Lambda Pi Upsilon Sorority, Latinas Poderosas Unidas, Inc. (, LPiU), is a Latina based national sorority founded in 1992 at the State University of New York at Geneseo. Its founders believed that the problems of womanhood, particularly those of Latinas, needed to be addressed and resolved on campus by seeking unity and cultural identity."History". Kataclysmic Kappa Chapter Lamba Pi Upsilon Sorority University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
Lambda Pi Upsilon Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-based sorority.
The sorority is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO).
History Lambda Pi Upsilon began with six women at the State University of New York at Geneseo who sought to fight and address increasing social issues involving women in their community, particularly Latina women. Located on a predominantly caucasian campus, these six women were driven to find a sense of unity and commonality by approaching the ideas of cultural identity and growth of mind. They created Lambda Pi Upsilon Sorority Inc. on November 6, 1992. Referred to as the Six Pillars of Strength or the Founding Mothers, these women were: Sandra Mosquera-Valerio Lisette Pineda Maria Fritz-Rodriguez Glorivy Arce Ebony Robinson Nancy Martinez
Lambda Pi Upsilon seeks to "empower initiates to educate others about the fallacy of the negative stereotypes that surround Latinos, to act as a role model, to work for the advancement of women, and to emphasize the importance of higher education."
The sorority is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). It is overseen by a national board of directors based in New York City."Entities". Kataclysmic Kappa Chapter Lamba Pi Upsilon Sorority University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved October 14, 2023. Leaders meet at the Empowerment Conference which is a convention held each January.
Symbols and traditions The sorority's colors are red, white, gold, and black. Its mascot is the spotted jaguar and its gemstone is the emerald. Its flower is the "Fire and Ice" rose, a white rose with red tips. Members are referred to as Lambda Divas and experience a sisterhood or Hermandad.
The motto of Lambda Pi Upsilon is or "With Love, Dignity, and Pride". The sorority's six founding principles or pillars of strength are family, advancement, education, motivation, learning, and exposure or the acronym F.E.M.A.L.E.
Membership Lambda Pi Upsilon Sorority, Latinas Poderosas Unidas, Inc. welcomes women who are interested in a young and developing organization who also want to become leaders within their communities. Although the sorority is Latina-based, membership is not exclusive to Latina women.
Activities Members of Lambda Pi Upsilon host numerous annual events for members and other people to attend. The Sisterhood Retreat is a legacy that was started by the founding mothers to help members of the sorority to bond with each other over a weekend of workshops and storytelling each August. The first Sisterhood Retreat was held on August 4–6, 1995 in SUNY Geneseo.
The Emerald Gala is an event hosted in New York City every five years to celebrate the growth and accomplishments of the organization.
Chapters also help with campus celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The sorority also has a national performance team, Divalución.
Philanthropy As an organization, Lambda Pi Upsilon adopted children as its national philanthropy. However, with the death of one of their members from asthma, Lambda Pi Upsilon has also focused its attention on asthma awareness as part of their philanthropic work and also partner with the American Lung Association for various awareness activities.
At a local level, chapters and members of Lambda Pi Upsilon also participate in other events and support other charities, including the AIDS Walk, autism awareness, Breast Cancer Walk, and the March of Dimes.
Chapters Undergraduate Chapters The undergraduate chapters of Lambda Pi Upsilon:Lambda Pi Upsilon chapter directory
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionCityState or provinceStatusAlmighty Alpha (Α) State University of New York at Geneseo Geneseo New York ActiveBeautiful Beta (Β) Buffalo Region (University of Buffalo and Buffalo State College) Buffalo New York ActiveGorgeous Gamma (Γ) Rochester Region Rochester New York ActiveDivine Delta (Δ) Columbia University New York New York ActiveElegant Epsilon (Ε) St. John's University Queens New York ActiveGlorious Graduate Zeta (Ζ) Letter reserved for Graduate/Professional Chapter N/AExquisite Eta (Η) Westchester Region Westchester New York ActiveThunderous Theta (Θ) University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut ActiveIrresistible Iota (Ι) New York University New York New York ActiveKataclysmic Kappa (Κ) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign Illinois ActiveLuscious Lambda (Λ) Syracuse Region Syracuse New York ActiveMesmerizing Mu (Μ) New York City Metropolitan RegionNew YorkNew York ActiveNeumatic Nu (Ν) Boston Region (Newbury College, Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern University) Boston Massachusetts ActiveXhilarating Xi (Ξ) Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut ActiveOutrageous Omicron (Ο) State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz New York ActivePerpetual Pi (Π)MemorialRelentless Rho (Ρ) Fairleigh Dickinson University Metropolitan CampusTeaneckNew Jersey ActiveSensational Sigma (Σ) University of Bridgeport Bridgeport Connecticut ActiveTremendous Tau (Τ) New Jersey City University Jersey City New Jersey ActiveUnbreakable Upsilon (Υ) University of New Haven New Haven Connecticut ActivePhenomenal Phi (Φ) State University of New York at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh New York ActiveCourageous Chi (Χ) Wichita State University Wichita Kansas ActiveSynergetic Psi (Ψ) Binghamton University Binghamton New York ActiveOmnipotent Omega (Ω) Pittsburg State University Pittsburgh Kansas ActiveAlluring & Ambitious Alpha Alpha (ΑΑ) Trinity College Hartford Connecticut ActiveAudacious & Boundless Alpha Beta (ΑΒ) University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts Active
Glorious Graduate Chapters Zeta Regional Graduate Regions
ChapterCharter date and rangeAreaStatusZeta Alpha (ΖΑ) New York City RegionActiveZeta Beta (ΖΒ) New York Upstate RegionActiveZeta Gamma (ΖΓ) Florida RegionInactiveZeta Delta (ΖΔ) Connecticut RegionActiveZeta Epsilon (ΖΕ) Service Members DivisionInactiveZeta Zeta (ΖΖ) Illinois RegionInactiveZeta Eta (ΖΗ) Massachusetts RegionInactiveZeta Theta (ΖΘ) New Jersey RegionInactive
See also
List of social sororities and women's fraternities Cultural interest fraternities and sororities
References
External links
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc.,