A quarter century later, inside scoop on Centro Presente – Cambridge, Massachusetts

“Those who know very little about Centro Presente often wonder if “Centro” has something to do with the fact that our offices are located in Central Square. While the name was not meant to reflect that, we have indeed been based in the Central Square area of Cambridge since being founded in 1981 by Sister Rose Marie Cummins, who was working as an outreach worker to the Latino community in St. Mary’s Parish. She founded Centro Presente together with Salvadoran immigrants and the legal community, two sectors who had already begun to organize to support and defend this very new immigrant community. At the time, much of the community lived in the Central Square area or attended St. Mary’s Church. Twenty-five years later, however, we have a much wider reach, with our members living throughout the state. Our youth program, Pintamos Nuestro Mundo, meets in East Somerville. Our campaign, Echando Raí­ces: A Community Sets Down Roots, for the purchase and renovation of a building in East Somerville, will place us back into the heart of the Latino immigrant community.”

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