Latino Greek-letter organizations , in the
North American student
fraternity and sorority system, refer to general or social organizations oriented to students having a special interest in
Latino culture and identity. The first known Latino fraternal organization was
Alpha Zeta fraternity, established in 1889 at Cornell University.
[1]
In 1898, a group of Latin American students at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute organized the Union Hispano Americana (UHA) as a cultural and intellectual
secret society based on the ideology of
Pan-Americanism .
[2] The UHA eventually became
Phi Iota Alpha .
The current rise in Latino Greek organizations began in 1975 and is known as the Latino Greek Movement. This movement called for the equality of Latino people in America, and many Greek letter organizations were developed to create solidarity and political empowerment for the Latino community.
[1]
In New Jersey on December 1, 1975,
Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. was founded at
Kean University in
Union Township, New Jersey .
[3] With the fraternity's second chapter at
Rutgers University–New Brunswick in the fall of 1978, Lambda Theta Phi was well on its way to growing the Latino Greek movement.
[4] Shortly afterward, a Latina sorority was established at Kean University;
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. became the first Latina Greek-lettered organization in the country. These two Greek-lettered organizations empowered the Latino Greek Movement's infancy days and provided the Latino community on campus and the United States a voice.
On the campus of
Rutgers University
– Livingston campus, Latino Siempre Unidos or
Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. formed on April 5, 1979. Corazones Unidos Siempre or
Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. formed at Rutgers University–New Brunswick on April 29, 1980. In 1982,
Lambda Upsilon Lambda became the first Latino-based fraternity to be chartered at an Ivy League institution.
[5]
There are currently more than 45 Latin-oriented fraternities and sororities, seventeen of which are members of the
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations .
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
The
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) is an umbrella council for seventeen Latino Greek-letter organizations.
Organization name
Symbols
Founding date
University
Type
References
Alpha Pi Sigma
ΑΠΣ
March 10, 1990
San Diego State University
Sorority
Alpha Psi Lambda
ΑΨΛ
February 11, 1985
Ohio State University
Coed
Chi Upsilon Sigma
ΧΥΣ
April 29, 1980
Rutgers University
Sorority
Gamma Phi Omega
ΓΦΩ
April 17, 1991
Indiana University
Sorority
Gamma Zeta Alpha
ΓΖΑ
December 3, 1987
California State University, Chico
Fraternity
Kappa Delta Chi
ΚΔΧ
April 6, 1987
Texas Tech University
Sorority
Lambda Alpha Upsilon
ΛΑΥ
December 10, 1985
SUNY Buffalo
Fraternity
Lambda Pi Chi
ΛΠΧ
April 16, 1988
Cornell University
Sorority
Lambda Pi Upsilon
ΛΠΥ
November 6, 1992
SUNY Geneseo
Sorority
Lambda Sigma Upsilon (
Chapters )
ΛΣΥ
April 5, 1979
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Fraternity
Lambda Theta Nu
ΛΘΝ
March 11, 1986
California State University, Chico
Sorority
Lambda Upsilon Lambda (
Chapters )
ΛΥΛ
February 19, 1982
Cornell University
Fraternity
Omega Phi Beta
ΩΦΒ
March 15, 1989
SUNY Albany
Sorority
Phi Iota Alpha
ΦΙΑ
December 26, 1931
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Fraternity
Sigma Iota Alpha
ΣΙΑ
September 29, 1990
SUNY Albany ,
SUNY Stony Brook ,
SUNY New Paltz and
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Sorority
Sigma Lambda Upsilon
ΣΛΥ
December 1, 1987
Binghamton University
Sorority
Sigma Omega Nu
ΣΩΝ
November 6, 1996
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Sorority
North-American Interfraternity Conference
Six fraternities are affiliated with the
North American Interfraternity Conference .
