Quote:
Originally Posted by L.O.C.K.
nwu43,
I wouldn't make assumptions about the reasons why certain organizations were founded.
Even within the Asian American Greek community, there are many organizations that were founded for different reasons.
Pi Alpha Phi was founded b/c Chinese Americans were banned from joining White Greek orgs.
Chi Alpha Delta was founded b/c Japanese American women couldn't join White Greek orgs.
Sigma Phi Omega was founded in response to the heavy anti-Japanese sentiment in California following World War II.
Pi Delta Psi was founded to create an organization that would strengthen the Asian American community as well as advocate for the needs of Asian Americans and create a "unified" force.
I'm sure every organization has a slightly different reason...although many of the newer organizations (post 1980) all have very similar foundations.
As for LPhiE being 60% white at Kansas, that isn't the norm across all Asian American Greeks.
Out of all of our chapters, the most diverse is UC Riverside - they have three Mexican American brothers, 2 white brothers, and one South Asian brother.
However, most chapters have 2 max of people of outside cultures/ethnicities. Is this bad? No. The organization is Asian-interest, and because of the strong ties to culture and the community, inevitably the pool of people we pull from is mostly Asian American.
Nationally, we are about 95% East/Southeast Asian. Possibly higher.
Sigma Beta Rho, a South Asian based multicultural fraternity, is only about 60% South Asian now.
What I am trying to say is every organization is different, and LPhiE, nor PDPsi or any other organization, "represents" Asian American Greek life.
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Um, I never said anything about our "founding" "reasons". I simply said there are other unique ways that ethnic Greeks can attract people compared to mainstream Greeks (I didn't say we're NOT about representing Asian interest... or I'd be a bit unfair to all lambdas who have put in so much effort into our national philanthropy, the minority bone marrow drive).
I guess I oversimplified and made a slip when I said "this is why we have chapters in California because we're not all about meeting the social needs of Asians". I meant to say that the idea of a tight brotherhood is part of/one of many reason(s) why some Asians in a predominantly Asian population would want to join an Asian Greek organization. I don't think that conflicts with our roles in promoting Asian awareness or strengthening Asian-American voice or advancing Asian interest as a whole
