Фи Иота Альфа: Старейший латиноамериканский братство в США

American Latino interest collegiate fraternity

Phi Iota Alpha (ΦΙΑ), established on December 26, 1931, is the oldest Latino Fraternity in existence, and works to motivate people, develop leaders, and create innovative ways to unite the Latino community. The organization has roots that stem back to the late 19th century to the first Latin American fraternity, and the first Latin American student organization in the United States. The brotherhood is composed of undergraduate, graduate, and professional men committed towards the empowerment of the Latin American community by providing intensive social and cultural programs and activities geared towards the appreciation, promotion and preservation of Latin American culture. Membership in Phi Iota Alpha is open to all men regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin who challenge themselves to develop a strong network for the advancement of Latino people. Phi Iota Alpha's membership includes prominent and accomplished educators, politicians, businessmen, and four former presidents of Latin American countries. Phi Iota Alpha utilizes motifs from the Pan American revolutionary period and uses images and colors depicting the time of Latin American revolutionaries and thinkers to represent the organization.

The origins of Phi Iota Alpha began at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, New York, in 1898. A group of Latin American students organized the Union Hispano Americana (UHA) as a cultural and intellectual secret society based on the ideology of Pan Americanism. The immediate goals of the UHA was to provide a cultural environment for students of Latin America and Spain. The UHA was the first association of Latin American students ever founded in the United States.

Pi Delta Phi established communications with Phi Lambda Alpha (ΦΛΑ) fraternity, which had been recently founded in 1919, in the Western Province of the United States, at the University of California, Berkeley. After some communication, these two organizations realized the existence of a non Greek letter secret society, the Union Hispano Americana (UHA). As a result of intensive correspondence and various interviews, the three organizations merged. In their merger agreement, the three organizations adopted the name of Phi Lambda Alpha fraternity, with the distinctive emblem & constitution of Pi Delta Phi, and the goals & motto of the UHA. This new union was formalized on June 11, 1921, in the City of New York. After ΦΛΑ was organized, other societies joined it: the "Club Latino Americano" founded in 1919 at Colorado School of Mines; the "Federación Latino Americana" founded in 1926 at Columbia University which joined in 1928; the "Club Hispania" founded in 1929 of Cornell University which joined in 1931; the "Club Hispano Americano" founded in 1921 at (then) Tri State College in Angola, Indiana which joined in 1929 and the Alfa Tenoxtitlan Militant chapter founded in 1929 made up of members of the old ΦΛΑ in Mexico. Meanwhile, in the Southeastern Province of the United States, another similar organization was under development. In 1904, an organization with similar goals as Phi Lambda Alpha was founded under the name "Sociedad Hispano Americana" at Louisiana State University. In 1912, recognizing the benefit of the disciplinary background of a Greek system, the society transformed itself into Sigma Iota (ΣΙ) and became the first Latin American–based fraternity in the United States. Between 1912 and 1925, Sigma Iota expanded rapidly in the United States, Central America and Europe. As a result of this, Sigma Iota became the first international Latin American–based fraternity. By 1928, Sigma Iota had lost many of its chapters and therefore sought to stabilize its operations by consolidating its chapters in the United States with a more stationary and well rooted organization. Phi Lambda Alpha was seeking to expand throughout the United States and to promote the ideology of Pan Americanism. Sigma Iota Fraternity was in search of revitalizing some of its defunct chapters. Thus both organizations complemented each other and began to work towards the creation of the fraternity now known as Phi Iota Alpha. They resolved to unify under one name, one banner, one organization and one ideal. The next day of business was dedicated to preparing the details of revising the constitution, working on the creation of a shield to represent the newly formed national Latino brotherhood. On December 28, by the end of the three day convention, the majority of the merger was completed. The last step in the merger was the ratification of some of the chapters of Sigma Iota that were not represented at the convention. The fraternity was incorporated as a national organization on October 28, 1936, under the laws of the State of Louisiana, under the name and title of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity.

The outbreak of World War II greatly hindered the growth Phi Iota Alpha in the United States. After the war the Fraternity drafted and implemented a new expansion strategy. As a result, the post war period saw positive internal growth for the Fraternity. In the early 1950s, Phi Iota Alpha eradicated any remnant of its political agenda. With only a few chapters, the Fraternity continued to pursue its mission. The Fraternity was again incorporated as a national organization on January 9, 1953, when the Secretary of State of New York accepted the incorporation of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity. The 1960s were very challenging years for Phi Iota Alpha. The effects of the Vietnam War and the '60s counter culture created an anti institutional atmosphere amongst many college students. In addition, this drastically reduced the enrollment of Latin American students in American universities. This in turn hindered potential membership to the organization. As a result, by 1968, after many years of struggle, the only active undergraduate chapters were at LSU, and at RPI. The chapter at RPI became inactive in 1973 with the graduation of its Secretary General. The Secretary General took with him the chapter's official fraternity documents. By 1979, the last active brother from the chapter at LSU graduated, thereby marking the closing of the undergraduate chapter at LSU. From 1979 to 1983, the Fraternity witnessed a period of inactivity only at the undergraduate level. Some efforts were made to re establish Phi Iota Alpha at the undergraduate level, but these efforts were not successful. Throughout this period, brothers continued to maintain communication, and continued to accomplish the mission of the organization. The history, ideals and goals of the Fraternity never diminished; they simply did not have active undergraduate members to cultivate them. Phi Iota Alpha continued to exist with the many Alumni members and Alumni chapters as they continued to develop their professional lives mostly in Latin American countries and in the United States. By 2000, Phi Iota Alpha had chartered chapters across the United States; which include the re establishments of former Sigma Iota (ΣΙ) fraternity chapter Syracuse University and former Phi Lambda Alpha (ΦΛΑ) fraternity chapter Columbia University.

Phi Iota Alpha asserts that through community outreach initiatives, the fraternity supplies voice and vision to the struggle of Latino and Hispanic Americans in the United States and Latin America. The fraternity provides for charitable endeavors through its Foundations, providing academic scholarships and support for community development projects.

The fraternity maintains dual membership in the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) and the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). NALFO is composed of 19 Latino Greek letter sororities and fraternities, of which Phi Iota Alpha is the oldest member. The association promotes and fosters positive interfraternal relations, communication, and development of all Latino fraternal organizations through mutual respect, leadership, honesty, professionalism and education. The NIC serves to advocate the needs of its member fraternities through enrichment of the fraternity experience; advancement and growth of the fraternity community; and enhancement of the educational mission of the host institutions. Phi Iota Alpha is also a member of the NIC Latino Fraternal Caucus. One of the only four Latino fraternities that are part of the NIC. Prior to joining NALFO, Phi Iota Alpha was a member of the Concilio Nacional de Hermandades Latinas.

Members of Phi Iota Alpha share a lifelong commitment to Latin American culture. Involves intellectual development, cultural consciousness, personal growth, personal achievement and social awareness. Members of Phi Iota Alpha believe that the Latin American community in the United States and in the Latin American countries are in need of new sources of intellectual capital to identify, address and solve the difficult challenges they face. Therefore, the organization is dedicated to developing in its members an awareness of the common values and traditions of the nations of Latin America and to preparing them to become active participants in the process of advancing the social and economic conditions of all Latin Americans. The fraternity instills in its members a global Latino perspective. This is an orientation that transcends the existing national boundaries that have separated Latin America. It builds on the spirit and traditions of Pan Americanism, and supports and promotes actions leading to an eventual unification of all the countries of Latin America.

Dr. Rudolph Matas – "father of modern vascular surgery"