Latino Center of the Midlands

The Latino Center of the Midlands, formerly the Chicano Awareness Center (CAC), was organized in 1971 to address concerns about the education of Chicano youth. Members of Omaha’s Chicano community organized the CAC because Chicano students were demonstrating low levels of academic achievement, poor self-concept, and lack of awareness about their heritage. The CAC was a small community center that offered classes for youth and adults in: Mexican Art, Mexican Music, Folkloric Dance, Spanish Language, and English Language. As the organization grew, the mission and direction of the CAC began to adapt to the community’s needs. The change would bring new programs, new community members, and a new name – the Latino Center of the Midlands (LCM). The adoption of a new name in 2008 would aim to be more inclusive, welcome Latinos from all nations and cultural heritage, and signify the start of a new era for the organization and community. Today, the Latino Center of the Midlands has evolved into a premier education and social service agency that provides assistance to the growing Latino population in the Omaha Metro.