Thoughts on minorities in NPHC
 

This question has been irking me for a while. It's clearly stated that NPHC organizations are equal opportunity. How does that statement hold in collegiate chapters?

There are articles that address issues and the history of minority joining with a focus on Latinos and whites. Clearly there remains some negative sediment torwards whites joining college chapters and Latinos are becoming more involved as time progress. I really haven't seen much on asians. What lingers in my mind is the possibility of discrimination still existing. Is it common? Any thoughts?

I've known and met all kinds of Brothers who fit the "minority" label:

gay
bi
Muslim
Santeria-practicing
white (lots of white bros!)
South Asian/Middle Eastern
East Asian
Latino

It mostly will depend on the chapter if there is any discrimination on those factors, but so far, I've only known of one chapter that did.

Just as a sidenote, I know of a couple of Asian Deltas.

To actually answer the question, I think it really just depends on the culture of the campus/region and the attitudes of the individuals in the chapter. I don't think that collegiate vs. alumnae/grad is going to make too big a difference in this.

there is a reason why folx be calling SGRho "the UN"

i've met sorors with all sorts of backgrounds, white and Latina included - and that's on the undergraduate level. of course that affects graduate membership cause... because well, undergraduate members at some point become graduate members.

ETA: realized i didnt answer the question...

while i do not agree with having negative sentiments towards non-AA people who are interested in AA organizations, im sure it happens, on an INDIVIDUAL basis. i cant speak for whole chapters and organizations, not even mine. but i do agree with questioning the intent, whether it is subconscious or not. i would imagine members of predominately white orgs (sorry, i really dont like using Caucasian) do the same when approached by a non-white interested member.

i dont have friends or associates even who are part of said white orgs, so i can't give any concrete examples. but i do give room for people to question why people of other backgrounds have that desire to join. of course everything is case by case basis, so what i would decide for one non-AA interest is more than likely going to be different than the next decision for the next non-AA.

Whites termed as a minority does not compute here in the US. If you mean other people of color than African American then that is what you shoud say--people of color.

Delta does not discriminate against non-African Americans. I have met many sorors of all races and ethnicities. Some had noble and valid reasons for persuing, others did not. I had a White line sister. Unfortunately when she and her Omega boyfriend broke up she was no longer interest in Delta and dropped line. But this happens with African American women, too. So I look at each one on an individual basis.

I will say from my experience that there is not, in the Midwest at least, any questioning of motives when a minority goes through recruitment. On our campus the NPHC groups were not very prominent (city wide chapter, met off campus, etc.) and many of the NPC girls were not very aware of them. They really weren't looking at a black, indian, asian, etc PNM and wondering why they'd want to join, because we do believe our membership is open to all.

And I believe this extends to the individual members of the majority of our chapters as well. Particularly if they grew up without learning about LGLOs, AGLOS or the NPHC, then they're not really aware of them until college, if then.

This of course is not always the case as prejudices do exist, but I believe that this is the rule rather than the exception.

(Sorry for the crash and the novel)

Of course, intellectually we *should* know why it is wrong to discriminate against a white, Asian or Latino/a person wishing to join an NPHC organization but I have always wondered if the reason why the few non-AAs that do join the NPHC catch so much hell because AAs are protective of our organizations?:confused:

I know that at the school where I'm a professor, the number of black students is really small and of that number only about half would have the interest and qualifications to pledge a fraternity or sorority. Add to the fact that there are multicultural GLOs growing by leaps and bounds. So it stands to reason that NPHC orgs will have to eventually branch out and try to more actively recruit non-AAs (even though none of us bar non-AAs from joining in the first place). But when our grad chapter began tossing this idea of "branching" out to our undergrads, you could tell there was resistance. I think the undergrads geniunely feared that if too many non-AAs joined the group then some of our traditions as a black organization (i.e. stepping, community service, membership for life, etc) would somehow get lost. I also think that our undergrads feel like our orgs should be a "safe haven" from the wider society (and university) that generally isn't accepting of black life and culture. Trying to explain to these undergrads that times have changed and that our traditions are solid regardless of the race of a few members was difficult. Yet, one of our other local area undergrad chapters recently had a Korean young lady become a member of SGRho. I think it all has to do with the culture of the individual members of the chapter.

