Sigma Lambda Upsilon () or Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-based

sorority Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...

founded on December 1, 1987 at

Binghamton University The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public research university with campuses in Binghamton, Vestal, and Johnson City, New York. It is one of the four university centers in the State ...

. The main archive URL i
The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage
The organization was created to promote academic achievement and serve the Latino community and the campuses that Sigma Lambda Upsilon serves. The sorority is now present in over 50 campuses. Though Latina-based, Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, Inc. is a non-discriminatory organization.

History

Origins

The sorority (like other Greek members within the

National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations The National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) is an umbrella council for 16 Latino Greek Letter Organizations (GLOs) established in 1998. The purpose of NALFO is to promote and foster positive interfraternal relations, commu ...

) was founded during the post-1975 phase of the Latino Greek Movement which followed the "principio" (principle) stage initially kickstarted in 1898 by student activism on college campuses. The "fuerza" (force) wave of Greek-lettered Latino organizations in the 1980s would then begin as the result of many Latino students feeling they had to create a more favorable system of American higher education for Latino population witin the country. This would be a much talked about issue during the time for social justice activists within the community as a result of the stagnant growth of Latino student enrollment during the 1980s through the early 1990s.

Establishment

The initial steps for the creation of Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Incorporated were taken in 1986 at

. In this period of time, fellow NALFO Latino fraternal organization La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Fraternity, Incorporated was considering being co-ed as the founding line of its ''Beta chapter'' included two women by the names of Carol Lasso and Vanina Gonzalez. Eventually, however, the decision was made amongst its members to keep Lambda Upsilon Lambda from that moment on, exclusive, to those who identified as male. The result of this decision would lead to the fraternity's ''Beta chapter'' coming up with its two female members, the concept of a sorority on-campus that would be able to unite the community's Latina women. Shortly afterward in December 1987, the founding line of the organization would be formed, with four women: Cynthia Santiago, Adriana Zamora, Carmen Ibeth Garcia-Quiñones, and Carol Elizabeth Torres, creating the ''Alpha chapter'' of Sigma Lambda Upsilon at the university, forming the first Latina-interest sorority on campus with their titles of "founding mothers".

Philanthropy

Historically, the organization has worked with children and youth as the primary target population to aid in literacy in education and career success. In the early 1990s, there was much interest centered on bilingualism in the classroom and the high illiteracy rates across America. At age four, Latino children tend to have less developed school-related skills than their caucasian counterparts. By age nine, It was found that Latino students tend to lag behind in reading, mathematics, and science proficiency. Thus, in the spring of 2000, the Sorority decided to focus its efforts and funding on literacy. The Sorority advocates for literacy as a means of ensuring the empowerment and success of our nation and the people of its diverse communities. They encourage literacy as an activity that affords limitless possibilities and promotes reading and writing as enjoyable, exciting, and empowering. Literacy is more than just reading. It’s the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, computer and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy can be expanded to include many areas such as: financial literacy, technological literacy, health literacy and more. The premise of their philanthropic work focuses on the power of literacy to uplift their communities and foster confidence in their young people, for them to advance toward their educational, personal, and professional goals.

Symbolism

The sorority heavily uses Pre-Colombian imagery to represent its goals.

Mentoring programs

Sigma Lambda Upsilon's national mentoring initiatives are the Leadership, Advancement, and Development of our Young Sisters (LADYS) and Promoting Education, the Arts, our Roots, Leadership and Service (PEARLS) programs.

Awards and recognition

Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, Inc. has been recognized by the

(NALFO) for the Sorority’s outstanding commitment to academic and professional excellence, as well as, continuous philanthropic efforts.

Chapters

Undergraduate chapters

Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. has installed 43 chapters at over 60 Colleges and Universities, including: *Alpha chapter -

*Beta chapter -

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*Gamma chapter -

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, St. Joseph’s University *Delta chapter - Brown University *Epsilon chapter -

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*Zeta chapter - State University of New York at Oswego *Eta chapter -

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

*Iota chapter -

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and ...

*Kappa chapter -

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...

*Lambda chapter -

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

*Mu chapter -

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

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Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, ...

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*Nu chapter -

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...

*Xi chapter -

University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island (URI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is the flagship public research as well as the land-grant university of the state of Rhode Island ...

*Omicron chapter -

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-CUNY,

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-CUNY,

St. Francis College , mottoeng = My God, My All , established = , type = Private college , chancellor = , president = Miguel Martinez-Saenz , provost = Jennifer Lancas ...

Lehman College Lehman College is a public college in the Bronx borough of New York City. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within CUNY in September 1967. The college is named after Herbert H. Lehman ...

-CUNY *Pi chapter -

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

*Rho chapter -

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*Sigma chapter -

*Tau chapter -

Rutgers University-Newark Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...

*Upsilon chapter -

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of ...

*Phi chapter -

University of Massachusetts-Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...

Smith College Smith College is a private liberal arts women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith and opened in 1875. It is the largest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite women's c ...

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, Amherst College,

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United State ...

*Chi chapter -

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Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learnin ...

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

*Psi chapter -

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Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in the town of Henrietta, New York, Henrietta in the Rochester, New York, metropolitan area. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree ...

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Nazareth College Nazareth College may refer to: Australia * Nazareth College (Australia), in Melbourne * Nazareth Catholic College, Adelaide Spain *Nazareth College, Alicante United States * Nazareth College (Kentucky), now Spalding University * Nazareth College ...

*Omega chapter -

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*Alpha Alpha chapter -

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*Alpha Beta chapter -

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*Alpha Gamma chapter -

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*Alpha Delta chapter -

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*Alpha Epsilon chapter -

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*Alpha Zeta chapter -

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia ...

*Alpha Eta chapter -

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*Alpha Theta chapter -

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*Alpha Iota chapter -

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*Alpha Kappa chapter -

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*Alpha Lambda chapter -

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*Alpha Mu chapter -

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*Alpha Nu chapter -

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The universi ...

*Alpha Xi chapter -

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-Pleasantville *Alpha Omicron chapter -

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-Storrs *Alpha Pi chapter -

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

*Alpha Rho chapter -

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-Charlottesville *Alpha Sigma chapter -

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*Alpha Tau chapter -

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*Alpha Upsilon -

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*Alpha Phi -

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*Alpha Chi -

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Graduate chapters

Graduate chapters, open to alumnae as well as alumnae initiates, include: *Theta Alpha - New York City, NY *Theta Beta - Providence, RI *Theta Gamma - Albany, NY *Theta Delta - Texas *Theta Epsilon - Buffalo, NY *Theta Zeta - Philadelphia, PA *Theta Eta - New Jersey *Theta Theta - DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia *Theta Iota - Florida *Theta Kappa - California *Theta Lambda - Harrisburg, PA *Theta Mu - Boston, MA *Theta Nu - OH / MI / IN / IL *Theta Xi - Rochester, NY *Theta Omicron - Westchester, NY *Theta Pi - Atlanta, GA *Theta Rho - Long Island, NY *Theta Sigma - Southern VA

References

National websiteNALFO

External links

National website
{{National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations 1987 establishments in New York (state) Student societies in the United States Latino fraternities and sororities Student organizations established in 1987 National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations