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 in 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.
The National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) is an umbrella council for Latino Greek-letter organizations.
Six Latino fraternities are affiliated with the North American Interfraternity Conference.
Organization | Symbols | Founding date | University | Type | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lambda Sigma Upsilon (Chapters) | ΛΣΥ | April 5, 1979 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | Fraternity | |
Lambda Theta Phi (Chapters) | ΛΘΦ | December 1, 1975 | Kean College | Fraternity | |
Nu Alpha Kappa | NAK | February 26, 1988 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | Fraternity | |
Omega Delta Phi (Chapters) | ΩΔΦ | November 25, 1987 | Texas Tech University | Fraternity | |
Phi Iota Alpha (Chapters) | ΦΙΑ | December 26, 1931 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Fraternity | |
Sigma Lambda Beta | ΣΛΒ | April 4, 1986 | University of Iowa | Fraternity |
Five Puerto Rican fraternities and two sororities compose the Concilio Interfraternitario de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Interfraternity Council). The fraternities are also members of the Concilio Interfraternitario Puertorriqueño de la Florida (Puerto Rican Interfraternity Council in Florida).
Organization | Symbols | Founding date | University | Type | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Beta Chi | ABX | 1941 | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus | Fraternity | [6] |
Eta Gamma Delta | ΗΓΔ | March 1928 | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus | Sorority | |
Mu Alpha Phi | ΜΑΦ | October 24, 1927 | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus | Sorority | |
Nu Sigma Beta | ΝΣΒ | October 1937 | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus | Fraternity | |
Phi Delta Gamma | ΦΔΓ | April 25, 1942 | University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez | Fraternity | |
Phi Eta Mu | ΦΗΜ | 1923 | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus | Fraternity | |
Phi Sigma Alpha (Chapters) | ΦΣΑ | October 22, 1928 | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus | Fraternity |
The sororities and fraternities listed here are not affiliated with a national umbrella council.
Organization | Symbols | Founding date | University | Type | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Sigma Omega | ΑΣΩ | April 26, 1997 | Syracuse University | Sorority | [7][8] |
Delta Phi Mu | ΔΦΜ | August 28, 1991 | Purdue University | Sorority | [9][10] |
Delta Pi Rho | ΔΠΡ | December 9, 2004 | Purdue University | Fraternity | [11][12] |
Delta Sigma Chi | ΔΣΧ | August 31, 1987 | California State University, Long Beach | Coed | [13] |
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 Iota Omicron | ΓΙΟ | February 7, 2006 | Washington State University | Fraternity | [14][15] |
Lambda Iota Upsilon | ΛΙΥ | October 18, 1998 | SUNY Delhi | Fraternity | [16] |
Lambda Theta Alpha | ΛΘΑ | December 1, 1975 | Kean College | Sorority | |
Mu Iota Upsilon | ΜΙΥ | May 2, 1999 | SUNY Delhi | Sorority | [17] |
Omega Pi Lambda | ΩΠΛ | March 14, 2023 | University of Wisconsin–Whitewater | Sorority | [18] |
Phi Lambda Rho | ΦΛΡ | November 13, 1993 | California State University, Stanislaus | Sorority | [19] |
Pi Lambda Chi | ΠΛΧ | March 5, 1994 | University of Colorado at Boulder | Sorority | [20][21] |
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 | [22] |
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 |
The following fraternities and two sororities define themselves as Afro-Latino organizations.
Organization | Symbols | Founding date | University | Type | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MALIK Fraternity | MALIK | May 13, 1977 | Long Island University | Fraternity | |
Malika Kambe Umfazi | MKU | June 16, 1995 | SUNY Buffalo | Sorority | [23] |
Sigma Phi Rho | ΣΦΡ | November 13, 1979 | Wagner College | Fraternity | |
Xi Theta Psi | ΞΘΨ | March 5, 1995 | Utica University | Fraternity | [24] |
The following fraternities and sororities no longer exist at the collegiate level.
Organization | Symbols | Founding date | University | Type | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha Zeta | AZ | January 1, 1890 | Cornell University | Fraternity | [25] |
Lambda Kappa Kappa | ΛΚΚ | December 13, 1994 | Texas Wesleyan University | Fraternity | [26] |
Lambda Phi Delta | ΛΦΔ | November 17, 1988 | SUNY Buffalo | Sorority | [27] |
L.I.U.N. (Phi Chi Delta) | L.I.U.N. | February 9, 1909 | Louisiana State University | Fraternity | [28] |
Phi Chi Delta | ΦΧΔ | January 27, 1913 | Louisiana State University | Fraternity | [29] |
Phi Delta Psi Eta | ΦΔΨΗ | July 23, 1992 | Pennsylvania State University - University Park | Fraternity | [30] |
Phi Lambda Alpha | ΦΛΑ | 1919 | University of California, Berkeley | Fraternity | [a][b] |
Pi Delta Phi | ΠΔΦ | 1916 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Fraternity | [a] |
Psi Alpha Kappa | ΨΑΚ | October 1, 1900 | Lehigh University | Fraternity | |
Quetzal | QZ | Sonoma State University | Sorority | [31] | |
Sigma Alpha Chi | ΣΑΧ | April 15, 1997 | Missouri State University | Sorority | |
Sigma Delta | ΣΔ | April 12, 1996 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Sorority | [32] |
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 |
Academic fraternities originating from North America | |
General | |
History |
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Historically African-American | |
Historically Asian/Pacific Islander-American | |
Christian fraternities and sororities | |
Historically Jewish | |
Multicultural | |
Historically Scout-affiliated | |
LGBTQ | |
Native American | |
Latino and Puerto Rican | |
Major specific | |
Social sororities | |
Social fraternities | |
See also |