
nia or Pennsylvania.
Voter turnout has not just been a prob
lem of the 20th century, but it was also a
disappointment for women's rights activ
ists.
Jane ('.onion, u graduate teaching fol
low in women's studies, said very few
women actually voter! after the passage
of thu 15th Amendment, which gave
women the right to vote.
Conlon said women were given the op
portunity to vote primarily because they
seemed to be better able to deal with the
human issues that farad the nation dur
ing the turn of the century
"Because women seemed to Imj moral,
they would preserve society," she said
Conlon said reformers believed the
first election women participated in
would alter the shape of the nation, but
the "reality was sobering for women who
hud fought for the right to vote."
Cordon ended the evening with an edi
torial noto on the importance of women's
issues In the coming election.
"We must begin to think about how
women's issues affect all of us. men and
women alike," she said.
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