I find this particular thread interesting. I'm the secretary of a new local sorority at my university, whose motto is 'United in Diversity'. Some of us rushed, were even offered bids, but we dissatisfied when we didn't find what we were looking for in the sororities on campus.
I attend a university outside of Baltimore w/ a high commuter population. We're constantly reminded that TU is consistently included on Playboy's top 10 list of colleges with the hottest girls. I personally get sick and tired of feeling intimidated by bleach-blonde girls with lots of makeup that I can't relate to. Not to say that they aren't great people, but I am nothing like them. And I didn't like feeling that if I can't be like them, I wasn't what their sorority was looking for.
Biologically, I am 1/2 Middle-Eastern/North African (Tunisia). My mother is white. My step/adoptive father is Japanese. My siblings are 1/2 Japanese. I was raised 'upper middle class white'. I grew up in a suburban New England where for the most part, everyone -- including 'minorities' "acts and talks white".
I would love to say that I'm not prejudiced at all. But we all are. I don't see people of color as anything but people when they talk, act, and think in a way that is consistent with how and where I was brought up. But I will admit that I do see people who perpetuate stereotypes as a color.
I lived in Baltimore City for a few months with an African-American woman my age who I did not relate to at all. She wasn't in school, her mother had never been married, many of her friends had children. How she grew up made my family look like billionaires.
At first I was all excited about what a great experience it would be for me. We even got along incredibly well at first. But as time went on, the socio-economic rift between us became glaringly obvious. Communication was almost impossible, and the whole situation was very uncomfortable. Which was disappointing... I like to think that everyone truly is equal and can get along, but it's not so simple as that ideal.
My point is this: someone made the point that the #1 motive for pledging a particular sorority should be that you feel comfortable there. I agree. I hate to make this a racial issue, but it kind of is. For example: a woman of African descent who grew up in a predominantly white area will most likely feel the more comfortable in a predominantly white sorority.
My organization is an infant in Greek-dom. We are really trying to affiliate with a national in the next year or so, and have a particular one in mind. Our 2000-2001 recruitment is going to be intensive all across campus, but we are making special efforts to advertise is the Black Student Union and Office of Diversity Resources.
Why? Well, there are 2 'historically black colleges' in the immediate area. We do have 7 NPHC GLO's on campus, and I'm sure that many of the African-American students on campus who are interested in Greek Life are happy with them. But it's quite possible that there are some who feel limited by and to the NPHC orgs. It's HIGHLY uncommon for blacks to rush the 'white' fraternities and sororities on our campus, because the university climate tends to restrict those to 'Barbie and Ken' types. We're trying to do something different.
I'm going to be real with all of you and tell you this: My sorority is down to 5 sisters. We are the Alpha class. At one point, we were up to 12 members, but there were commitment issues. It seemed that some of our recruitees only wanted to wear letters w/o having to go through rush or doing any work. They didn't want to participate except when they felt like it, and ended up dropping out fairly quickly. It's frustrating. We have many obstacles. And I might have dropped out too, if I didn't believe so strongly in what myself and my sisters are trying to do.
One thing that really impresses me is that of the 5, there is myself (Catholic from a suburban Epcot center), two Caucasian women (Protestant, I think), an Indian/Hindu woman, and a Thai woman. Yet we are very close, have fun, and work well together. It's like home for me. And living 500 miles from my actual home, where I have lost touch with most of my high school friends and only have the opportunity to visit my family once a year, it's just what I need.
You can check out Theta Sig's site at
http://www.geocities.com/thetasigmaalpha.
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Amanda M.
Secretary/Social Chair
Theta Sigma Alpha,Towson University