Cultural interest fraternities and sororities

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Cultural interest fraternities and sororities, in the North American student fraternity and sorority system, refer to general, social organizations oriented to students having a special interest in a culture or cultural identity.

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Although racial and religious restrictions have long since been abolished in all North American Interfraternity Conference and National Panhellenic Conference organizations, their memberships nationally remain predominantly Caucasian, and National Pan-Hellenic Council memberships largely African American. The new generation of cultural interest organizations has arisen to serve the interests of communities whose numbers in the traditional Greek system are historically small and dispersed.

Following is a list of national cultural interest fraternities and sororities.

African American

African-American fraternities and sororities are social organizations that predominantly recruit Black college students and provide a network that includes both undergraduate and alumni members. These organizations were typically founded by Black American undergraduate students, faculty, and leaders at various institutions in the United States.

Armenian

OrganizationSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Alpha Epsilon OmegaΑΕΩDecember 20, 2000 California State University, Northridge Fraternity9Active [1] [2]
Alpha Gamma AlphaΑΓΑOctober 25, 2002 University of California, Los Angeles Sorority1Active [3] [4]

Asian American

There are over sixty Asian American interest Greek-lettered organizations, many of which are overseen by the National APIDA Panhellenic Association.

Buddhist

OrganizationSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Delta Beta Tau ΔΒΤSeptember 9, 2015 San Diego State University (SDSU) Co-ed FraternityIndependent1Active

Christian

While most of the traditional women's fraternities or sororities were founded decades before the start of the 20th century, the first ever specifically Christian-themed Greek letter organization formed was the Kappa Phi Club, founded in Kansas in 1916. The three largest Christian fraternities established in the early part of the 20th century are Beta Sigma Psi, Alpha Gamma Omega, and Sigma Theta Epsilon; all are still active.

Italian-American

OrganizationSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Alpha Phi Delta *ΑΦΔNovember 5, 1914 Syracuse University Fraternity NIC 48Active

Jewish

Latino

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.

LGBTQ

LGBTQ fraternities and sororities have existed since the 1980s, with Delta Phi Upsilon being established in 1985 and Delta Lambda Phi in 1986. These groups are intended to provide members with access to Greek life without fear of homophobic reprisal or behavior by fellow members, resulting from a history of homophobia within longer-established organizations.

Multicultural

These organizations do not identify with a specific cultural identity. Some may fall under associations that cater to specific cultural backgrounds, however, the organization itself refers to itself as Multicultural.

OrganizationSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Beta Xi ChiΒΞΧNovember 11, 1998 Texas A&M University FraternityIndependent0Inactive [5]
Chi Sigma Upsilon ΧΣΕNovember 1, 1993Rutgers UniversitySorority NMGC (former)Active [6] [7]
Chi Sigma Xi ΧΣΞApril 1, 2010 University of Toronto Scarborough SororityIndependent1Active [8]
Delphic Fraternity ΓΣΤOctober 13, 1871 State University of New York at Geneseo Fraternity NMGC (former)4Active [6] [7]
Delta Alpha Omega ΔΑΩAugust 22, 2001 University of Texas at Arlington FraternityIndependent1Active [9] [10]
Delta Alpha Sigma ΔΑΣMarch 10, 2004 University of Texas at Arlington SororityIndependent5Active [10] [11]
Delta Psi Alpha ΔΨΑNovember 24, 1998 Northern Illinois University Coed FraternityIndependent2Active [12]
Delta Psi Sigma ΔΨΣJanuary 14, 2001 New York City, New York SororityIndependent5Active [13]
Delta Sigma Chi ΔΣΧNovember 27, 1996 New York City College of Technology Sorority NMGC (former)11Active [6]
Delta Xi Nu ΔΞΝOctober 7, 1997 Texas A&M University Sorority NMGC 20Active [7]
Delta Xi Phi ΔΞΦApril 20, 1994 University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Sorority NMGC 23Active [6] [7]
Epsilon Sigma Rho ΕΣΡMarch 2, 1986 California State University, Sacramento FraternityIndependent9Active [14] [15]
Gamma Eta ΓΗOctober 18, 1995 University of Florida Sorority NMGC 8Active [6] [7]
Iota Nu Kappa ΙΝΚSeptember 13, 2010 University of Maine FraternityIndependent1Active [16] [17]
Kappa Lambda Xi ΚΛΞOctober 7, 2003 University of Maryland, College Park and Long Island University SororityIndependent1Active [18]
Lambda Phi Xi ΛΦΞJanuary 27, 2004 Michigan State University & Purdue University Calumet SororityIndependent1Active
Lambda Psi Delta ΛΨΔMarch 9, 1997 Yale University Sorority NMGC (former)0Inactive [6]
Lambda Sigma Gamma ΛΣΓOctober 24, 1986 Sacramento State University Sorority NMGC 26Active [7]
Lambda Tau Omega ΛΤΩOctober 9, 1988 Montclair State College Sorority NMGC 12Active [6] [7]
Mu Sigma Upsilon ΜΣΥNovember 21, 1981 Rutgers University Sorority NMGC 66Active [6] [7]
Omega Delta ΩΔJanuary 19, 1997 University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign FraternityIndependent8Active [19]
Omega Delta Phi ΩΔΦNovember 25, 1987 Texas Tech University Fraternity NIC, NALFO (former)70Active
Omega Phi Chi ΩΦΧNovember 9, 1988 Rutgers University Sorority NMGC 26Active [6] [7]
Phi Sigma Chi ΨΣΧNovember 16, 1996 New York City College of Technology Fraternity NMGC 13Active [6] [20] [21] [7]
Psi Sigma Phi ΨΣΦDecember 12, 1990 Montclair State University and New Jersey City University Fraternity NMGC 17Active [6] [7]
Sigma Alpha Zeta ΣΑΖOctober 17, 1992 California State University, Fresno SororityIndependent8Active [22] [23] [24]
Sigma Beta Rho ΣΒΡAugust 16, 1996 University of Pennsylvania Fraternity NIC, NMGC (former)23Active
Sigma Omega Phi ΣΩΦApril 26, 1990 California State University, Chico SororityIndependent5Active [25] [26] [27]
Sigma Theta Psi ΣΘΨNovember 13, 1991 San Jose State University SororityIndependent8Active
Tau Phi Sigma ΤΦΣNovember 11, 1992 University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Fraternity NIC (former)6Active
Theta Delta Sigma ΘΔΣApril 15, 2001 University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Gender InclusiveIndependent9Active
Theta Nu Kappa ΘΝΚNovember 20, 2007 University of California, Santa Barbara FraternityIndependent1Active [28]
Theta Nu Xi ΘΝΞApril 11, 1997 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Sorority NMGC 64Active [7]
Tau Theta Pi ΤΘΠNovember 24, 1998 University of Southern California SororityIndependent4Active [29]
Upsilon Kappa Delta ΥΚΔDecember 10, 1993 California State University, Chico SororityIndependent6Active [30] [31] [32]
Xi Alpha Pi ΞΑΠ2008 University of Toronto FraternityIndependent2Active [33]
Zeta Chi Phi ΖΧΦJanuary 30, 2003 University of Texas at San Antonio SororityIndependent1Active
Zeta Sigma Chi ΖΣΧMarch 3, 1991 Northern Illinois University SororityIndependent22Active

