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The first Latina-based sorority
founded at an Ivy-league institution, Latinas Promoviendo
Comunidad/ Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. was established
on April 16, 1988 at Cornell University by FIVE
strong, visionary women. The Founding Hermanas: Patricia Rivera, Maria Caban, Eva Marie Sosa, Migdalia Franklin and Dr. Irma Almirall-Padamsee, strived
to establish an organization that would transcend
their collegiate experience and consolidate their
strength as responsible members of the community.
They worked diligently to develop an organization whose mission and goals
would encompass the experiences of all women, and
whose ideals would nurture the growth of its members
throughout their lives. With the support and guidance
of Dr. Irma Almirall-Padamsee, their dream was brought
to fruition.
As is evident in our name, Latinas Promoviendo
Comunidad/ Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. is an
organization whose central tenets not only affirms the
importance of service to our communities but also
encourages active participation in shaping our future.
This is a reflection in our three ideals, La Comunidad,
La Cultura Latina, y La Hermandad. Las
Hermanas sponsor a diverse array of educational
programs that focus on critical issues affecting the
community, and provide forums for social, cultural, and
political exchange. These programs are sponsored in
collaboration with the local community-based
organizations, social service agencies, student groups
and other Greek-letter organizations, in an effort to
promote unity and collective achievement.
About our three ideals:
La Comunidad
As our name suggests, we
are fully committed to the participation and creation
of public service programming that will promote
our community. Our purpose is not only to educate
but also to utilize the vast resources at our disposal
to create positive change for our community. We
hope that by sharing our resources and knowledge,
others who have not had the same opportunities will
benefit.
The importance of this ideal
is stressed throughout our organization, and all
of the Sorority's entities are required to adhere
to national service standards. These standards are not only systematically met,
but also consistently surpassed. While our chapters have
the autonomy to determine to which public service projects they participate,
we as a national entity also come together on issues that we feel are of great
importance to our community.
La Cultura Latina
As Hermanas, we seek to educate
ourselves and others about the history, experiences, and contributions of the US Latina
in this society, while simultaneously embracing
the breadth of experience of all women. Recognizing
the diversity of experiences that shape the "US Latino"
identity, we seek to promote intra-cultural understanding
as a means of bridging the gap between Latino experiences
thereby utilizing the Sorority as a vehicle for
unity. We believe that enhanced knowledge of our cultural
heritages coupled with authentic links to our home and ethnic
communities are tools that can be used to
nurture the growth of proud, productive social networks
as well as to foster the development of proactive community
members. Our Hermandad is a constant celebration
of the rich ethnic diversity that exists within all of our communities.
La Hermandad
We are bound by sacred traditions,
unique to Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/ Lambda
Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. These traditions serve as the foundation
for a lifetime support system that extends across
a spectrum of experiences. This Hermandad
is the means by which we support each other personally,
academically, and professionally. It provides members
of our organization the opportunity to share common
experiences, while benefiting from each other's
distinct perspectives. We seek to nurture personal
growth and development in our members. Our motto,
“La Hermandad Nunca Termina”, is representative
of our lifetime commitment to each other and the
special relationship we share.
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