Experiences of minority students in greek life
 

Hi Everybody,

I'm a grad student in a College Student Affairs program and I'm currently working on a project about minority experiences in greek life. If some of you could give me your perspective on your experiences, I would really appreciate it.:)

If you are a minority:
-Did you join a predominantly white organization or one aimed toward minorities, and why?
-Before you joined, did you assume that you'd feel more comfortable in an organization that was not predominantly white?

If you are white:
-If your organization is mostly white, what are your thoughts on why more minorities don't rush your organization?

In general, what do you think that some strengths of greek letter organizations that typically consist of minority students have that predominantly white GLOs might not be able to provide for minority students?

Is it safe to say that students of any race can typically feel comfortable rushing any kind of Greek organization at your school?


I'm familiar with Greek Life so I know that many of these questions vary from person to person, but I'd love to get a variety of opinions. Feel free to chime in on your thoughts on minorities in your school's greek life in general, too. Also, if you could include the type of school you attend(ed) (e.g., small private school, large public southern school, etc)it would be much appreciated! Thanks so much!

I think the reality is whenever you have a majority versus a minority, it is natural for the minority to "band together". I am not talking just race, but religion, sexual preference, whatever. Because you are NOT in the majority, your rights are not always preservered. Therefore, as they say, strength in numbers.

I mean, it is natural for humans to divide themselves into groups. I went to a forum on the Black Diaspora in Latin America. One guy, who is Puerto Rican, is very white. When in the US, he identifies with other Puerto Ricans b/c they all share a similar heritage. When he goes home, he identifies with a smaller group, and not everyone. So, it's all relative.

And as to white people being accepted into non-white greeks, it happens. I myself am white and I am in an Asian Fraternity. I have a friend who is also white, and he is in Phi Beta Sigma, one of the Divine 9. It is not uncommon, and you are accepted. Once you join that organization, you are a brother or sister, respectively, and HOPEFULLY, that will transcend race, religion, etc.

I do know that Alpha Epsilon Pi has a National policy of only allowing Jewish people(correct me if I am wrong). However, certain chapters go against that policy(like Emory for example).

Frankly, people looked at me a bid when I first started hanging out with non white people, but you know what? Once the initial ice is broken and people see who you are, I personally have felt very little to almost none animosity.

Maybe it is because it is people of the majority showing interest in something that is NOT in the majority????

Ok, that's my opinion. :)

Yes, that is VERY VERY wrong. If you're not sure of a policy please don't pass on the information.

No NPC sorority or NIC fraternity has ANY policy of only allowing certain ethnic or religious groups to join.

Personally I'd say that it is:
a) part of the culture of the campus - apathetic and ill-informed - not many people of any culture rush on campus.
b) there is an unfortunate stereotypical hold-over from decades past that GLOs are seen as a rich, "white" thing on campus - thus creating a further barrier in recruitment that must be overcome by the GLOs, and by interested rush.
c) competition with cultural or ethnic interest groups that have their own social and academic programs.
d) comfort level - some people (particularly if there is a language issue) only feel comfortable associating with their own social group - this goes for the rush and the people doing the rush.

Quote:

In general, what do you think that some strengths of greek letter organizations that typically consist of minority students have that predominantly white GLOs might not be able to provide for minority students?

Sheer diversity for one - the ability to approach issues and with various viewpoints or experiences that could be lost in a org. that is predominatly of one "ethnicity". Most importantly an ability to educate everyone in the org. about each other's concerns, aspirations, and culture - which is benificial to all concerned.

Quote:

Is it safe to say that students of any race can typically feel comfortable rushing any kind of Greek organization at your school?

In theory yes - but in practice no.

There is an incredible diversity of ethnic, cultural, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds of current members in the GLOs on campus - but the perception still exists amongst students that GLOs are the domain of the 'WASP' segment of society; overcoming this perception is always the first step in recruiting anyone who identifies themselves as a "minority"

Quote:

I'm familiar with Greek Life so I know that many of these questions vary from person to person, but I'd love to get a variety of opinions. Feel free to chime in on your thoughts on minorities in your school's greek life in general, too. Also, if you could include the type of school you attend(ed) (e.g., small private school, large public southern school, etc)it would be much appreciated! Thanks so much!

