Since its founding in 1983, when thousands of Central Americans fled the brutality of civil war, CARECEN has been working to change an unjust immigration system, win legal status for immigrants, and foster community activism on issues such as education reform, workers’ and immigrants’ rights, economic justice and community strengthening.

CARECEN, the largest Central American immigrant rights organization in the country, empowers Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice, and promoting cultural diversity. We envision Los Angeles becoming a place where Central Americans and all other communities live in peace and dignity, enjoying economic well-being, social justice, and political empowerment.