What do people think about ethnic GLOs

[jubilance1922]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

Compared to several which are over 250 years old, yeah it's new. A chapter founded a century ago at many southern campuses is considered new row.

By traditionally southern fraternities, I mean fraternities who don't do step shows and take pride in the social aspect rather than the philanthropic aspect. Furthermore, fraternities who have usually had houses for over a hundred years and so on. I can go in great detail, but I don't think it's necessary to enumerate.

It is not important for these fraternities to be founded in the south (See: DKE at Alabama), but it is important for them to consider traditional southern values as important.

I don't care about "traditional" or "southern" fraternities. The only orgs I care about are all members of the NPHC.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by jubilance1922

I don't care about "traditional" or "southern" fraternities. The only orgs I care about are all members of the NPHC.

....okay?

Do you want a cookie for that? I only care about traditional southern fraternities. It doesn't really matter. You asked how I could consider BGLO's new and I told you why they are incredibly new.

[jubilance1922]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

....okay?

Do you want a cookie for that? I only care about traditional southern fraternities. It doesn't really matter. You asked how I could consider BGLO's new and I told you why they are incredibly new.

You're an idiot.

Do me a favor and put me on ignore. Please.

[Elephant Walk]

Okay I'll do this to you the same way I do every GreekChatter because they always back down and are always pathetic. How am I an idiot?

[jubilance1922]

I swear, I am so tired of the "ethnic GLO's are just reverse racism, blah blah blah" speech. Get a new tune people.

The FACTS are that in 1906 - 1922, NO NPC or IFC organization was open to non-White members. Most weren't even open to non-Christian White people. Obviously there was a need for organizations for African-Americans. In later years there was a need for organizations for Latinos and Asians.

Now it is 2006, and these organizations have been around for many years, and I seriously doubt that any organization is going to want to close up shop just because a few misguided people (who have no idea what these organizations do in the community or even their purpose) think that they should.

I personally think that everyone who is in the "Let's get rid of ethnic GLO's cause they cause separation!" club should go kick rocks.

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by jubilance1922

I swear, I am so tired of the "ethnic GLO's are just reverse racism, blah blah blah" speech. Get a new tune people.

The FACTS are that in 1906 - 1922, NO NPC or IFC organization was open to non-White members. Most weren't even open to non-Christian White people. Obviously there was a need for organizations for African-Americans. In later years there was a need for organizations for Latinos and Asians.

Now it is 2006, and these organizations have been around for many years, and I seriously doubt that any organization is going to want to close up shop just because a few misguided people (who have no idea what these organizations do in the community or even their purpose) think that they should.

I personally think that everyone who is in the "Let's get rid of ethnic GLO's cause they cause separation!" club should go kick rocks.

The way I see it, IFC/NPC orgs were founded with Christian whites (mostly Anglo-Saxon) in mind, and for the greater part of their history and development (and still today, the largest part of their membership) deals with that racial/ethnic group. They're as much "ethnic" orgs as any other, in that regard. No matter which group you choose, you're picking something with racial overtones. I don't understand why people somehow think that the IFC/NPC orgs are race and ethnicity neutral. White history is not neutral history, and historically white (yes, I said it ) GLOs are not racially neutral (even if their current policies are non-discriminatory - the GLOs everyone are labelling as ethnic also have these policies).

Not trying to step on any toes here, just stating the facts as I see them.

[BamaDad DZ]

With all due respect to the politically correct members of this forum, I find it hard to believe that race is not considered an issue with Greek fraternities and sororities on practically all US campuses. Among other memberships I've held in life, I joined Tau Epsilon Rho while in law school, an historically Jewish law fraternity, whose members include many Gentiles like myself. I understand that Tau Epsilon Rho is currently returning to its religious roots. This comes from the official Tau Epsilon Rho web-site:

Beginning with the mid-1950’s, Tau Epsilon Rho Law Fraternity welcomed into its membership every member of the legal profession, regardless of their race, religion, or gender. In 1985, the organization formally changed its name to Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society to more accurately represent its diverse membership and to promote group solidarity. In recent years, TAU EPSILON RHO has made a conscious decision to reemphasize our Jewish roots, and to promote our particular moral and ethical standards as they relate to the legal profession and our personal lives. While TAU EPSILON RHO remains strongly committed to the principles of inclusion and equality, which were our founding ideals, we believe that these religious imperatives also enforce the proper, highest moral aspirations of attorneys and judges throughout the nation.

Under this philosophy, I would be less likely to join today. I respect the religious ideals of Judaism as much as my own, but I feel the religious and racial emphasis on being Jewish becomes slightly more exclusionary. The same holds true for any (hypothetical) Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu or Islamic fraternity or sorority.

I understand this thread involves ethnic Greek organizations, but I cannot help but think that religious affiliation bears a similar, perhaps overlapping, influence on membership issues. Under the theory of homophily, birds of a feather naturally flock together. Its not racist, just natural segregation. So long as people remain homophilous, separate ethnic and religious Greek organizations will likely endure, if permitted by law and social practice. Check out the following link for a brief discussion of homophily.

http://www.ciadvertising.org/SA/summ...;20Theory.html

I am not advocating one way or another with respect to ethnic or religious Greek structures. I am simply tossing a few thoughts into the forum,

Happy New Year!

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by jubilance1922

Now it is 2006, and these organizations have been around for many years, and I seriously doubt that any organization is going to want to close up shop just because a few misguided people (who have no idea what these organizations do in the community or even their purpose) think that they should.

I agree and our Founding principles are still salient as long as race, class, and gender are salient.

[daydreamer1112]

I don't really like the idea of ethnic GLOs. Having seperate fraternities and sororities for the seperate ethnicities creates additional seperation between races, and I think that's detrimental. At the same time, I do realize that many ethnic people are interested in joining ethnic GLOs because they don't believe they would be accepted and respected in traditional GLOs (and sometimes, this is true), they have a lot of pride in their race and want to show it, or they simply feel more comfortable with people who come from the same racial background as they do. So, in short, I can see how and why people might feel the desire to join ethnic GLOs, but I hope that at some point in the future we become colorblind enough as a society that those reasons are obsolete.

[jaynu]

Originally Posted by daydreamer1112

I don't really like the idea of ethnic GLOs. Having seperate fraternities and sororities for the seperate ethnicities creates additional seperation between races, and I think that's detrimental. At the same time, I do realize that many ethnic people are interested in joining ethnic GLOs because they don't believe they would be accepted and respected in traditional GLOs (and sometimes, this is true), they have a lot of pride in their race and want to show it, or they simply feel more comfortable with people who come from the same racial background as they do. So, in short, I can see how and why people might feel the desire to join ethnic GLOs, but I hope that at some point in the future we become colorblind enough as a society that those reasons are obsolete.

I don't think ethnic GLOs create additional racial separation, but rather create more cohesive ones within an ethnic culture. I would imagine that African Americans earlier last century needed to have their own brotherhood, or perhaps, didn't have a choice but to.

If it was easy to break racial boundaries, I think it would've happened already and these ethnic GLOs wouldn't be so popular as an alternative.

[ejay286]

Originally Posted by daydreamer1112

I don't really like the idea of ethnic GLOs. Having seperate fraternities and sororities for the seperate ethnicities creates additional seperation between races, and I think that's detrimental. At the same time, I do realize that many ethnic people are interested in joining ethnic GLOs because they don't believe they would be accepted and respected in traditional GLOs (and sometimes, this is true), they have a lot of pride in their race and want to show it, or they simply feel more comfortable with people who come from the same racial background as they do. So, in short, I can see how and why people might feel the desire to join ethnic GLOs, but I hope that at some point in the future we become colorblind enough as a society that those reasons are obsolete.

I highly doubt that blacks and other minorities join these groups because they feel they wouldn't get accepted. Its all about preference. Noone wants to join something they wont enjoy being a part of. For example, go to a predominately white frat party and it consists of lots of alcohol use coupled with lots of people standing around talking and random crazy things happening. Go to a predominately black frat party and there is usually very little alcohol with lots of dancing and strutting. Take a person from each party and switch them and they probably wouldn't enjoy themselves. I know partying is not the main reason for joining a greek organization but that is just one aspect that I thought of.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I think racially based GLOs make sense on some campuses, but needlessly divide students on others. At my school, in California, all the NPC/IFC groups were racially integrated anyway, so to add BGLO/AGLO/HGLO to the mix might have actually led to the NPC/IFC organizations becoming more white. From what southern GCers have said, though, these groups might have more of a basis/draw in the south or on other campuses.

[Elephant Walk]

Agreed with GPhi, not idiot above.

While the sororities are more accepting, to my knowledge we only have one ethnic GLO which is Gamma Eta the hispanic sorority (besides the BGLO's). However, I have been down to Texas and other SEC schools where I have seen the ethnic GLO's. The Gamma Eta's tend to function basically like the BGLO's on campus.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I think racially based GLOs make sense on some campuses, but needlessly divide students on others. At my school, in California, all the NPC/IFC groups were racially integrated anyway, so to add BGLO/AGLO/HGLO to the mix might have actually led to the NPC/IFC organizations becoming more white. From what southern GCers have said, though, these groups might have more of a basis/draw in the south or on other campuses.

But you are looking at it from the stand point of campus life. Because BGLOs continue to function after school there is a totally different reason for joining. The BGLOs are cultural institutions of the African American community, which is why the collegiate and alumnae membership processes are basically the same.

[Firehouse]

I envy this about the HBGLOs: whenever blacks gather, and it doesn't matter on what social level, if someone is introduced as, say, "an Alpha man", everyone in the room knows exactly what that means. All the black fraternities and sororities are known and admired throughout all levels of black society.

Black Greeks may have originated because blacks were not rushed by general fraternities and sororities, but they have successfully created their own organizations with their own unique culture, parallel to the "general interest" Greeks.

I think multi-cultural Greeks were founded, not because they were denied admission to the other groups, but because they wanted the same things the rest of us have and also to be around other minorities like themselves. In time they'll develop their own familiar profile and signatures.

One thing that would help the Multis is increasing their membership. Some of the chapters only have a few members. That doesn't attract attention or build prestige.