Home Our Poder Education These 7 Latino College Groups Are Making a Difference

These 7 Latino College Groups Are Making a Difference

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More and more Latinos are going to college, but many still often find that they don’t fit into the community at large within their campuses. Thankfully, there are organizations, clubs, and groups whose goal is to make fellow Latino students feel understood, represented, and empowered. The following seven college groups do just that — making a difference on their campus, as well as giving back to the world through philanthropic work.

1 National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO)

The National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) supports and unites 16 Latino fraternities and sororities across the country. Their National Day of Service (NDOS), whose theme is Unidos con Proposito (United with Purpose), gives back to the community. The organizations NALFO has worked with this year include You Are Not Forgotten, Capital Area Food Bank, Green Our Planet, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, and more.

2 Lambda Theta Alpha Sorority

Lambda Theta Alpha has the distinction of being the very first Latina sorority in the United States. Founded in 1975, the ladies of LTA help the world by dedicating time, money, and other resources to benefit St. Jude. St. Jude is the sorority’s national philanthropy; they have raised over $208,000 for the children’s hospital since 2011.

3 La Escuelita of UCSB

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La Escuelita of UCSB is a student organization at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that gives back to the communities of Goleta and Isla Vista. The group first provided bilingual education to Chicano youth during the 1960s; today, La Escuelita empowers kids with tutoring in both English and Spanish, volunteer fieldwork experience, and information about attending college.

4 Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity

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Established in 1931, Phi Iota Alpha is the oldest Latino fraternity still in existence in the country. Their national philanthropy is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). This year, they aimed to raise $5000 for UNICEF’s efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean. Two notable members of Phi Iota Alpha are former president of Honduras, Carlos Roberto Flores Facussé, and former president of Panama, Eric Arturo Delvalle.

5 Central Americans for Empowerment

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Central Americans for Empowerment (C.A.F.E.) is an organization, among several schools such as San Diego State University, UC Riverside, and UC Berkeley, dedicated to providing Central American students with beneficial resources and a sense of community (including a study session with pan dulce!). CAFE has been focusing their giving lately on the Central American refugees, by raising money, writing them letters, and an organization a donation drive.

6 Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA)

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MEChA is a national student organization, emerging from the Chicano Movement of the 1960s (at UC Santa Barbara). It’s goal is to uplift and empower Chicano students, and advocate for higher learning, all while preserving Chicano culture. There is said to be over 400 “loosely” affiliated chapters in high schools, colleges and universities.

7 La Unidad Latina Foundation (LULF)

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La Unidad Latina Foundation “propels students dedicated to advancing the Latino community from high school to college graduation and beyond.” They help to create a community of educated Latinos by offering scholarships, and programs in college readiness, and career readiness.

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