ASPIRA recognizes that gangs and youth violence disproportionately affect the Latino community and Latino youth and that it is a growing national problem, especially in Latino communities.
ASPIRA also recognizes the link between youth gangs and violence and rejection of Latino young people by the non-Latino community and the need for an identity.ASPIRA supports
- programs that promote positive youth development among Latino youth, such as the ASPIRA Clubs;
- efforts to inform communities, parents, schools, teachers and community organizations about gangs and gang prevention and to educate them on how to develop effective prevention programs;
- intervention and prevention programs to decrease hate crimes in schools due to race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.