Homies Unidos originally formed to address the problems of urban violence and the internationalization of gangs in 1996 when a group of youth, mainly gang members deported from Los Angeles, came together in San Salvador, El Salvador to discuss methods and means of diminishing the violence that plagued them, out of these meetings the organization was formed. In 1998, gang members and former gang members in the predominantly Central American community of Los Angeles in queue with Homies Unidos in El Salvador started working in their neighborhood with the same goal. It is our mission to defend the inherent right of youth, families and their communities to pursue their dreams and achieve their full potential in a just, safe and healthy society. To achieve this, Homies Unidos works to end violence and promote peace in our communities by empowering youth and their families to become advocates for social justice rather than agents of self-destruction. We offer an alternative vision to incarceration, deportation, and repressive and ineffective zero-tolerance “gang abatement” and “band-aid” social service strategies. Instead, Homies Unidos presents culturally competent access to alternative education, leadership development, self-esteem building, and health education programs tied to social justice advocacy programs that make a difference in the streets and homes of our community.