Sigma Phi Omega

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sigma Phi Omega (ΣΦΩ)

Founded	1949 University of Southern California
Type	Social
Scope	Asian-American
Motto	The Reward is in the Doing
Colors	Kelley Green and Maize Yellow
Flower	Yellow Rose
Free label	Strength and Character
Headquarters	, , USA
Homepage	http://www.sigmaphiomega.com

Sigma Phi Omega (ΣΦΩ), also known as Sigmas, is an Asian American interest sorority.

1 History
2 Philanthropy
3 Sigma Phi Omega Today
- 3.1 Chapters
- 3.2 Affiliations
4 External links
5 Source

[edit] History

[edit] Purpose

Sigma Phi Omega was founded at the University of Southern California 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.

[edit] Early years

In its early beginnings, the founding mothers of Sigma Phi Omega were invited by Chi Alpha Delta, 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.

Membership was primilary those of Japanese descent in the beginning, although it was open in membership. The pledge program was implemented in the mid-1950s.

[edit] 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

[edit] Philanthropy

Sigma Phi Omega has chosen domestic violence 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.