Central American Resource Center, Los Angeles

The Central American Resource Center was founded in 1983 by a group of Salvadoran refugees whose mission was to secure legal status for the thousands of Central Americans fleeing the torture and brutality of civil war. During the 80?s and 90?s, over 52% of the one million plus Salvadorans and 59% of Guatemalans fleeing these atrocities came to Los Angeles. The transition from refugee to permanent resident in the United States challenges CARECEN to expand its capacity to meet the community?s need for social and economic empowerment. Our new community center is specifically designed to meet these challenges. In 1998 CARECEN moved into a new 30,000 square foot facility in the Pico/Union neighborhood. Now, the four-story community center serves as a hub for educational and cultural enrichment, immigration & legal services and proactive programs created to foster citizenship & civic participation.