Latino Greek Letter Organizations

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by soul_anna4

Maybe someone from MSU can elighten us because I also question the Latino fraternity ties they have, their Spanish motto, and their Spanish founding mothers. In fact, I also see that "multicultural sorority" is not in their official name (Lambda Tau Omega is guilty of this as well), although some local chapters tend to say it does.

Just to add my 4 cents...I believe that national recognition of multicultural status is EXTREMELY important. To me, a true multicultural organization must be deemed so by their national board and not have any affiliations (currently or in the past) to any specific cultures. Programming, membership, and all other efforts must focus on some aspect of multiculturalism, whether it be education of cultures, breaking stereotypes, etc.

I believe that Mu Sigma Upsilon is multicultural without being overbearingly so.

I know many members and I'm familiar with their programming. I think of a Spanish motto for a multicultural sorority is tantamount to a Latin or Greek motto for a more traditional sorority. Why use a foreign language at all? Perhaps the founders (or whoever coined the motto) wanted to look at sorority life with a different lens. Perhaps it could have been Swahili or Chinese instead. To me, it still would have worked because it is a multicultural organization.

I don't know, it just seems like folks are going another direction with this....

[Aduladi]

Originally Posted by soul_anna4

Just to add my 4 cents...I believe that national recognition of multicultural status is EXTREMELY important. To me, a true multicultural organization must be deemed so by their national board and not have any affiliations (currently or in the past) to any specific cultures. Programming, membership, and all other efforts must focus on some aspect of multiculturalism, whether it be education of cultures, breaking stereotypes, etc.

Well said. I've often felt the same way. However, knowing a little about the expansion of Latin Greeks I know that when many of them were founded, they were often considered multicultural by their campuses because they represented a portion of the community that had not previosuly been represented culturally in the Greek world. I guess at this point, it is confusing for aspirants who are looking for a true multicultural organization but find GLO's that focus on one cultural tradition.

[poeticace]

I am not at all a member of MSU nor claim to be an expert on the matter, but from what I've heard... some of the confusion may arise because on their ORIGINAL founding, they were a Latina sorority. They later (from what I gather very quickly) changed to a multicultural organization. Why or how this transition occurred? I don't honestly know. Nevertheless, they are still the first multicultural sorority in the nation.

Keep in mind, I went to school at the "motherland" of MSU, LSU, OPC, and quite a few others... so the talk around here may not be so off base.

[Ch2tf]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I believe that Mu Sigma Upsilon is multicultural without being overbearingly so. I don't know, it just seems like folks are going another direction with this....

I don't want to make any assumptions about what you're saying, so can you elaborate for me?

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by soul_anna4

To me, a true multicultural organization must be deemed so by their national board and not have any affiliations (currently or in the past) to any specific cultures. Programming, membership, and all other efforts must focus on some aspect of multiculturalism, whether it be education of cultures, breaking stereotypes, etc.

I agree with you. Very well put.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

I don't want to make any assumptions about what you're saying, so can you elaborate for me?

An organization doesn't have to have "multicultural" in the title for it to be multicultural enough..... It just sounds like people are getting into a pissing match about which orgs are "multicultural enough." A while back I thought there was a concensus on what an MCGLO was -- a GLO that is multicultural by design and not just by circumstance.

MSU, for example has multicultural programming, traditions, and history -- and they happen to have a bond with a Latino fraternity. I don't see what the big deal is.

You don't have to put the MULTICULTURAL rubber stamp on every single thing you do to be legitimate. Alpha doesn't put a black stamp on everything and we're no less a black fraternity.

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

You don't have to put the MULTICULTURAL rubber stamp on every single thing you do to be legitimate. Alpha doesn't put a black stamp on everything and we're no less a black fraternity.

But your organization also doesn't "flip/flop" between calling itself an African American fraternity and a Multicultural fraternity. I think this is where the controversy lies within the LGLO and MCGLO community.

Perhaps some of the LGLOs and MCGLOs are experiencing an "identity crisis" as they grow (not saying this in a sarcastic way, that's just the best way I can describe it). It's really unfair to aspirants who are searching for the organization they wish to pursue, and unfair to members who joined under a focus that may be completely different now.

[Senusret I]

I understand.

[ZChi4Life]

Originally Posted by LatinaAlumna

But your organization also doesn't "flip/flop" between calling itself an African American fraternity and a Multicultural fraternity. I think this is where the controversy lies within the LGLO and MCGLO community. Exactly!

Perhaps some of the LGLOs and MCGLOs are experiencing an "identity crisis" as they grow (not saying this in a sarcastic way, that's just the best way I can describe it). It's really unfair to aspirants who are searching for the organization they wish to pursue, and unfair to members who joined under a focus that may be completely different now.

