In an overwhelmingly bustling atmosphere like New York City, it is easy to feel lost in the crowd –– and disconnected from others –– especially as a college student navigating identity and seeking belonging. For many at NYU, multicultural sororities offer a solution: a place to build close bonds, reconnect with their culture and find others who share similar experiences.
Traditional Greek life, especially sororities, have long been criticized for their lack of diversity. Multicultural sororities find their roots in the pioneering work of historically Black sororities, which create spaces for Black college students amid the overwhelmingly homogenous Greek life across the nation and wider racial segregation.
While diversity at NYU is declining, multicultural Greek life at NYU is growing. With 14 fraternities and sororities currently on campus, these groups incorporate cultural traditions with the community element that defines Greek life.
Ashley Luo, a senior at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, is the vice president of the Multicultural Greek Council at NYU and president of Kappa Phi Lambda’s Epsilon associate chapter, an Asian-interest sorority. Luo had a difficult time adjusting to her new environment but found respite in multicultural Greek life, something she was not aware of before attending NYU.
“My first semester at NYU was a little bit on the lonely side,” Luo said. “When I went to the first rush event, I felt such a genuine connection with the sisters and the other rushees, which prompted me to keep coming back.”
Elena Wu, a Steinhardt senior, serves as vice president of internal affairs at another Asian-interest sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi. Wu was seeking a stronger connection to her Asian heritage at NYU and she found it through the sorority.
“I honestly just loved the sisters and the atmosphere,” Wu said. “I felt like I was really welcomed, and I think that [being part of a] multicultural sorority was for me, because it helps me be in touch with my Asian culture and share my culture with those similar to me.”
Multicultural sororities also create a space for conversations that are not present in traditional Greek life. Morgan Garrett, an SPS senior, is the second vice president and membership chairman of the historically African American Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s Lambda chapter at NYU. In an interview with WSN, she spoke about the variety of issues that her sorority is interested in, such as social justice and politics.
“Our sorority was founded on the basis of helping Black, college-educated women,” Garrett said. “We had a round table last semester called Unity for Change, and we spoke about the political climate and things that our universities were going through at the time.”
Multicultural sororities also help members advance their careers. Garrett attributes the Educational Advancement Foundation — a research scholarship specifically for her sorority — for teaching her grant writing, as well as running the sorority’s Instagram for teaching her marketing and project management skills. Luo similarly noted that her leadership role in Kappa Phi Lambda has made her a better leader, which she says is important in fostering a supportive community.
“You gain a lot of skills being able to serve as a communicator between two people or two different types of entities,” Luo said. “Especially in times of conflict, making sure that you are unbiased, and you’re able to mediate these kinds of conflicts and help different people get to understand where they’re each coming from.”
In line with their mission of promoting diversity, multicultural sororities are not exclusive to specific racial or ethnic groups. Delta Kappa Delta — a South Asian service sorority — includes members from diverse backgrounds such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, and also includes those in the LGBTQ+ community. Ambika Polavarapu, a junior majoring in neural science at College of Arts & Science, is the co-fundraising chair and parliamentarian.
“We allow anybody to come and join as long as they’re interested in doing service and learning about South Asian heritage and history,” Polavarapu said.
The interviewees expressed a shared hope for the further growth of multicultural sororities at NYU as well as gratitude for the friendships and experiences these communities provided to
them.
“I can’t imagine my college experience without my sisters,” Polavarapu said. “I hope to stay in touch with all the girls in my sorority. I have made great friends in that group, and they’ll definitely stay a big part in my life.”
Contact Joanne Lee at [email protected].