Concilio Interfraternitario de Puerto Rico
Five
Puerto Rican fraternities and two sororities compose the
Concilio Interfraternitario de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Interfraternity Council). The five fraternities are also members of the
Concilio Interfraternitario Puertorriqueño de la Florida (Puerto Rican Interfraternity Council in Florida).
Independent
The organizations listed here are not affiliated with a national umbrella council.
Organization name
Symbols
Founding date
University
Type
Reference
Alpha Rho Lambda
ΑΡΛ
March 26, 1993
Yale University
Sorority
Alpha Sigma Omega
ΑΣΩ
April 26, 1997
Syracuse University
Sorority
Delta Phi Mu
ΔΦΜ
August 28, 1991
Purdue University
Sorority
Delta Pi Rho
ΔΠΡ
December 9, 2004
Purdue University
Fraternity
Delta Sigma Chi
ΔΣΧ
August 31, 1987
California State University, Long Beach
Coed
[6]
Delta Tau Lambda
ΔΤΛ
April 2, 1994
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Sorority
Gamma Alpha Omega
ΓΑΩ
January 25, 1993
Arizona State University
Sorority
Gamma Ce Upsilon
ΓCΥ
November 3, 1989
SUNY Stony Brook
Sorority
Gamma Iota Omicron
ΓΙΟ
February 7, 2006
Washington State University
Fraternity
Gamma Phi Sigma
ΓΦΣ
April 16, 1992
Temple University
Fraternity
Hermandad de Oquichtli Macuilli Tonatiuh
O eMe T
January 21, 1996
Washington State University
Fraternity
Lambda Iota Upsilon
ΛΙΥ
October 18, 1998
SUNY Delhi
Fraternity
Lambda Kappa Kappa
ΛΚΚ
December 13, 1994
Texas Wesleyan University
Fraternity
[7]
Lambda Phi Delta
ΛΦΔ
November 17, 1988
SUNY Buffalo
Sorority
Lambda Theta Alpha
ΛΘΑ
December 1, 1975
Kean College
Sorority
Mu Iota Upsilon
ΜΙΥ
May 2, 1999
SUNY Delhi
Sorority
Oquichtti Maculli Tonatiuh
O eMe T
January 21, 1996
Washington State University
Fraternity
Phi Delta Psi Eta
ΦΔΨΗ
July 23, 1992
Pennsylvania State University - University Park
Fraternity
Phi Lambda Rho
ΦΛΡ
November 13, 1993
California State University, Stanislaus
Sorority
Pi Lambda Chi
ΠΛΧ
March 5, 1994
University of Colorado at Boulder
Sorority
Sigma Delta
ΣΔ
April 12, 1996
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Sorority
[8]
Sigma Delta Alpha
ΣΔΑ
May 5, 1992
San Jose State University
Fraternity
Sigma Delta Lambda
ΣΔΛ
September 26, 1996
Texas State University–San Marcos
Sorority
Sigma Lambda Alpha
ΣΛΑ
October 5, 1992
Texas Woman's University
Sorority
Sigma Lambda Beta (
Chapters )
ΣΛΒ
April 4, 1986
University of Iowa
Fraternity
Sigma Lambda Gamma
ΣΛΓ
April 9, 1990
University of Iowa
Sorority
Sigma Pi Alpha
ΣΠΑ
May 2, 1996
University of California, Berkeley
Sorority
Omega Pi Lambda
ΩΠΛ
March 14, 2023
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
[9]
Sorority
Afro-Latino organizations
Five fraternities and two sororities define themselves as Afro-Latino organizations.
Defunct organizations
Fifteen organizations are no longer in existence.
Organization name
Symbols
Founding date
University
Type
Reference
Alpha Lambda Mu
ΑΛΜ
1910
University of Pennsylvania
Fraternity
Alpha Zeta
AZ
January 1, 1890
Cornell University
Fraternity
[10]
Beta Lambda Delta
ΒΛΔ
October 13, 1993
Johnson & Wales University
Fraternity
Kappa Alpha Rho
ΚΑΡ
1991
University of Texas at Austin
Sorority
Lambda Sigma Alpha
ΛΣΑ
1925
University of Arizona
Fraternity
Lambda Tau Delta
ΛΤΔ
SUNY Buffalo
Sorority
L.I.U.N. (Phi Chi Delta)
L.I.U.N.
