Our work had always been influenced by universally accepted concepts about battered women. The mainstream domestic violence movement believed that men are the problem; battered women must leave, go to a shelter, divorce, and move from "victim" status to "survivor." The result was that women were separated from their primary support systems and men were not engaged in the work of ending domestic violence. Casa de Esperanza had historically rejected this stance, believing in the woman's judgment about what was best for her. We also understood that family and community are central in Latinas' lives. Listening to Latinas as we examined our identity, we recommitted ourselves to these values and recognized that many Latinas would not utilize the traditional long-term services at our shelter.

Another factor that kept many Latinas from utilizing our shelter was the mandate from the State of Minnesota that we accept residents on a "first-come, first-served" basis. In theory this mandate is good: it seems to be fair and doesn't discriminate among women. In reality, however, the mandate works against shelters that seek to serve specific cultures. Because of the mandate our shelter was often full, and Latinas were turned away. Mainstream shelters would not accept women who didn't speak English. The result was that Latinas (and other women of color) often "fell through the cracks."