Lambda Pi Chi

Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Incorporated () (also known as Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc.) is a Latina-based, but not Latina-exclusive Greek letter intercollegiate sorority founded on April 16, 1988, at Cornell University by five women.

The organization is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO).

History

Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. was established at Cornell University on April 16, 1988. Its founders were Irma Almirall-Padamsee, Maria Caban, Migdalia Franklin, Patricia Rivera, Eva Marie Sosa.

The sorority was founded upon three principles: La Cultura Latina (the Latino Culture), La Comunidad (the Community), and La Hermandad (the Sisterhood). The founders of Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. envisioned an organization that would embrace Latina community leaders who wanted to make a positive impact at Cornell and the Latino community at large despite institutional struggles.

"The community of Latino students and staff at that time (1988) at Cornell was very small. Although there was a student association, which two of the other founders and I started (Las Associacion de Latinas Universitarias) [The Association of Latina University Women], it became clear that what many women really wanted and needed was a means by which to foster lifelong, deep friendships. Having a formal means by which women, who were especially interested in the richness of the Latino heritage, perceived themselves as leaders for their communities and were committed to making positive change for the latino community at the university and after graduation seemed to make sense. The curriculum was overwhelmingly Euro-centric and although of top caliber theoretically, left much to be desired by students who wanted to learn about the history, experience, and contributions of non-European communities. Our university had experienced various building takeovers, sit-ins, and eventually a hunger strike, which were directly triggered by Latino and black student dissatisfaction with the university's inability and seeming unwillingness to meaningfully address the financial, educational, and social needs of the students of color on campus."

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Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. was incorporated on April 8, 1991; it was the first Latina sorority incorporated in New York state. The sorority was helped heavily in its establishment by the fraternities Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Alpha Phi Alpha (who were also founded at Cornell University) and La Asociacion Latina present on campus. During the organization's 2015 National Convention, members voted to become trans-inclusive, becoming the first National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) sorority member to do so.

On March 25, 2017, Lambda Pi Chi established its first chapter at a historically black college and university (HBCU), North Carolina Central University. It is the first Latina-based, but not Latina exclusive sorority on the campus and the second NALFO sorority to establish a chapter at a HBCU.

Symbols

The motto of Lambda Pi Chi is ''La Hermandad Nunca Termina''. Its ideals or pillars are La Cultura Latina, La Comunidad and La Hermandad.

The sorority's colors are red, gold, black, and white. Its flower is the red carnation. Its jewel is the fire opal, and its mascot is the butterfly in flight.

Philanthropy

Lambda Pi Chi focuses on serving the Latino community with an emphasis on the Latina, communities of color, and members of other underserved communities. The sorority has two public service projects, L.E.A.A.P: Latinas Educating on AIDS Awareness and Prevention and Proyecto H.A.C.E.R (Hacer in Spanish means to make, to build, to do).

On July 14, 2016, Lambda Pi Chi Sorority two scholarship opportunities in honor of deceased members Fanny D. Carela and Gabby Oberti. The scholarships are intended to embody the spirit and passion of the Hermanas and also invest in the advancement and education of La Hermanadad (the Sisterhood) and La Comunidad (the Community).

Chapters

Collegiate chapters

Following is a list of the collegiate chapters and provisional chapters (colonies) of Lambda Pi Chi. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics.

Chapter	Charter date	Institution	Location	Status	References
Alpha	Template:DTS	Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Active
		Ithaca College
Beta	Template:DTS	Columbia University	New York City, New York	Active
		City College of New York
Gamma	Template:DTS	University at Albany, SUNY	Albany, New York	Active
Delta	Template:DTS	New York University	New York City, New York	Active
Epsilon	Template:DTS	American University	Washington, D.C.	Active
		Georgetown University
Zeta	Template:DTS	Syracuse University	Syracuse, New York	Active
Eta	Template:DTS	Wesleyan University	Middletown, Connecticut	Active
Theta	Template:DTS	George Washington University	Washington, D.C.	Active
Iota	Template:DTS	University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst, Massachusetts	Active
		Smith College	Northampton, Massachusetts
Kappa	Template:DTS	Duke University	Durham, North Carolina	Active
Lambda	Template:DTS	University of Rochester	Rochester, New York	Active
		Rochester Institute of Technology	Henrietta, New York
Mu	Template:DTS	George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	Active
Nu	Template:DTS	Harvard University	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Active
		Northeastern University	Boston, Massachusetts
		Tufts University	Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts
Xi	Template:DTS	St. John's University	New York City, New York	Active
Omicron	Template:DTS	University of Delaware	Newark, Delaware	Active
Pi				Unassigned	Template:Efn
Rho	Template:DTS	North Carolina State University	Raleigh, North Carolina	Active
Sigma	Template:DTS	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, Maryland	Active
Tau	Template:DTS	Union College	Schenectady, New York	Active
Upsilon	Template:DTS	LIU Post	Brookville, New York	Active
Phi	Template:DTS	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	Active
Chi	Template:DTS	University of Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	Active
Psi	Template:DTS	St. Thomas Aquinas College	Sparkill, New York	Active
Omega				Memorial	Template:Efn
Alpha Alpha	Template:DTS	Saint Leo University	St. Leo, Florida	Active
Alpha Beta	Template:DTS	North Carolina Central University	Durham, North Carolina	Active
Alpha Gamma	Template:DTS	Davidson College	Davidson, North Carolina	Active
Alpha Delta	Template:DTS	Rutgers University–New Brunswick	New Brunswick, New Jersey	Active
Alpha Epsilon	Template:DTS	Campbell University	Buies Creek, North Carolina	Active
Alpha Zeta	Template:DTS	High Point University	High Point, North Carolina	Active
Alpha Eta	Template:DTS	Western Carolina University	Cullowhee, North Carolina	Active
Rhodes College Provisional Chapter		Rhodes College	Memphis, Tennessee	Colony
Virginia Tech Provisional Chapter		Virginia Tech	Blacksburg, Virginia	Colony

Professional and graduate chapters

The sorority allows for graduate chapters for those seeking participation after college, or for alumnae initiates. Following is a list of its professional/graduate chapters. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics.

Chapter	Charter date	Location	Status	References
Pi Alpha	August 9, 1997	New York City, New York	Active
Pi Beta	July 10, 1998	Washington, D.C.	Active
Pi Gamma	August 7, 1999	Miami, Florida	Active
Pi Delta		Upstate New York	Active
Pi Epsilon	July 25, 2005	Rochester, New York	Active
Pi Zeta	March 30, 2010	Southern California	Active
Pi Eta	March 19, 2011	New Jersey	Active
Pi Theta	September 7, 2011	Boston, Massachusetts	Active
Pi Iota	March 22, 2013	North Carolina	Active
Pi Kappa	June 2, 2013	Long Island, New York	Active
Pi Lambda	October 28, 2013	Houston, Texas	Active
Pi Mu	July 27, 2019	Central Florida	Active
Pi Nu	November 18, 2018	Maryland	Active
Pi Xi	20xx ?	Delaware	Active
Pi Omicron	Nov 16, 2024	Bronx, New York City	Active
Pi Pi	Nov 16, 2024	West Chester Cty, NY	Active

See also

• List of social sororities and women's fraternities

External links

• Template:Official website