CENTRO LEGAL DE LA RAZA INC

Founded in 1969, Centro Legal advances the rights of low-income, Spanish-speaking immigrants by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate legal services, referral, and advocacy to thousands of people each year. Centro Legal helps stabilize immigrant families through ensuring access to safe and healthy housing; promoting lawful and safe working conditions; and helping immigrant families stay together through assistance with naturalization, deferred action, family-based visa petitions, removal defense, and visas for victims of violence crimes. Centro Legal also works to provide legal services to under-served populations, such as detained immigrants. In addition, Centro Legal serves low-income youth of color in Oakland through the Youth Law Academy (YLA) program. This program provides low-income youth, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants, with college preparation, career development, and mentoring. Through the YLA, Centro Legal is helping to end the cycle of poverty by helping first-generation college students attain academic success and prepare for professional careers in law.