A SISTERHOOD THAT PUSHED BOUNDARIES AND PAVED THE WAY AS THE FIRST LATINA SORORITY IN THE NATION

The year 1975 saw the birth of an unprecedented vision: a sisterhood to cater to the needs of collegiate womxn of Latin American descent, and hereafter, the Universal Womxn. Several causes led to the realization that such an organization as Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated was necessary. Primarily, the traditional gender role of the Latinx womxn to maintain the family unit often left little, to no, structural nor familial support for attaining higher education.

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In 1975, Kean University of Union, New Jersey, began to implement bilingual studies and Latin American and Caribbean studies departments, allowing for Latinx womxn to embark in higher education even if English was not their native language. Albeit only an initial step. In fact, structurally, there were significant voids left to be filled. Student retention, financial and emotional support, centers for cultural enrichment, etc. were all lacking. A poignant reminder that Latinx womxn were still marginalized and their struggle for equality on every level had just begun.

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But from these barriers, at this university, and in this historical time, a group of womxn convened to discuss the formation of a sisterhood for Latinx womxn. Its focus would be to actively integrate itself into the social, political and community service arena that other students had been involved with. 

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Lambda Theta Alpha was recognized at Kean University as the First Latina Sorority founded in the United States. This organization was the first to acknowledge the need for a support system, thus creating one. The desire to progress, dedication to their community, and the aspiration for the advancement of the Latinx womxn marked the beginning of Lambda Theta Alpha. It allowed the independent Latina womxn of a new era to have a sense of belonging and with that, achieve her highest potential. 

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Now, several decades later, we have seen the outcome of such an organization. Lambda Theta Alpha has contributed to the advancement of all people by helping to produce educated womxn of many races, ethnicities, and creeds. LTA has also paved the way for many other Latina organizations, which would later pursue the empowering movement that we set the trend for. From 1975 to date, Lambda Theta Alpha has upheld its purpose and mission, each day realizing the Founder's dream - that it may serve as a quintessential trailblazer for all womxn. Thanks to the tremendous strides made by our seventeen Founding Mothers, this dream was realized and took form as Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated, the first Latina sorority in the nation.