Delta Xi Phi

Delta Xi Phi () is a national multicultural sorority that was founded at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by fifteen women on April 20, 1994. The sorority welcomes women from all ethnic, cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Defined by diversity, Delta Xi Phi is not only multicultural in membership but also in programming since its inception. Delta Xi Phi is one of the founding members of the National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC).

Delta Xi Phi is based on five pillars: the Advancement of Women through Higher Education, Community Service, Increasing Multicultural Awareness, Sisterhood, and Friendship.

National history

Delta Xi Phi sorority was founded on April 20, 1994 on the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign (UIUC) campus, by fifteen young women. They recognized a need for an organization that appreciated the different cultures present on their college campuses. Multicultural awareness, as well as community service, the empowerment of women in higher education, friendship and sisterhood were also important aspects of Delta Xi Phi.

In the spring of 1992, two different groups of women who were seeking to establish a new sorority at UIUC learned of each other's intentions. The two groups organized a meeting where they discussed their goals and aspirations. They surprisingly overlapped and so these women unanimously decided to work together toward their common goal and the two groups merged. They decided to temporarily call themselves "Women for the Advancement of a Multicultural Society" (WAMS). Several sororities on other college campuses were contacted with the intention of establishing a chapter at the University of Illinois campus. However, none of those had everything that was wanted by WAMS.

Finally, on April 20, 1993, after almost a year of searching for a sorority and much frustration, the women of WAMS made a decision to stop looking for other sororities and to commence their quest of founding their own. Three women from WAMS were designated pledge educators and helped the other twelve women's dream of founding a sorority become a reality. They went through a year-long pledging process during which they developed a strong bond of sisterhood.

The foundation of their sorority began with meetings where they discussed and voted upon its letters, colors, mascot, flower, and stone. On April 20, 1994 the members of WAMS were no longer just the women of WAMS; they were to be forever known as the founding mothers of Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority. On February 6, 1998, Delta Xi Phi Sorority became an incorporated entity.

Founders

The following is a list of the fifteen original founders known as "Diamantes".

*Amani Abukhdeir
*Hanadi Abu-khdeir
*Lynette E. Alvarado
*Erma L. Alvarez
*Yvonne E. Alvarez
*Monica Arciga
*Maria G. Barrera
*Maria Teresa Botello
*Aida Derat
*Leticia Escamilla
*Christine Lopez
*Elia Morales
*Carla Ortega
*Alma Rivera
*Nancy Tsao

National chapters

Over the years, DXP has grown with six chapters and 17 associate chapters from coast to coast.

*Alpha chapter: University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign – April 20, 1994
*Beta chapter: California State University, Chico – August 14, 1998
*Gamma associate chapter: Mississippi State University – December 4, 1998
*Delta chapter: University of Illinois at Chicago – May 8, 1999
*Epsilon associate chapter: University of California, Los Angeles – June 7, 1999*
*Zeta associate chapter: Southern Illinois University – February 5, 2000*
*Eta chapter: Marquette University – February 5, 2000
*Iota chapter: University of Massachusetts Amherst – March 21, 2002
*Kappa associate chapter: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa – May 3, 2003*
*Lambda chapter: Johns Hopkins University – June 7, 2003
*Mu associate chapter: University of California, Davis – June 5, 2004
*Nu associate chapter: Michigan State University – January 15, 2005*
*Xi chapter: Bowling Green State University – March 11, 2006*
*Omicron associate chapter: Rockhurst University – May 13, 2006*
*Pi associate chapter: State University of New York at Old Westbury – June 10, 2006*
*Rho chapter: University of New Hampshire – April 21, 2007
*Sigma associate chapter: Valparaiso University – May 6, 2007
*Tau associate chapter: Los Angeles, California – May 17, 2008
*Upsilon chapter: Keene State College – January 10, 2009
*Phi chapter: Ohio State University – March 7, 2009
*Chi associate chapter: Cabrini College – May 1, 2010
*Psi associate chapter: Wake Forest University – December 17, 2011
*Omega associate chapter: Samford University – May 5, 2012
*Alpha Alpha associate chapter: University of California, Berkeley – May 2, 2016
(*) Inactive

Interest groups

Delta Xi Phi's official interest groups are known as "WAMS" – Women for the Advancement of a Multicultural Society.
*Loyola Marymount University
*Salisbury University

External links

National site

{{National Multicultural Greek Council

National Multicultural Greek Council
Fraternal service organizations based in Chicago
Student organizations established in 1994
1994 establishments in Illinois