Why do multicultural GLOs/organizations exist?

[starang21]

haysus christo, after 20 plus pages have we come to a consensus?

[L.O.C.K.]

Yea, I agree with Starang, lol, what a thread.

I personally come from a well-to-do background from the Philadelphia area and am Caucasian. I'm like the classic definition of a WASP.

However, I chose not to join a "white" fraternity because of how I was introduced to them. As a freshman, my roommates were rushing those organizations. All they did was party and drink. Nowhere did I see the committment to service and dedication to the ideals of their organizations which bothered me greatly.

I chose to join my organization, an Asian-Interest Cultural Fraternity, because it was created to educate other about culture and the importance of it as well as be a haven for Asian/Asian American men during college and beyond.

I totally agree with those people who say that NPC/NIC orgs are great orgs. I have a bunch of friends who are incredibly involved in the success and development of their organization. However, the majority of the members, in the fraternities at least, don't do the service and only do the partying. Are all organizations like this at every school? Hell no.

NIC/NPC organizations have very similar values save the specific cultural aspects that BGLOs, LGLOs, AGLOs, MCGLOs have. The reality is that there are more white people in this country. White people are at the top of the racial food chain. White people don't have to worry about racial profiling. White people aren't always expected to "speak for the race". These two factors (sheer numbers and the need for a haven for a specific community) is why I feel that a higher percentage of people in BGLOs, LGLOs, AGLOs, MCGLOs are committed to the organizational ideals in an active sense.

I really do not want people to think I have anything against NIC/NPC organizations. I feel the missions are amazing and I concur with all of them because they are very similar to non WGLO organizations. However, on my campus, many many many people in those organizations are not in it for the service or betterment of the community, but are in it for partying, which is against my values.

Are there people in BGLOs, LGLOs, AGLOs, MCGLOs in it just for the partying? Yes, of course, but I'd argue that they are a much smaller percentage (unfortunately) than in NIC/NPC organizations.

What matters to me is committment to the pillars/tenets of your organization on a consistent basis, even after graduation regardless of what "group" their organization serves. If you follow the mission set out by your Founders, then you will promote the ideals of your organization until the day you die.

[rocketgirl]

Originally Posted by starang21

haysus christo, after 20 plus pages have we come to a consensus?

there will never be a consensus because some people will never understand why people chose to do something different instead of joining their organization or an organization similar to it.

it never ceases to amaze me how many other african americans feel the need to quiz me about my decision to join a multicultural sorority instead of an NPHC organization. it's not that i don't respect those organizations - because i do - but i didn't see where i fit into them, plain and simple. nothing is wrong with that, and i'm sure those sororities are like mine in the fact that they don't want someone trying to be a member because they "think they should." i'm sorry but the NPC organizations on my campus never appealed to me, the three main reasons being the fact that non-freshman interest were not given the same fair shake (i never wanted to join an organization my freshman year, i wanted to look around at all of the groups my freshman year so i could choose the one that was doing something i wanted to be a part of) and for the fact that they came across as party groups much more than any of the cultural based groups on my campus.

either way, the fact is that multicultural groups exist because the NPC, IFC, and NPHC didn't have something we wanted - mainly the fact that we wanted to use our organization to promote cultural awareness and to work inside the community to increase understanding and education of multiple cultures. those are not things that the average group in NPC, IFC, and NPHC do, period. not to say that some of those chapters aren't diverse or have programming occasionally, but they are the exception at this point, not the norm.

as far as being accepted as a minority in an NPC organization, i wasn't worried about that at michigan, there were quite a few minorities that were members of various organizations. my bigger problem were the news articles and information i researched (and found on greek chat) about some of the southern chapters that still have never knowingly accepted a minority. i could NOT be a part of an organization that has that type of history period. i udnerstand that historically white is not something that some people of NPC like to hear and that people definately don't want to hear it called a white sorority, but the fact is that until the ENTIRE organization presents an open and diverse front, people will continue to see them as white organizations. personally, i've seen both and know that yes, you are as diverse as some multicultural sorority chapters at some northern schools, but i also have southern roots and have seen that end of it too. i think as long as those regional differences exist, people will never see NPC organizations as openly multicultural.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

i think as long as those regional differences exist, people will never see NPC organizations as openly multicultural.

When I mentioned one of my reasons for not going NPC being that chapter traditions differ within the same organization, I would say this is the negative side. In my observations, most MCGLOs encourage uniformity and organizational "pride" that I don't see in NPCs. (I see more freedom for individual chapter identities within NPCs which is what A LOT of women enjoy.) When you join a chapter of TNX, you are just joining an arm of the org, not a distinct entity. I also know that, at least within my own org, people who join might not necessarily get along with their chapter sisters (in a natural sense), but they join because they are joining Theta Nu Xi and that overshadows the immediate circumstance. And, then of course once they have entered into the bond, their personal feelings for the other women make way for respect and a drive to see the organization succeed. On top of that, when we look at aspirants, we're focusing on their qualifications more than their personality (although personality matters to an extent).

[audaz49]

Originally Posted by brobuzzz

What generalizations have I made? When did I even imply that your alphabet soup of acronyms was pointless, unpopular, etc? (This reads like a government budget) Clearly if people have taken oaths in the name of these groups they are at least popular to those people no?


Thank you for implying I did not care about anyone else's standards, but I in fact did read the aforementioned pages, and I fail to see how that is even relevant to what I said before. My point is that while "cultural awareness" and having sisters that are more likely not to be the same race as you may be high on your list of "desireable Greek Organization traits," for me it's not. I went in the direction of "virtue," "character," and "sacred purpose." Here, if you care to look - (http://www.thetachi.org/about/Creed.asp).

