This study examines how a feminist-identified rape crisis center in Southern California became more inclusive of the Latina community. The agency in attempting to be more inclusive of Latinas and their needs became bilingual (English and Spanish) and bicultural. It went from serving mostly English-speaking sexual assault survivors and staffed predominantly by white women, to serving both English- and Spanish-speaking survivors and being staffed predominantly by Latina women. This study contributes to the research on feminist organizations and the challenges many have faced in diversifying the organizations they lead to become more responsive to women of color. It also contributes to the gap in how a feminist organization is able to diversify and maintain this over several years.

I use a qualitative ethnographic research approach to analyze the following questions: How did the organization transform from a white feminist organization to a more inclusive organization that provides services to the Latina community? How did the broadening of its feminist agenda and inclusion of Latinas affect the organization? How has the organization's goal of inclusivity been implemented, maintained, and changed over time? Literature from the second-wave white and Chicana Feminist Movements highlight the tensions between white women and women of color and the difficulties they have endured in forming effective cross-race-ethnic coalitions. Each group developed their own coalitions and organizations. Many feminist organizations led and staffed by white women have struggled to enact race-ethnic diversity and there are few examples of successful strategies in achieving diversity within such organizations.

Women of color who have participated in white feminist organizations all too often have encountered exclusion, resistance, tokenism, and did not have their needs met. My findings indicate that the organization's Executive Committee and staff consciously structured priorities, hiring, and service delivery to become a bilingual and bicultural agency. As part of this process, the Board hired Latinas in staff and leadership positions. The organization's leadership cultivated racial coalitions, in particular influential white allies on the basis of their shared commitments to ending sexual violence and serving all segments of the community.