February 9, 1909
Louisiana State University
Fraternity
Phi Beta Mex
1933
UTEP
Fraternity
Phi Chi Delta
ΦΧΔ
January 27, 1913
Louisiana State University
Fraternity
[11]
Phi Lambda Alpha
ΦΛΑ
1919
University of California, Berkeley
Fraternity
[a]
[b]
Phi Lambda Alpha
ΦΛΑ
1949
Kansas State University
Fraternity
Phi Theta Chi
ΦΘΧ
February 27, 1992
Binghamton University
Sorority
Pi Delta Phi
ΠΔΦ
1916
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Fraternity
[a]
Psi Alpha Kappa
ΨΑΚ
October 1, 1900
Lehigh University
Fraternity
Psi Sigma Delta
ΨΣΔ
February 1900
Columbia University
Fraternity
Quetzal
QZ
Sonoma State University
Sorority
[12]
Sigma Alpha Chi
ΣΑΧ
April 15, 1997
Missouri State University
Sorority
Sigma Delta Alpha
ΣΔΑ
October 22, 1928
University of Puerto Rico
Fraternity
[c]
Sigma Iota
ΣΙ
March 12, 1912
Louisiana State University
Fraternity
[b]
Sigma Iota Alpha
ΣΙΑ
1939
Louisiana State University
Sorority
Sigma Lambda Sigma
ΣΛΣ
October 13, 1993
Johnson & Wales University
Sorority
Zeta Phi Gamma
ΖΦΓ
December 17, 1993
Texas Tech University
Sorority
Notes
^
a
b Merged in 1921 to form Phi Lambda Alpha.
^
a
b Merged in 1931 to form Phi Iota Alpha.
^ Merged in 1934 with the Alpha Boriquen Militant chapter of Phi Iota Alpha to become Phi Sigma Alpha.
See also
References
^
a
b Fajardo, Oliver (April 2015).
"History of Latino Fraternal Movement and Why it Matters on Campus Today" (PDF) .
^ Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1952).
"Universities and world affairs" . Universities and World Affairs .
ISSN
0502-6393 .
OCLC
1515126 .
^ Fajardo, Oliver (2015). "A Brief History of International Latin American Student Fraternities: A Movement That Lasted 86 Years (1889-1975)". Journal of Hispanic Higher Education . 14 .
doi :
10.1177/1538192714548928 .
S2CID
146728641 .
^ Heidenreich, L. (2006). "Against the grain: Confronting Hispanic service organizations in times of increasing inequalities, 1930 and 2005". Journal of Latinos and Education . 5 (2): 123–137.
doi :
10.1207/s1532771xjle0502_4 .
S2CID
144741664 .
^ Muñoz, Susana (January 2009).
"Nuestra Historia y Futuro (Our History and Future): Latino/A Fraternities and Sororities" . Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in the Hood .
^
"Delta Sigma Chi Co-ed Fraternity" . California State University, Fullerton. Retrieved 3 April 2014 .
^
"Lambda Kappa Kappa" . Archived from
the original on 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2017-04-07 .
^
"History" . Sigma Delta Sorority. Archived from
the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2014 .
^
"University of Wisconsin-Whitewater" . www.uww.edu . Retrieved 2024-02-06 .
^ "Alpha Chapter of Alpha Zeta". The Cornell Daily Sun Volume 10 . January 1890.
^ Baird, William Raimond; Alvan E. Duerr (1940).
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities .
Menasha, Wisconsin : G. Banta Pub. Co. p. 754.
^ Spacher, Heather (1996).
The History of Quetzal Sorority at Sonoma State University . Rohnert Park, California: Sonoma State University – via Google Books.