Funny how you didn't notice that I stopped referencing your post after the bolded pink lettering. I said the remainder of the THREAD, not the post. Thank you for taking my post extremely personally.

[brobuzzz]

Anytime.

However, I chose not to join a "white" fraternity because of how I was introduced to them. As a freshman, my roommates were rushing those organizations. All they did was party and drink. Nowhere did I see the committment to service and dedication to the ideals of their organizations which bothered me greatly.

I can't find a pilot article about it, but we won the 2006 Volunteer Hampton Roads "Volunteer Organization of the Year" award. I don't even know if it was in the paper, but chan. 3 news came to the house and did something for it. You can also see it here (http://www.volunteerhr.org/AboutUs/i...out/hrvaa.html - 11th picture down) Clearly we, and all other IFC, excuse me, white fraternities, don't give a sh*t about anything but drinking. (A lot of my brothers are gonna be pissed when the find out they're white.)

[Taualumna]

I'm wondering if this is the case: Do you think some cultures are more open to forgiving than others? I play tennis at a club that I'm PRETTY SURE had a white-only policy. Today, the club has many minority members and they don't seem to care that such a policy might have existed. It's definitely not reflective of the City of Toronto, but it's not as "white" as outsiders make it out to be.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by brobuzzz

Anytime.

I can't find a pilot article about it, but we won the 2006 Volunteer Hampton Roads "Volunteer Organization of the Year" award. I don't even know if it was in the paper, but chan. 3 news came to the house and did something for it. You can also see it here (http://www.volunteerhr.org/AboutUs/i...out/hrvaa.html - 11th picture down) Clearly we, and all other IFC, excuse me, white fraternities, don't give a sh*t about anything but drinking. (A lot of my brothers are gonna be pissed when the find out they're white.)

If he'd been introduced to an NIC/IFC fraternity without the drinking, he probably would have liked it, but during rush all he saw was the partying.

People need to stop getting their panties in a twist about one person giving their experience.

[brobuzzz]

To be clear, I never said we don't drink. Had I, it would have been a rather severe lie. Perhaps the people sharing "their experience" had a preordained view of the groups they so quickly found to be not for them and thus never really looked into the people they would be insulting for the next few years.

Also, why is it that you can be so offended by people making "generalizations" that they never actually made, but when I respond to a clear generalization about me and my brothers, I'm "getting my panties in a bunch?" Hipocracy is, in this case, an understatement.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by brobuzzz

To be clear, I never said we don't drink. Had I, it would have been a rather severe lie. Perhaps the people sharing "their experience" had a preordained view of the groups they so quickly found to be not for them and thus never really looked into the people they would be insulting for the next few years.

Also, why is it that you can be so offended by people making "generalizations" that they never actually made, but when I respond to a clear generalization about me and my brothers, I'm "getting my panties in a bunch?" Hipocracy is, in this case, an understatement.

Yeah yeah just turn the attack around on me.

It happens a lot on GC and you're by no means the first. You posting that your brothers did X Y and Z and that they're by no means white doesn't change the fact that what he saw was the partying. You feel the need to defend yourself when there really isn't one.

He posted a very good story about why he joined the fraternity he did. Why can't people accept that and move forward?

[brobuzzz]

You know, you're right. We all should just allow someone to respond without criticism to doubt about their organization with a story about how fraternities are immoral because the RUSHEES he knew did not demonstrate the ideals of the fraternities they DID NOT belong to because the underlying insult is concurrent with yours. I showed evidence of his story not applying and you jumped on my ass. Are you capable of not following your blatent "do as I say, not as I do" mentality?

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

I'm wondering if this is the case: Do you think some cultures are more open to forgiving than others? I play tennis at a club that I'm PRETTY SURE had a white-only policy. Today, the club has many minority members and they don't seem to care that such a policy might have existed. It's definitely not reflective of the City of Toronto, but it's not as "white" as outsiders make it out to be.

I'm kind of confused about what you're asking here ... can you clarify this (about the forgiveness thing)?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by brobuzzz

You know, you're right. We all should just allow someone to respond without criticism to doubt about their organization with a story about how fraternities are immoral because the RUSHEES he knew did not demonstrate the ideals of the fraternities they DID NOT belong to because the underlying insult is concurrent with yours. I showed evidence of his story not applying and you jumped on my ass. Are you capable of not following your blatent "do as I say, not as I do" mentality?

He never called anyone immoral. You're reading things into it that weren't there.

I don't like that people can't say "this wasn't for me" anymore with out people being offended. I'm sure your fraternity does tons of philanthropy and isn't all white. That doesn't change his story at all.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by rocketgirl

either way, the fact is that multicultural groups exist because the NPC, IFC, and NPHC didn't have something we wanted - mainly the fact that we wanted to use our organization to promote cultural awareness and to work inside the community to increase understanding and education of multiple cultures. those are not things that the average group in NPC, IFC, and NPHC do, period. not to say that some of those chapters aren't diverse or have programming occasionally, but they are the exception at this point, not the norm.

To me, this statement sums up this whole thread. People are going to join groups, either MCGLO, IFC, NPC, NPHC,etc., that they feel comfortable in. Some people like being around people like themselves (not in a "I'm a card carrying KKK" way) and some people like meeting and being around people of various cultures and diverse backgrounds.

It all boils down to joining a group that you want/wish to belong to and you enjoy and other people respecting/accepting your wish. You may not agree or understand that someone wants to be in a MCGLO, but you respect their decision - just as you want them to respect you.

[Drolefille]

Co-sign the above!