Sigma Pi Alpha

the Chicana/Latina sorority formed at Cal Berkeley in 1996. Not to be confused with the local sorority of the same name, founded in 1991 at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri

Sigma Pi Alpha
ΣΠΑ
Founded	1996 (1996) University of California, Berkeley
Type	Social
Affiliation	Independent
Status	Active
Emphasis	Latina
Scope	Regional
Motto	Mujeres Con Cultura, Fuerza y Hermandad
Pillars	Community Service, Campus Involvement, Culture, Academics, Sisterhood
Colors	Midnight Green,   Pearl,   Onyx, and   Shimmering Gold
Flower	Calla Lily
Mascot	Golden Bear
Chapters	13
Nickname	ELLA, Sigma
Headquarters	, California United States
Website	www.sigmapialpha.org/

Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority, Inc. (ΣΠΑ) is a Chicana/Latina-based, Greek letter, intercollegiate sorority founded in 1996 at the University of California, Berkeley. Although Sigma Pi Alpha is a Chicana Latina organization by tradition, membership is open to all college females. A sister of Sigma Pi Alpha is also known as an ELLA or a Sigma.

History

Sigma Pi Alpha was established in 1996 at the University of California, Berkeley, and has expanded to other locations in California. The sorority is not part of the Greek Panhellenic System. It is a non-profit grassroots organization and does not affiliate with any national fraternity or sorority council. It is governed by its own direct National Council.

Symbols

The letters worn by sisters represent their sisterhood, their commitment to each other, and their goals. The Greek letters were specifically selected by the sorority's nine founding mothers to symbolize their Chicana/Latina heritage by spelling ELLA, meaning she/her in the Spanish language.

Goals

1. To enhance Chicana/Latina heritage within the sorority.

2. To be involved within the campus and our communities.

3. To promote higher education in future generations.

4. To address academics, sisterhood, and personal and individual needs.

5. To create a sisterhood in which we can communicate and express ourselves with trust and security.

6. To form a sisterhood where we can receive support and a commitment that will last a lifetime.

7. To follow a code of conduct representative to us as a sorority and Chicana/Latina women.

Chapters

Undergraduate chapters are present at the following schools. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are indicated in italic.

Chapter	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Status	Reference
Alpha	1996	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, California	Active
Beta	2001	University of California, Riverside	Riverside, California	Active
Gamma	2002	University of California, Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz, California	Active
Delta	2003	San Francisco State University	San Francisco, California	Active
Epsilon	2003	California State University, San Bernardino	San Bernardina, California	Active
Zeta	2003	University of California, Davis	Davis, California	Active
Eta	2004	California State University, Sacramento	Sacramento, California	Active
Theta	2005	Sonoma State University	Rohnert Park, California	Active
Iota	2007	University of California, San Diego	San Diego, California	Active
Kappa	2008	California State University, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	Active
Lambda	2010	San Jose State University	San Jose, California	Active
Mu	2016	California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt	Arcadia, California	Active
Nu	2016	University of California, Irvine	Irvine, California	Active
Sigma	2003	Eternal chapter		Active

See also

• List of social sororities and women's fraternities