directory

COFEM is a community-based umbrella organization comprised of groups of people who share ideas and participate in efforts to create opportunities for Latino immigrants in North America, specifically in California. The overarching purpose of the organization is to ensure equality of opportunity for members of the Latino community.

COFEM represents 15 organizations (or “federations”), which include people from specific states of the Mexican Republic. These federations help to nurture enduring cultural values through broad support to the Mexican community at the bi-national level. Through projects of economic and social development, strategic civic participation, and cultural and social events (e.g., charreadas) and cultural weeks, the federations have strengthened their bases. The federation-sponsored events link thousands of immigrants in a very important way, celebrating the rich Mexican culture and traditions and organizing Latinos in North America. These federations have the opportunity to wield significant political power though their growing memberships.

Founded a little more than 30 years ago, the federations that comprise COFEM can organize and mobilize the Latin American immigrant community on a large scale. This provides COFEM with a foundation to develop a bi-national agenda that takes into account the origin towns in Mexico and focuses on improving the economic and social conditions of these Latino immigrants.