Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is a Chicana/Latina-based,
Greek letter
The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the earliest known alphabetic script to have distinct letters for vowels as ...
, 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 ...
founded in 1996 at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
.
The sorority is not part of the Greek Panhellenic System. They are a non-profit grassroots organization and do not affiliate with any National Fraternity and Sorority Councils. They are an established sisterhood governed by their own direct National Council.
The Greek letters were specifically selected by their 9 founding mothers to symbolize their Chicana/Latina heritage by spelling ELLA, meaning she/her in the Spanish language. Although Sigma Pi Alpha is a
Chicana Latina organization by tradition, membership is open to all college females.
A sister of Sigma Pi Alpha is also known as an ELLA or a Sigma.
There is also the local sorority Sigma Pi Alpha that was founded in 1991 at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. This sorority is not Chicana/Latina based and has no association with the other.
Purpose
The letters worn by sisters represent their sisterhood, their commitment to each other, and their goals. Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority, Inc. is a sisterhood of academic and personal support, trust, and understanding. Their top priority is to promote higher education in not just Latina women but in their communities as a whole.
Goals
1. To enhance Chicana/Latina heritage within the
sorority.
2. To be involved within campus and our
communities.
3. To promote higher education in future
generations.
4. To address academics, sisterhood, and personal
and individual needs.
5. To create a sisterhood in which we can
communicate and express ourselves with trust and
security.
6. To form a sisterhood where we can receive
support and a commitment that will last a lifetime.
7. To follow a code of conduct representative to us as
a sorority and as Chicana/Latina women.
Chapters
Undergraduate Chapters
Undergraduate chapters are present at the following schools
Sigma Pi Alpha Website
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References
External links
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{{Fraternities and Sororities , collapsed
Student organizations established in 1996
Student societies in the United States
Hispanic and Latino organizations
Latino fraternities and sororities
1996 establishments in California