Сигма Ламда Гамма: Американское женское братство латиноамериканок

American Latina collegiate sorority

Sigma Lambda Gamma (ΣΛΓ), also known as Gammas or SLG, is a national sorority in the United States. It was founded on April 9, 1990, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa by five collegiate women who wanted an organization for Latina women. It now comprises 235 entities, and membership is open to both women and nonbinary students and graduates.

In the fall of 1989, a group of women met to form an organization that would "empower women from every culture". By April 9, 1990, the University of Iowa Panhellenic Council officially recognized the organization as a sorority, which Sigma Lambda Gamma celebrates as its founding date. The five women who were instrumental in establishing the organization–Gloria Cuevas, Julieta Maria Miller, Maria Ester Pineda, Danell Marie Riojas, and Guadalupe Temiquel–are collectively referred to as the Five Founding Mothers. A national headquarters was initially housed out of the Iowa Memorial Student Union moving to 900 West Penn Street in North Liberty, Iowa. They later moved to their current address at 1295 Jordan Street, Suite 3 in North Liberty, Iowa. Along with housing national records and staff, it was also home to the sorority's national biannual publication, La Mensajera. The Omega chapter was later established to recognize and pay respect to deceased sisters. As the sorority grew, Sigma Lambda Gamma's membership became more multicultural. In acknowledging this, the organization, which was a part of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) from January 2001 to May 2010, left due to a desire for autonomy and due to its increasing multicultural membership. The sorority celebrated their 100th and 101st chapters simultaneously with the addition of the Theta Delta chapter at Columbia University and the Iota Delta chapter at Millikin University in 2010, having expanded to more than 100 chapters in twenty years. While chapters have always organized local programming on their respective campuses, Sigma Lambda Gamma later created the Education Foundation. The Young Women’s Leadership program was designed to promote confidence and leadership skills for middle school aged girls. An emotional intelligence education program was also started up. Scholarships were later added to support members in higher education. In 2012, the Panther Dash For Education was developed to generate funds that will support scholastic achievement and leadership training. A virtual race, sisters are encouraged to participate in any run/walk event of their choice and then later upload it to media sites.

Sigma Lambda Gamma's first philanthropy is to raise awareness about breast cancer. Although Sigma Lambda Gamma's website once stated support for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Y ME National Breast Cancer Organization, they currently do not affiliate with either one. In 2013, one member shaved her head to raise money for cancer research, eventually topping $2,650, while the Theta Gamma chapter organized a fashion show and raised over $800 in 2014. The following year, the Xi Beta chapter organized a ball with the men of Phi Beta Sigma to raise funds for breast cancer and the March of Dimes. In 2014, the sorority raised over $14,000 collectively to donate to twenty different breast cancer research organizations. The sorority also supports the Federal TRiO Programs, which are programs in the United States designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The sorority has partnered with different organizations to raise awareness about different societal issues. In the 2014 Voto Latino's RepUrLetters Challenge, in which historically Latino Greek lettered organizations competed to register voters on their campuses and in their communities, Sigma Lambda Gamma's voter registration efforts accounted for 36% of the total number of voters registered, with the highest number of voters registered. In 2014, the sorority launched their "Gammas Go Red" campaign in partnership with the American Heart Association on social media in an effort to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Additionally, they launched a partnership with the American Red Cross after attending the 2017 Diversity in Aquatics Symposium, focusing on educating about the importance of water safety. Additionally, chapters also organize local philanthropic projects and have hosted events about other social issues. The Chi Gamma chapter raised funds for the 2013 Oklahoma tornado disaster the same year it occurred. The Beta Gamma chapter adopted a highway in 2015. The Gamma chapter held a fundraiser for animal shelters in 2015. The Kappa Gamma chapter hosted a panel about LGBTQ identities in 2017. The Epsilon Zeta chapter raised awareness about male sexual assault with the men of Alpha Phi Alpha in 2019. Associate chapters are encouraged to foster and establish local philanthropies early on. Notably, the Morgan State University Associate chapter has advocated for social justice and advocating for the environment since 2018. The Bowie State University Associate chapter has marched in Washington D. C. to hold Congress accountable.

These programs are under the Sigma Lambda Gamma Education Foundation, an umbrella philanthropic entity.