As for questioning the motivations of non-AAs trying to join NPHC orgs, I think we should closely scruntize folks regardless of these race. In all of our orgs. we have a great deal of member attrition and reclamation is especially challenging. When someone is 19, 20, or 21, it is hard to determine their level of commitment to the org. over the long haul, regardless of their race. I've known folks in just about all of the NPHC orgs who could barely remember the last time they were active with their org. I think the best we can do is use their qualifications and our interactions with folks in the pre-intake phase to the organization to determine fit and their level of commitment.

Just my thoughts,
PhDiva

^^^^ Interesting that you listed stepping first in the list of traditions.

Could it be said then that such desires to uphold traditions are prohibiting success in progressive moments? From how I see it, NPHC organizations have great potential to revolutionize the way life is lived and preceived. There are so many teens that can benefit from the programs such as GEMS. Then there are still hundreds of thousands who are ignorant of blights around the world. NPHC organizations have the ability to change all of this and more.

At least in this region, it seems as if these organizations have become more of a social group rather than a team of dedicated men and women who are obligated to continue the fight their forefathers began. I just find it strange that some of those who do join did so superficial intentions... Maybe these statements are more idealistic than realistic. Perhaps I have misunderstood the history of many of the fraternities and sororities.

PhDiva's statements have made me realize that I more than likely misunderstood the purpose of NPHC organizations. This country has a hard time treating everyone as equals. So NPHC organizations are more of a safe haven rather than a force? I just assumed that ideals each organization is based on had some greater meaning (love for all, uplift, involvement in social revolutions, ect, ect).

(Sorry if I have offended anyone)

I'm offended. I have a hard time paying attention to anyone speaking on things that they don't know about. :rolleyes:

Since when have these functions been mutually exclusive??

You sound like a relatively smart girl, so I'm sure you realized that what you said would be offensive.

I was speaking out of fustration. What I had said previously had little to do with the topic originally addressed. I know a several of the organizations over here can do more in the service sector. I shouldn't have put down the whole group. I was eagerly waiting for another Deborah Wolfe or Dorothy Height. Amidst my niavete, I failed to recognize thousands of women who are contributing to the community in some form. Even the smallest contribution will revolutionize the way people live. Again, I apologize. I shouldn't have applied this specific situation (again, what is going on around here) to all the others.

This wasn't what I was suggesting or intimating when I spoke of some resistance to let non-AAs into NPHC organizations. NPHC have been at the forefront of progressive moments and movement from their inception. Having non-AAs members will not make or break the NPHC. The OP was trying to figure out if our orgs. do not prohibit non-AAs from being members, why is there some resistance at the local level. I simply gave an example of what I think may cause some of the resistance to non-AAs joining NPHC orgs.

it takes more than some random person with an opinion to offend me. but i think maybe youre in the wrong place at the wrong time? i can imagine if you are not within the BGLO lifestyle or in a community where they are active, you will not see as much of our orgs in action in the community. and trust, we have in many ways, "revolutionize[d] the way life is lived and preceived." again, wrong place and time?

and again, maybe on the LOCAL level it APPEARS to you that our orgs are social, but again, unless you are scoping us 24/7, youre not going to get the 100% gist of how we get down. of course, this is where "membership has priveledges" comes in - you really wont get the big picture until youre on the other side.

until then, do some research. and then do some MORE research.

Well, it's different everywhere so I'll try not to use blanket statements. I think many of us are graduate members, where the dedication to the ideals has waned is in the undergraduate sector. (Hear me out before you jump down my throat)

I am actually a recent graduate. I still hang around many of my undergraduate brethren and other undergraduate greeks. I never hear, "Damn that was a great community service function yesterday. We really helped those people." I do hear, "That was a crunk @$$ party last night." or "There was too many women out there cuzz!"

I know of very few chapters that are doing GREAT in the community service department. (Auburn's Kappas have completely changed a community, The Deltas at Tuskegee are totally about their business.) For the most part, I hear people arguing over stepshows and fighting over percieved disrespect.

At the graduate level I don't see that. A lot of the younger grad members (24-40) are gung ho about going into the community and uplifted what could be considered "downtrodden humanity" but alot of the older members are simply focused on money. So, since they're older we tend to defer to them on a number of issues.

These are just my observations...Maybe it's different where you are but down here....*sigh* never mind.