Kappa Phi Lambda

Kappa Phi Lambda ΚΦΛ Founded: March 9, 1995 at The State University of New York, Binghamton Founders: Elizabeth Choi Karen Eng Rei Hirasawa Hee Cho Moon Chae Yoo Park Samantha Somchanhmavong Connie Yang Nicknames: Kappas, KPL Official Colors: Scarlet Red White Heather Grey
Flower:	Orchid
Gem:	Diamond
Mascot:	Phoenix
Motto:	"Sisterhood, Service & Cultural Diversity"
Homepage:	[http://www.kappaphilambda.org http://www.kappaphilambda.org]

Kappa Phi Lambda (ΚΦΛ) is an Asian American interest sorority that was founded on March 9, 1995 at SUNY Binghamton in Binghamton, New York. The sorority was conceived through the notion of an organization that would provide a culturally sound and educationally inspiring grounding for Asian American women. With 25 schools and growing across the East Coast and the Midwest, [http://www.kappaphilambda.org/ Kappa Phi Lambda] is one of the fastest expanding Asian American interest sororities in the United States.

History

Seven women came together to establish Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. at Binghamton University on March 9, 1995. The seven founders were Elizabeth Choi, Karen Eng, Rei Hirasawa, Hee Cho Moon, Chae Yoo Park, Samantha Somchanhmavong, and Connie Yang. They united with a single vision of providing women with the chance to use their pride in their heritage to become leaders in society.

This sorority is open to women of all nationalities and backgrounds who want to learn about, actively speak for, and represent Pan-Asian culture. The first sisters of Kappa Phi Lambda extended their hands to the community through charitable works of both service oriented and philanthropic natures. Kappa Phi Lambda was formed with the aim of providing the campuses and society with yet another option for learning and another outlet for activity.

Mission Statement

ervice & Philanthropy

Kappa Phi Lambda is an organization which prides itself on its sense of commitment to cultural diversity and strong bonds of sisterhood. However, the other primary focus is to offer their service to the community. Its national philanthropic cause is the [http://www.napawf.org/ National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)] , the only multi-issue APA women's organization in the country with the mission to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for APA women and girls. Individual chapters or colonies participate in their own community service events. Furthermore, each respective school has designated at least one local non-profit organization as their philanthropic cause of choice. The sorority predominantly focuses on contributing to domestic violence organizations, all the while maintaining its sense of diversity by fundraising for other types of causes of concern.

Cultural Diversity

The sisters of Kappa Phi Lambda strongly believe in the importance of cultural diversity — not only amongst its membership but also within the greater context of the universities and communities in which the organization exists. Although it is an Asian American interest sorority, the organization stresses multicultural awareness through a variety of Pan-Asian cultural events, and membership is open to application from women of all backgrounds. Kappa Phi Lambda chapters and colonies organize programming which enriches cultural awareness including but not limited to speaker series, workshops, film screenings, and collaborations with other cultural groups.

Locations

Chapters

*Α - SUNY Binghamton
*Β - SUNY Buffalo
*Γ - Syracuse University
*Δ - SUNY Stony Brook
*Ε - New York University
*Ζ - St. John's University
*Η - Rutgers University
*Θ - CUNY Baruch
*Ι - Cornell University
*Λ - University of Maryland, Baltimore County
*Μ - University of Massachusetts at Amherst
*Ν - Northwestern University
*Ξ - Northeastern University
*Ο - The Ohio State University
*Π - Carnegie Mellon University
*Ρ - University of Florida
*Σ - University of Connecticut
*Τ - Columbia University
*Υ - University at Albany

Colonies

* University of Michigan
* Northern Illinois University
* George Mason University
* University of Maryland, College Park
* Miami University of Ohio
* University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
* George Washington University

References

Kappa Phi Lambda national website (http://www.kappaphilambda.org)