Largest post-secondary school in Canada - aprox. 70000 students (grad and undergrad).

Greek population: around 0.1% (best guess based on average chapter size)
17 Fraternities & 7 Sororities
http://www.canadiangreeks.com/directory/uoft.html

Pretty much anything demographic-wise you'd ever wnat to know about the school:
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/facts/

From AEPi.org: "Alpha Epsilon Pi is a Jewish fraternity, though non-discriminatory and open to all who are willing to espouse its purpose and values."

There are also whole chapters that don't have a single Jewish brother, although that's not the case for the majority of chapters.

Certain GLOs emphasize Christianity and have crosses in their coat of arms or Christianity in their ritual. Heck ATO operates a "prayer web". This is no different than having a Jewish fraternity or sorority.

We don't have a national policy of discrimination at all or ever. Many years ago, many national fraternities did have "clauses" of the such against non-Christians and non-whites and I talked about some of them a while back in a thread on Jewish houses.

-Rudey

Re: Experiences of minority students in greek life
 

I went to a pretty big state school. While I was an active, my chapter had two black girls, and several Indian and Asian girls. If I'm not mistaken, we were one of the more "diverse" chapters on campus at the time.

During formal recruitment, I never noticed any black rushees, although there were quite a few (for Kentucky) Indians and Asians. Our black members joined through COB. I'm not really sure why this is; it's just the way it was. Nobody really questioned it. I guess it's just the culture of the school. Also, we do have several NPHC organzations, so perhaps black rushees naturally gravitate towards those as opposed to "traditionally white" groups for the same reason as I was drawn to an NPC group--you sort of go where people are most like you.

To the original poster:

Where do you go to school, and are you a member of a greek letter organzation yourself? The reason I ask is because I personally have encountered many grad students working on greek life projects who are intentionally seeking to make broad negative generalizations about greeks, especially with regard to racial and ethnic relations. I'm not accusing you of this, but it does happen often. You might get a greater response if you offer up some information about yourself as well as the purpose for your project and line of questioning. Are you working on a thesis? If so, what specifically are you researching with regard to minority experiences in greek life?

I wouldn't use comments from this site as quilified for professional or academic work. For all you know, I could be a 10 year old in Mongolia or a 50 year old convict. :D

Is your name Alexandra?
 

I hate the word 'minority'.

I'm just waiting for the day when we'll get rid of that word once and for all.

^ I feel yah!

No problem. I'm a first-year M. Ed. College Student Affairs student at Azusa Pacific University. The project is for my Diversity in College Student Affairs class; our assignment is to design a workshop on a diversity topic. I want to present a mock "workshop" on what can be done to help eliminate racial tension or promote diversity in Greek Life. So no, it's not a thesis. I just want to present a workshop on diversity in Greek Life because it's interesting to me.

I was not in a sorority when I was an undergrad, but I have many friends who were and I went through rush myself. The purpose of my questions is not to "expose" what Greek Life "really is", but just to examine what might make Greek Life more welcoming to all students. (Not a study to see what can be done to get more non-whites to rush predominantly white GLOs, but just to present diversity issues in Greek Life in general).

I'm not attempting to present Greek Life in a negative way at all, but I do want to get a grasp on some of the racial tensions that occur in some organizations in some schools.

Hope that makes sense. :)

Thanks for sharing this info. :)

Re: Is your name Alexandra?
 

For what?

Sorry about that mis-statement. I was told that information by someone who is heavily involved with AEPi. Sorry again.

Oh, I got to The George Washington University, which is about 10,000 undergrat and about 75%white.

I joined a multi-cultural sorority.

I was born and raised in predominantly white neighborhoods, went to schools of that sort, and always had, and still have, predominantly white friends. Nothing wrong with that...my boyfriends Italian...gotta love it.:D

I always tended to have a mix of cultures in my friends as I got older because I was introduced to a mixed population at my middle schools and high school. I love the diversity and the different views.

When I came to college all I saw and knew about was the predominantly white sororities, the one striking to me most was Chi Omega. The chapter here at school is very diverse and outgoing and I liked that about them very much. But in time, school became my priority and the social aspect of a sorority dwindled. So did the fact of $7-800 a semester. Financially I just couldnt even think about it, and mommy and daddy (one noly having been partly in the Army and my mother coming from a community college) didn't understand the concept of Greek Life, nor would they fund it for me.

In time my friend was going to pledge Lambda Theta Phi-2 of his brothers were already in the group, and both were dating sisters of Lambda Psi Delta Sorority-so he pushed me towards them. I had met the sisters prior to my first meeting as in Interest, but it never dawned on me until I reunited with them. The group of Sisters and Interests there was so diverse and off the hook that I couldn't even think of any other group. I had found my niche. I stayed with this group because they were reasonable. Also because one of the interests had joined a predominantly white org. and she was booted out and de-lettered after she could not keep up with the financial aspect of it. (Not to say all white org's are like this, but I've heard many shady aspects of the ones here on campus doing somewhat the same thing)

Lambda Psi Delta is about sisters for life. You never lose the sisterhood, you never lose your letters, or your dignity. Financial or not, Active or not, the sorority always caters to you somehow and will always be a prt of you. Thats what I love about this sisterhood the most....just that..the sisterhood...on top of the aspect of its 5 tenets: Intellectual Development, Empowerment of Women, Leadership, Cultural Awareness, Upliftment of the Community.

Which is another reason why OFFICIAL sources of information are important. This often means nationally sponsored sources of information beyond individual members' accounts.

For some blacks on our campus, there's enormous pressure to join HBGLO's vs. groups such as mine. I say some because it seems it depends on what social groups they move in. Those that live in one particular dorm seem to feel that pressure more than others because many BHGLO members also reside there.

One of the guys I went to school with would have probably joined Sigma Nu, however, he told me he couldn't. He had mentioned it to his friends, and they told him that if he didn't go with an HBGLO, they wouldn't be friends anymore -- in other words, he would potentially be ostracized -- something he wasn't yet ready to do.

On the other hand, we have minority members in our chapter who had no such pressures.

My organization doesn't really have any "minority" (arg i hate that term) members. I don't think it is so much my organization as the campus environment itself...that's not to say that my sisters and I shouldn't push harder for diversity and be more open to it, but I'm saying that the campus itself needs to open itself up to minority students in organizations. Several of the AASU members I've met say that they'd love for white students to come to their meetings, but no one does because they think it is "members only". Groups on campus, especially this year, have been accepting increasingly more diverse memberships, which is exciting. At the same time, the numbers of visible NPHC members is increasing as well (just yesterday I saw 2 AKA's, a DST and an Omega Psi Phi.). I really wish I had a solution to encourage more minority students to rush both the locals here and the NPHC chapters we have, and a way to increase relations between the two systems.

Some friends...:eek:

Re: Experiences of minority students in greek life
 

1.) to answer the first question:

When I Transfer to Cleveland State University, I'd make sure I check out all the Fraternities( Both NIC & NPHC) that was campus and get all the information I needed before I made my choice.

2.) The Greek System is still a work in progress but it's much better now. The Department of Greek Life continues to promote the many oppurtunities greek organizations has to offer to the Students.

What's wrong with the word minority? Is is the use of the word that you dislike or is is the concepts of minority vs. majority that bothers you?

Thanks!
 

I just wanted to thank everyone who answered my questions or offered their opinions on the topic. My presentation workshop was last night and my class was interested in learning more about greek life since none of us were in GLOs when we were undergrads. My professor also liked learning about GreekChat since she's a Delta Sigma Theta and now she can connect with some sisters if she wants to. :) Thanks again!

Re: Thanks!
 

I guess a little of both. I think that sometimes people use the word minority to refer to a position of inferiority, and I don't think that the two are related.

It refers to relative size of the population and most importantly relative power. If inferiority mean "less power than the majority," ignoring that there is a minority and a majority is painting an unrealistic, Utopian picture of this society.

UGH I don't like being referred as anything that has the word "minor" in it. That also includes "minor" as in underage.

What would you suggest?