RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) was founded and incorporated in 1986 under the name of the Refugee Aid Project. During this time, Central Americans flooded into Texas after fleeing the civil wars and social upheavals of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

Several churches and religious orders answered the needs of the new arrivals by providing food, clothing, language classes, housing, medical and legal referrals. The agency provided a forum for San Antonians to meet the new arrivals and learn first hand about the situation in Central America.

RAICES’ first office opened in the Madison Square Presbyterian Church. After the Oblates of Mary Immaculate donated a building, the agency moved to its current location at 1305 North Flores. This building has also provided a home to other community-centered organizations such as the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Fuerza Unida, Latin American Solidarity, the Quakers, and a Spanish-speaking Chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous.