Sigma Phi Omega
Encyclopedia
Sigma Phi Omega , also known as Sigmas, is an Asian American
interest sorority.
in 1949, and is the oldest Asian American
sorority at USC and UT Austin and third oldest in the United States
. It was originally established as a social organization for Japanese
and Japanese American
women at USC, and has since come to consist of a diverse membership with backgrounds in all Asian countries and all racial backgrounds.
, an Asian-American sorority from UCLA, to become one of their chapters. Chi Alpha Delta had been chartered in 1928 at UCLA, but was rendered inactive between 1942 and 1945 because the majority of its members were unable to attend UCLA due to World War II. After the end of the war, the sorority was reorganized in 1946.
However, the founding mothers decided to start their own organization. The Greek letters were chosen at random and were not used by any other existing fraternities or sororities at that time. Although Sigmas did not originate as a sorority, one could speculate that the choosing of Greek letters was a public way of voicing a dissatisfactory opinion about the treatment of Asian Americans, specifically Japanese Americans, by the campus and Greek organizations.
awareness and prevention as its National Philanthropy
. Throughout the month of October each year, all chapters of Sigma Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. organize a "SAFE (Stop Abuse in Family Environments) WEEK" filled with seminars and discussions about domestic violence and fundraising events. Sigma Phi Omega works to educate college campuses and surrounding communities, specifically reaching out to Asian and Asian American women, in an effort to stop domestic violence.
While raising domestic violence awareness is Sigmas main philanthropy, the chapters also sponsors and participate in AIDS walks, Habitat for Humanity, Canning for Hunger, Girls Inc., various shelters, clean cities programs, and many more.
Many members of Sigma Phi Omega are also individually involved within their own community through tutoring and mentoring programs for the disavantage and younger students, as well as through various volunteering programs.
Service is one of the main pillars within the sisterhood of Sigma Phi Omega. They are proud to serve their communities and contribute to make a difference in each other's live and the lives of other.
and Texas
.
Sigma Phi Omega has helped young women adjust to college life for over fifty years. College is a time for new faces, endeavors, and experiences. Amongst this whirlwind of unfamiliarity, being in a sorority can help brighten your path and put things into perspective. It provides a base for lasting friendships and special memories. Sigma Phi Omega prides itself for its diversity in membership as we embrace the unique qualities and gifts each sister brings. Its alumnae have gone onto successful careers in business, law, medicine, entertainment, and education.
Although small in size, Sigma Phi Omega genuinely lives up to the true definition of sisterhood, ensuring a close-knit relationship between sister chapters. There are annual conventions held each summer as well as Mid-year Retreat, where sisters from different chapters gather to bring orders of business as well as bond. These conventions and retreats are hosted by the chapters in rotations.
Cousin fraternity (Texas)
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
interest sorority.
Purpose
Sigma Phi Omega was founded at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1949, and is the oldest Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
sorority at USC and UT Austin and third oldest in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was originally established as a social organization for Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
and Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
women at USC, and has since come to consist of a diverse membership with backgrounds in all Asian countries and all racial backgrounds.
Early years
In its early beginnings, the founding mothers of Sigma Phi Omega were invited by Chi Alpha DeltaChi Alpha Delta
Chi Alpha Delta ΧΑΔ is the oldest Asian-American cultural interest sorority in the United States founded and chartered at UCLA...
, an Asian-American sorority from UCLA, to become one of their chapters. Chi Alpha Delta had been chartered in 1928 at UCLA, but was rendered inactive between 1942 and 1945 because the majority of its members were unable to attend UCLA due to World War II. After the end of the war, the sorority was reorganized in 1946.
However, the founding mothers decided to start their own organization. The Greek letters were chosen at random and were not used by any other existing fraternities or sororities at that time. Although Sigmas did not originate as a sorority, one could speculate that the choosing of Greek letters was a public way of voicing a dissatisfactory opinion about the treatment of Asian Americans, specifically Japanese Americans, by the campus and Greek organizations.
Founding Mothers
- Miki Haga
- Joyce Ishibashi Tawa
- Ida Kado Watanabe
- Kazuko Kay Matsumoto
- Helen Morita Matsunaga
- Mitzi Okamoto
- Cherry Okimoto
- Thelma Sasada
- Akiko Sato Miyamoto
- Edna Tanaka
- Helen Taniguchi Wakamatsu
- Miki Tanimoto
- Dottie Uno
- Julia Uriu
- Grace Wada Iino
- Betty Wakamatsu
- Chiyoe Yata Oki
Philanthropy
Sigma Phi Omega has chosen domestic violenceDomestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
awareness and prevention as its National Philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. Throughout the month of October each year, all chapters of Sigma Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. organize a "SAFE (Stop Abuse in Family Environments) WEEK" filled with seminars and discussions about domestic violence and fundraising events. Sigma Phi Omega works to educate college campuses and surrounding communities, specifically reaching out to Asian and Asian American women, in an effort to stop domestic violence.
While raising domestic violence awareness is Sigmas main philanthropy, the chapters also sponsors and participate in AIDS walks, Habitat for Humanity, Canning for Hunger, Girls Inc., various shelters, clean cities programs, and many more.
Many members of Sigma Phi Omega are also individually involved within their own community through tutoring and mentoring programs for the disavantage and younger students, as well as through various volunteering programs.
Service is one of the main pillars within the sisterhood of Sigma Phi Omega. They are proud to serve their communities and contribute to make a difference in each other's live and the lives of other.
Sigma Phi Omega Today
Since its founding, Sigma Phi Omega has established eight other chapters located in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Chapters
- Α - Alpha Chapter: University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
: 1949 - Β - Beta Chapter: California State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
: 1970 - Γ - Gamma Chapter : University of Texas : May 1, 1991
- Δ - Delta Chapter : San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
: December 18, 1991 - Ε - Epsilon Chapter : University of HoustonUniversity of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
: April 21, 1995 - Ζ - Zeta Chapter : University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
: April 5, 1997 - Η - Eta Chapter : Baylor UniversityBaylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
: May 1, 1999 - Θ - Theta Chapter : Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
: May 20, 2005 - I - Iota Chapter : Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
: May 2, 2009
Sigma Phi Omega has helped young women adjust to college life for over fifty years. College is a time for new faces, endeavors, and experiences. Amongst this whirlwind of unfamiliarity, being in a sorority can help brighten your path and put things into perspective. It provides a base for lasting friendships and special memories. Sigma Phi Omega prides itself for its diversity in membership as we embrace the unique qualities and gifts each sister brings. Its alumnae have gone onto successful careers in business, law, medicine, entertainment, and education.
Although small in size, Sigma Phi Omega genuinely lives up to the true definition of sisterhood, ensuring a close-knit relationship between sister chapters. There are annual conventions held each summer as well as Mid-year Retreat, where sisters from different chapters gather to bring orders of business as well as bond. These conventions and retreats are hosted by the chapters in rotations.
Affiliations
Brother fraternities:- California: Beta Omega PhiBeta Omega PhiBeta Omega Phi is an Asian American interest fraternity founded in 1965 by 21 students at Cal State University, Los Angeles.- Active Chapters :*Alpha Chapter: California State University, Los Angeles est. 1965...
- Texas: Omega Phi GammaOmega Phi GammaOmega Phi Gamma , also known as Omegas or OPhiG, is an Asian-interest fraternity established in the Spring of 1995at The University of Texas at Austin, with a second chapter founded at the University of Houston in the Spring of 2004....
http://www.omegaphigamma.com
Cousin fraternity (Texas)
- Delta Epsilon PsiDelta Epsilon PsiDelta Epsilon Psi is a South Asian interest service fraternity. Delta Epsilon Psi was founded at the University of Texas, Austin in 1998 by 18 men that came together sensing the urgency of a unified South Asian voice at their university...