Muslim

Organization nameSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Gamma Gamma Chi ΓΓΧApril 3, 2005 Greensboro, North Carolina SororityIndependent3Active [34] [35]
Alpha Lambda Mu ΑΛΜFebruary 12, 2013 University of Texas at Dallas FraternityIndependent6Active
Mu Delta Alpha ΜΔΑFebruary 17, 2014 University of Texas at Dallas SororityIndependent5Active [36] [37]
Xi Delta PiΞΔΠ2009 George Washington University SororityIndependent0Inactive [35]

Native American

OrganizationSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Alpha Pi Omega ΑΠΩSeptember 1, 1994 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SororityIndependent20Active
Beta Sigma Epsilon ΒΣΕJanuary 1, 2000 University of Arizona FraternityIndependent4Active
Epsilon Chi Nu EXNJanuary 1, 1996 East Carolina University FraternityIndependent2Active [38] [39]
Gamma Beta Lambda ΓΒΛOctober 2, 1963 Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaFraternity, non-collegiateIndependent1Active [40]
Gamma Delta PiΓΔΠAugust 27, 2000 University of Oklahoma SororityIndependent1Active [41]
Iota Gamma ΙΓOctober 22, 2004 University of Oklahoma FraternityIndependent4Active [41] [lower-alpha 1]
Phi Sigma Nu ΦΣΝFebruary 13, 1996 University of North Carolina at Pembroke FraternityIndependent5Active
Sigma Omicron Epsilon ΣΟΕMarch 30, 1997 East Carolina University SororityIndependent3Active

Persian

OrganizationSymbolsCharteredFounding locationTypeAffiliationActive

chapters

StatusReference
Sigma Pi Sigma Psi ΣΠΣMay 18, 2009 University of California, Los Angeles SororityIndependent1Active [42] [43]

South Asian

See also

Notes

  1. Group was called Sigma Nu Alpha Gamma until a rebranding decision in the summer of 2022.

Related Research Articles

Dartmouth College is host to many fraternities and sororities, and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. In the fall of 2022, 35 percent of male students belong to a fraternity and 36 percent of students belong to a sorority. Greek organizations at Dartmouth provide both social and residential opportunities for students and are the only single-sex residential option on campus. Greek organizations at Dartmouth do not provide dining options, as regular meal service has been banned in Greek houses since 1909.

While the traditional social fraternity is a well-established mainstay across the United States at institutions of higher learning, alternatives – in the form of social fraternities that require doctrinal and behavioral conformity to the Christian faith – developed in the early 20th century. They continue to grow in size and popularity.

While most of the traditional women's fraternities or sororities were founded decades before the start of the 20th century, the first ever specifically Christian-themed Greek Letter Organization formed was the Kappa Phi Club, founded in Kansas in 1916. Kappa Phi was a women's sisterhood that developed out of a bible study and remains one of the largest nationally present Christian women's collegiate clubs today. Later organizations added more defined social programming along with a Christian emphasis, bridging the gap between non-secular traditional sororities and church-sponsored bible study groups, campus ministries and sect-based clubs and study groups.

The term Triad is used to designate certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America.

The expansion of Greek letter organizations into Canada was an important stage of the North American fraternity movement, beginning in 1879 with the establishment of a chapter of Zeta Psi at the University of Toronto. In 1883, the same fraternity established a chapter at McGill University. Other early foundations were Kappa Alpha Society at Toronto in 1892 and at McGill in 1899, and Alpha Delta Phi at Toronto in 1893 and at McGill in 1897. The first sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, was established in Toronto in 1887. In 1902, the first international chapter of Phi Delta Theta was established at McGill University as the Quebec Alpha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Virginia fraternities and sororities</span> American Greek life system

Fraternities and sororities at the University of Virginia include the collegiate organizations on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. First founded in the 1850s with the establishment of several fraternities, the system has since expanded to include sororities, professional organizations, service fraternities, honor fraternities, and cultural organizations. Fraternities and sororities have been significant to the history of the University of Virginia, including the founding of two national fraternities Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ) and Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ).

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