Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. (ΣΛΑ) or Señoritas Latinas en Acción Sorority, Inc. is an American Latina based Greek-letteredsorority of college-educated women. Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. was founded in the summer of 1992, at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, by Angeles Gonzalez and the help of five other young women. Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-founded organization and is open to all women regardless of race, nationality, or religion. The sorority is currently present in 12 campuses in Texas and Oklahoma. Though Latina-based, Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, Inc. is a non-discriminatory organization. The sorority is a former member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) and was the third former sororal member to have left the umbrella organization.[1]
History
Establishment
Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. (ΣΛΑ), otherwise known as Señoritas Latinas en Acción, was founded in the summer of 1992 by Angeles Gonzalez. As a student at Texas Woman's University, Gonzalez read an article in a Hispanic magazine about a national Hispanic sorority called Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. Upon reading this article, she came to the realization that Latina Greek organizations were a cultural median at universities. She became interested in forming an organization that would serve as a cultural outlet on her campus.
Gonzalez wrote to the sorority for more information regarding their organization and Latino Greeks in general. She promptly received a response and was advised to begin an interest group, elect officers and choose an organizational name to start the sorority process. With the assistance of Director Linda Weber in the Office of Student Development and Robin Zaruba, Assistant Director of Activities and Orientation, Angeles Gonzalez began the process of establishing a Latina sorority at Texas Woman's University.
In the fall of 1992, Gonzalez began recruiting girls to be the “founding mothers” of the sorority and attend the first meeting. In this meeting, they discussed goals of the organization, elected officers and chose their organizational/interest group name. Sigma Lambda Alpha/Señoritas Latinas en Acción was founded on October 20, 1992 on the campus of Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas.
With the interest group of Sigma Lambda Alpha established, excitement grew with the thought of having Latina representation at TWU, however the sorority in Pennsylvania decided against beginning a chapter in Texas, because of the distance between the two states. Determined to have Hispanic representation at TWU, the founding mothers did not let this hinder the establishment of an organization. They chose to launch a new sorority based on their original group goals and combined beliefs. They elected to carry on the name of Sigma Lambda Alpha/Señoritas Latinas en Acción Inc., and created a sisterhood on the basis of cultural awareness, community service, leadership and academic achievement. The first pledge class of the Alpha chapter was inducted in the spring of 1993.[2][3]
21st century
In 2011, Sigma Lambda Alpha became the youngest member organization of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO).[4] In 2015 however, after only four years within the umbrella organization and for reasons unknown to the public, it would become the fifth former member to leave NALFO.
The mission of Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. is to promote the importance of community service involvement and academic achievement as well as to educate and excel the stance of Latino cultures in this diversely enriched society.[5] The sorority would have its first chapter outside of the state of Texas chartered in 2016 with the establishment of the Theta chapter at Oklahoma State University.[6] Its national headquarters is located in Denton, Texas.
Symbols
The mottoof Sigma Lambda Alpha is "Latinas Helping Others". The sorority's principles or pillars are Community service, Academic achievement, Cultural awareness, and Sisterhood.[7] Its colors are burgundy, forest green, and gold. Its flower is the red rose. Its jewel is the green topaz. Its mascot is the bald eagle.
Activities
The philanthropy of the sorority is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[8] The mentoring program of Sigma Lambda Alpha is the ROSAS program.[9]
Chapters
Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are indicated in italics.