I totally understand what you're saying here. And I can see it as an identity crisis, but I can also see some are trying to figure out their niche on their campuses. In the latter case, this issue seems to stem from individual chapters, rather than from the national governing body. I suspect that some orgs' national boards don't even know about the flip-flopping (one org in particular has 50+ chapters, so I'm sure they can't keep track of how each chapter presents itself at every given moment).

I don't have a problem with an org changing from being LGLO, AGLO, etc to being MCGLO (by design), but it should be done from a national scope. Like LatinaAlumna stated, it can be unfair to interests and members in the long run.

[Ch2tf]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

An organization doesn't have to have "multicultural" in the title for it to be multicultural enough..... It just sounds like people are getting into a pissing match about which orgs are "multicultural enough." A while back I thought there was a concensus on what an MCGLO was -- a GLO that is multicultural by design and not just by circumstance.

MSU, for example has multicultural programming, traditions, and history -- and they happen to have a bond with a Latino fraternity. I don't see what the big deal is.

You don't have to put the MULTICULTURAL rubber stamp on every single thing you do to be legitimate. Alpha doesn't put a black stamp on everything and we're no less a black fraternity.

I see where you're coming from. With Mu Sigma Upsilon I think the intrigue/doubt/suspect,or whatever you want to call it, about their MC "by design" status comes from the "spanish" motto and formal ties with a Latino fraternity.

[MSU3CelticSpr06]

The founding mothers of Mu Sigma Upsilon decided on "Mujeres Siempre Unidas" because they wanted to stress unity among all women while sticking to the acronym "MSU".

And what's wrong with having 5 founding mothers of Latina descent? They happened to be multiculturally minded. Even though we have many Latina sisters in my organization, we have sisters from many other cultures around the world in my sorority as well.

As far as the ties to Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. yes they are our brothers and yes the organization is Latino-based and not Latino exclusive. And as far as telling you how we have ties to that org. I can't tell you that b/c that was something that I learned during my process.

[MSU3CelticSpr06]

Originally Posted by poeticace

I am not at all a member of MSU nor claim to be an expert on the matter, but from what I've heard... some of the confusion may arise because on their ORIGINAL founding, they were a Latina sorority. They later (from what I gather very quickly) changed to a multicultural organization. Why or how this transition occurred? I don't honestly know. Nevertheless, they are still the first multicultural sorority in the nation.

Sooooooooooo not true @ all...we were NEVER a Latina sorority and we have been a MULTICULTURAL organization since our founding date of 11/21/1981.

[Ch2tf]

Originally Posted by MSU3CelticSpr06

As far as the ties to Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. yes they are our brothers and yes the organization is Latino-based and Latino exclusive. And as far as telling you how we have ties to that org. I can't tell you that b/c that was something that I learned during my process.

I don't want to know ties to LSU, nor did I ever expect to get a response telling me the ties between the two organizations as it is pretty well assumed that is information for members of the two organizations only. My response to Senusret was simply stating what I've heard from other people about the topic.

Question though, when you called LSU latino exclusive, what exactly do you mean?

[MSU3CelticSpr06]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

An organization doesn't have to have "multicultural" in the title for it to be multicultural enough..... It just sounds like people are getting into a pissing match about which orgs are "multicultural enough." A while back I thought there was a concensus on what an MCGLO was -- a GLO that is multicultural by design and not just by circumstance.

MSU, for example has multicultural programming, traditions, and history -- and they happen to have a bond with a Latino fraternity. I don't see what the big deal is.

You don't have to put the MULTICULTURAL rubber stamp on every single thing you do to be legitimate. Alpha doesn't put a black stamp on everything and we're no less a black fraternity.

Amen...I don't see the big deal with us being tied to a Latino-based fraternity. LSU is just as diverse as my organization. Hell, in my semester alone spring 2006 I had line brothers from just about every ethnicity: from Indian to Irish to Italian to Vietnamese and black as well...just to name a few.

[ZChi4Life]

Originally Posted by MSU3CelticSpr06

The founding mothers of Mu Sigma Upsilon decided on "Mujeres Siempre Unidas" because they wanted to stress unity among all women while sticking to the acronym "MSU".

And what's wrong with having 5 founding mothers of Latina descent? They happened to be multiculturally minded. Even though we have many Latina sisters in my organization, we have sisters from many other cultures around the world in my sorority as well.

As far as the ties to Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. yes they are our brothers and yes the organization is Latino-based and Latino exclusive. And as far as telling you how we have ties to that org. I can't tell you that b/c that was something that I learned during my process.

Re: MSU's motto-that makes sense (that's pretty cool, actually).

And there's absolutely nothing wrong w/ having 5 Latina founders at all! Out of my eight sorority founders, 7 are Latina So I feel you on being "multiculturally minded".