"Annihilating" Alpha Alpha Chapter

The 13 Founding Fathers

Interesting Facts

• 1st Latino Fraternity to be chartered at an Ivy League Institution.
• La Unidad Latina is a Latino-based, multi-ethnic, non profit community service organization with an extremely diverse and rich membership.
• Chapters at all Ivy League Universities.
• La Unidad Latina is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO).
• Chapters at 6 out of the Top 10 Universities, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2005 Best Colleges and Universities Edition.
• Chapters at 16 out of the Top 50 Universities, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2005 Best Colleges and Universities Edition.
• La Unidad Latina has been instrumental in helping the Hispanic Federation raise funds for various disaster efforts (phonathons, volunteers), which totaled over $1.3 million. La Unidad Latina raised about $7000 from our own efforts as individuals and chapters.
• National Philanthropy: The La Unidad Latina Foundation has raised over $10,000 for minority scholarships over the last year.
• La Unidad Latina is a nationally insured organization.
• Recognized nationally by former First Lady, Senator Hillary Clinton and the former White House administration for our continual leadership and community service efforts.
• October 2004 - The National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc. (NALFO) awarded La Unidad Latina:
  • Philanthropic Excellence Award – Undergraduate Chapter to the Alpha Lambda Chapter (Queens, NY).
  
  
  • Chapter of the Year Award – Undergraduate Excellence to Psi Chapter (Dartmouth College).
  
  
  • Rising Professional Award to Hermano Dr. John Hernandez (Gamma Epsilon - Spring 1998).
• The Gamma Epsilon Chapter (Washington D.C.) hosted its annual Independence Day Picnic in our nation's capitol, to celebrate unity among Latino's.
• July 2004: The Board of Trustees hosted a National Alumni Conclave comprised of alumni Hermano's throughout the country from the early 1990's to recent graduates in order to enhance our network infrastructure.
• June 2004: The National Step Team (NST) of La Unidad Latina won 1st place in the annual LatinosStep championship .
• Zeta Chapter created a Relief Effort in order to aid the victims of the Hispaniola Flood disaster.
• June 2004: La Unidad Latina held a voter registration drive in conjunction with Rock the Vote during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC, drastically increasing the number of registrants for the 2004 elections.
• June 2004: La Unidad Latina partakes in the annual NYC Aids Walk Campaign.
  

Mission Statement

Since its inception in 1982, La Unidad Latina has remained on the vanguard of political and community empowerment by developing influential leaders that strive to exert knowledge and power into its peers in order to attain mutual success. We commit ourselves to academic excellence, leadership development and cultural enlightenment, enhanced by a diverse cognizant membership. La Hermandad strives to preserve and promote an inclusive intellectual environment for its members, in addition to the general community. In the execution of its conceived mission, La Unidad Latina will:

• Provide Latino students with the academic, cultural and social support necessary to excel in institutions of higher learning
• Increase opportunities for Latino children and adolescents to achieve in elementary and secondary schools
• Develop leaders that shall provide, develop and implement the tools for community empowerment
• Inspire ethnic pride and cultural awareness in the Latino community
• Support the efforts to enhance the growth and well-being of the Latino community
• Collaborate with individuals, organizations and institutions that will join our efforts to improve the conditions of the Latino community.
  

General Information

Official Name: La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated.
Founding Institution: Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
Founding Fathers: 13 (11 Undergraduates, 1 Faculty, 1 Administrator)
Fraternal Colors: Brown, Gold, Red and White
Fraternal Call & Response: "UPSI" - "ILON"
Membership Intake: Leadership Development Process

• Those who undergo our Leadership Development Process are referred to as Caballeros
• A Caballero signifies a gentlemen and/or knight in the Spanish language. As the title indicates, Caballeros are expected to conduct themselves with respect and chivalry at all times, especially upon receiving the privilege of becoming an Hermano de La Fraternidad. All of our esteemed members carry this trait with them in all aspects of life, beyond the membership intake process.

Some Honorary Hermanos

• Hermano Dr. Jaime Martinez-Tolentino
  Dr. Jaime Martinez-Tolentino holds a BA & MA in French from New York University, a Ph.D from the University of Madrid, a Ph. D from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph. D from Purdue University in Spanish Literature and History. An expert on Latin American Literature, he is the author of fourteen books, ten of which are devoted to literary criticism or research in linguistics. He is also a creative writer with two books of published short stories and a play. He teaches courses on Latin American literature and culture and is fluent in five languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and German.
• Hermano Piri Thomas - Reknown poet and author, among his works is Down These Mean Streets, a novel which is a critically aclaimed best-seller.
• Hermano Luis Miranda - Former head of the Hispanic Federation also served as Special Advisor and the Director of the Mayor's Office for Hispanic Affairs during the Koch administration. During his distinguished career, Mr. Miranda has served as a consultant to the Ford Foundation, Teachers College at Columbia University and Boricua College, among other institutions.
• Hermano Roberto Ramirez - Bronx Democratic County Chairman and New York State Assemblyman 78th A.D.
  Assemblyman Ramirez has represented the Fordham/Tremont section of the northwest Bronx since 1990. Assemblyman Ramirez has distinguished himself as a legislative leader in the areas of health care, taxation, economic development, education and welfare reform. He is also Chairman of the NY State Assemby Social Services Committee and Chairman of the New York State Puerto Rican Hispanic Task force.
• Hermano Juan Figueroa - Chairman of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund
  Juan A. Figueroa has been a long-time champion of the Latino community tackling such issues as affirmative action and language rights. Mr. Figueroa served on the Connecticut General Assembly and was the first Puerto Rican State Representative from the Third District in Hartford.
• Hermano Guillermo Linares - New York City Council Member, 10th District
  Hermano Linares was first elected to the New York City Council in a special election in 1991, and was subsequently reelected, in 1993 to a full 4-year term. In January of 1995, Linares was appointed to the White House Commission for educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
• Hermano Kaleil D. Isaza Tuzman , CEO and Co-founder of govWorks, Inc.
  Hermano KaleiI D. Isaza Tuzman is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of govWorks. He is responsible for the development and execution of the strategic business plan and for managing the focus and direction of the company.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

Does La Unidad Latina have a sister sorority?
No. Although we have strong historic ties to some organizations, we are not constitutionally or otherwise affiliated with any other organization. La Unidad Latina is a non-partisan organization, however, it has a great deal of respect and admiration for all sororities regardless of Panhellenic affiliation. We continuously strive to work in conjunction with an array of organizations in order to affect a greater change.

How do you become an Hermano?
There are three ways in which someone can become an Hermano:

1. The undergraduate pledge process.
2. The graduate/professional pledge process.
3. Selection to become an Honorary Hermano.

How long is the Leadership Development Process?
The length and duration of the Leadership Development Process varies upon several factors. The chapters of origin and pledge classes are the prominent determinants of the actual process. For further information, please contact your respective university chapter members. If no chapter of La Unidad Latina exists at your college/university, please contact us at expansion@launidadlatina.org or click here for further details!

Do you haze?
We do not physically abuse or degrade our Caballeros. Although our process is extremely challenging, we do not believe brotherhood can be built upon a foundation of humiliation and degradation. Furthermore, La Fraternidad has anti-hazing policies which adhere to even the strictest anti-hazing laws. Please view our anti-hazing policy for further details.