Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to be representing and advocating on behalf of the Mexican immigrant community as well as strengthening the relationship between the Hispanic and the broader community through grassroot projects that seek to enhance and foster individual and collective prosperity and involve the public, private, civic, and research sectors at the local, state, national, and transnational levels.

Teresa Vivar

Founder of Lazos

Teresa Vivar is a passionate, and hard-working Mexican single mother of 3. She started the process of founding LAZOS America Unida at the age of 18 years old and many places did not offer health services and legal resources to community members. By 2001, she had officially founded LAZOS and made a name for the organization. Her inspiration is her parents, as she would help her father, a mason, on construction sites and her mother who balanced traditional roles with civic work. Teresa grew up educated in arts and humanities in Mexico and learned at a young age that if people do not have a connection with their origins and roots or do not try to preserve cultural events and activities, identities may be lost. She strives to preserve and aid the Hispanic community, especially Native culture in New Jersey and across the country.