Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada (), known as SIA, is a Latina-oriented

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intercollegiate

sorority Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...

. It was founded in 1990 at SUNY Albany,

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York syste ...

SUNY New Paltz The State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz or New Paltz) is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It traces its origins to the New Paltz Classical School, a secondary institution founded in 1828 and reorganized as an ac ...

, and

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Va ...

. The sorority increases awareness of Latina culture and participates in local, national, and international community service, educational, cultural, and social events. It is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc. (NALFO).

History

Sigma Iota Alpha was founded on September 29, 1990, by thirteen women from four colleges in New York:

University at Albany, SUNY The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

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. The founders include Dora Maria Abreu, Elizabeth Coats, Tina Colberg, Eulogia Diaz, Angelica Hernandez, Teresa Herrero, Norma Porras, Miriam Ramirez, Saida Rodriguez, Grecia Sanchez, Maria Trujillo, Clara Vasquez and Dulce Williams. The mission of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. is "to formalize, cultivate, and foster bonds amongst each other as sisters and abide by respect, trust, communication, professionalism, and accountability." Alpha Iota Sigma's goals are to increase awareness of the diverse Latino cultures, to promote leadership amongst the sisters, and to serve as "models of excellence in education and achievement amongst women." The sorority expanded and chartered chapters outside of New York state.

Symbols

The sorority's colors are gold, red and royal blue. Black and white are used as background colors. The mascots include the unicorn and the

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. Its flower is the red rose and its gem is the white pearl. Its motto is Semper Unum et Inseparabilis or Always One and Inseparable.

Activities

SIA has supported several philanthropic initiatives since its establishment, promoting service on three levels: international, national, and local. Notable international organizations include

Children International Children International is a global nonprofit humanitarian organization that helps children break the cycle of poverty. It addresses children’s critical needs through early intervention and regular interaction in community centers. The goal i ...

. National philanthropies include

March of Dimes March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comb ...

, the National MS Society, One Heartland, and

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...

. Its local efforts are called Out Sisters in Action and vary between chapters. The Solidaridad, Inspiracion y Amistad Community Foundation, Inc. was created in 2004 and collaborates with the sorority to provide scholarships to Latinas and support for building communities. The R.O.S.E. Mentorship Program is a national educational initiative operated by the graduate chapters. R.O.S.E. serves Latina women ages 14 to 18. It creates community leaders by encouraging service, scholarship and personal development.

Membership

Throughout the last 30+ years, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. has grown to include 62 undergraduate chapters, thirteen regional alumnae chapters, and seventeen colonies in the states of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, California, Kansas, Arkansas, and South Carolina. SIA was the first Latina sorority to be established in Massachusetts and Arkansas. Chapters and colonies are composed of undergraduate, graduate, and professional women.

Notable members

* Gloria Garayua, film and television actress

Chapters

Undergraduate chapters

Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are shown in ''italic''.

Notes

Colonies

Regional alumnae chapters

References

{{Authority control Student organizations established in 1990 Hispanic and Latino organizations National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations Student societies in the United States Latino fraternities and sororities 1990 establishments in New York (state)