RODRIGUEZ: "We need to show up at 6:30 in the morning, sign up and we go by the lottery. And I know just be patient, don't be hurried. There are many places they can help us."

Margarito Rodriguez wants to get a job working with computers some day. But for now, he depends on Casa Latina to help him find temporary employment. David Ayala coordinates the center, which began in 1994 to aid homeless Hispanics in Seattle. Since then, he says Casa Latina has grown into both a job center and a social gathering place:

"You can see behind my back there are people playing guitars and playing Spanish music, and sometimes they get together and not only talk, but share their cultural values and music. So it's not only a place for finding jobs. It's at the same time a community center."

Organizations like Casa Latina are becoming increasingly important in Seattle, as its Hispanic population continues to grow. Barbara Serrano is a Hispanic American journalist who works for the Seattle Times. She says that of 47,000 newcomers to the city over the past decade, 11,000 were Spanish-speaking. The increase is having an impact throughout state: SERRANO: "Hispanics in Washington state have the highest percentage among all ethnic groups, with Asian Americans as a close second. What's also notable is that there are more Hispanics living in western Washington than eastern Washington. And the reason I point that out is that eastern Washington is largely agricultural and has been a draw for Hispanics because of the farm work that's there. People have not tended to think of Hispanics terms of the Seattle area, the urban part of the state, and in fact, a lot of people have been drawn more to the urban areas because of the jobs that are available."

Job opportunities have grown in Seattle partly thanks to the success of Microsoft and other local high tech companies. But Barbara Serrano believes there's another reason Hispanic immigrants are attracted to the city and the state:

SERRANO: "We were one of the states back in the 1970s that welcomed Southeast Asian refugees, after the Vietnam War. It's a very open minded state, very accepting of different racial and ethnic groups, that's part of the northwest ethic. I think that's why people of all different groups and ways of life feel comfortable here."

Barbara Serrano says the result has been a Hispanic population as diverse as any other ethnic group in Seattle:

SERRANO: "A lot of them are in the service sector, they work in restaurants and hotels, in construction jobs, that sort of thing. But there are also a lot of professionals who have moved up from other states. At Microsoft they have an organization of their own, a support group. And they're in research, and medical fields, and trade, the business community. Just from some of the reporting we've done recently we've found that even the people who come in at the lower rung of the economy are quickly moving up, and we have stories of linen cleaners and busboys moving their way up into management at hotels and restaurants."

The growth is also having an impact on the arts. Poet and playwright Olga Sanchez is a member of Los Nortenos, an organization for Latino writers in the area. She moved to Seattle from New York a decade ago, and considers herself part of a migration that goes back to the settlement of the New World:

SANCHEZ: "The first Europeans to come over were the Spanish, who chartered and gave names to several areas, like the straits of Juan de Fuco and the San Juan islands, and then they decided not to settle. But during World War Two there was a program initiated by the federal government called the Bracero program to replace the work force, particularly in farming. They made a contract with the Mexican government to bring immigrants up to begin working on the farms, and so many people have migrated up from Mexico, from South America, from California, from Oregon up into Washington. Washington's had a good Latino presence for many years."

The influx of urban Latinos has also inspired a new kind of activism. In addition to literary groups like Los Nortenos, and workers' groups like Casa Latina, Seattle now has Hispanic counseling services, health clinics, even a nursing home. Barbara Serrano of the Seattle Times says the Latino community is focusing special attention on its young people:

SERRANO: "One of the big initiatives within the Hispanic community in the state and in Seattle-King County is the effort to get more students graduating from high school and into college. And so a lot of people who are in professional jobs have been very supportive of that effort and realizing that education is the way you move up. If I had to identify one issue that is a major concern for a lot of people in the Hispanic community, I think it's education."

There are signs that the city is taking notice of their concerns. Barbara Serrano says a Seattle city council leader recently invited Latino leaders to a meeting at city hall. She believes the local government has realized Seattle has a vital new community in its midst and it's time to find out more about it.