Centro Presente, Inc.

Mission: Established in 1981, Centro Presente is a member-driven, statewide Latin American immigrant organization dedicated to the self-determination and self-sufficiency of the Latin American immigrant community of Massachusetts. Operated and led primarily by Central American immigrants, Centro Presente struggles for immigrant rights and for economic and social justice. Through the integration of community organizing, leadership development and basic services, Centro Presente strives to give our members a voice and build community power.

Context: By and large, Central and other Latin American refugees and immigrants flee impoverished villages and small towns from already poor countries. In many cases, civil wars and natural disasters have exacerbated already fragile economic, political and social structures. Therefore, a significant proportion of the community with which Centro Presente works, arrives to the U.S. with low levels of education and skills. Further, most do not know how to speak English. Centro Presente's Education for Empowerment (EFE) program offers Central and Latin American immigrants living in the Greater Boston area English as a Second Language, Citizenship and Spanish Literacy classes. Volunteers are always welcomed to come and work with the legal department, the EFE program, the youth arts and leadership program or our community organizing and advocacy work --Bienvenidos!