Dance rhythm you know beats making that music with your body is being able to really execute that and express that others so when you see dancing and stuffing these jeans we are speaking about our experiences as an organization as well as being able to relay our Latino culture something is showing is a
Chance for you to represent your organization it gives us a different way to express ourselves it’s not just another rally it’s not just another protest or some some type of forefront of a movement we’re out here performing it has a deeper meaning for multicultural Greeks on college campuses
Step and stroll is all about expression every movement has a surface we add our own elements into where our colors are our signs everything like that because we want it to be about the organization itself it’s not just about dancing you’re what the group of it – are able
To step in stroll in front of a community and know that I’m putting my letters of Pi Lambda Chi and I’m representing my organization and at the end of the day I leave my heart and soul for that stepping and strolling are just one of the many activities that that multicultural fraternities and
Sororities offer to its members I chose program decay because I was a first-year and first-generation student add to you and for me I felt like I needed a home away from home on a place that often doesn’t feel like home because D U is a predominantly Caucasian
University for me I really just wanted that support network and just a group of people that can help me through college especially being his first year student first-generation student I think a lot of Latino organizations fraternities and sororities they all share some principles and similar values and we all
Aim to do some of the same things we just do it in different ways although there are dozens of multicultural organizations throughout the country there are no official enrollment numbers because many are private but students say a big part of their growing appeal is that multicultural fraternities and sororities are fairly different from
Predominantly white and traditional organizations Panhellenic comes from a very traditional sense where they recruit by numbers they get to choose their members they have to pay extensive amounts of money to live within you know houses or their dues and things like that with multicultural organization its quality over quantity
In 2015 37 percent of Latinos ages 18 to 24 were enrolled in a two or four-year institution although their college enrollment numbers have increased many Latino students still feel a bit like strangers on their college campuses when they walk into campus they’re coming from many of them are coming from
Segregated communities right growing up amongst other Latinos actually about a third of Latino students in K through 12 are going to all minority schools so when they enroll in college they may experience things like culture shock feelings of not belonging marginalization racial microaggressions and sometimes even blatant racism and
Because of that they seek Co ethnics so one of the options that our Latino student organizations some of them are sororities or professional clubs there are political groups and students come to those groups in general seeking a place to have fellowship with people and in my research I find that the
Latino student organizations are really doing the work that their institution is failing to do Venable Scalia says that Latino organizations increase retention and graduation rates she says they really do serve the critical role of connecting and integrating Latino students to the campus community at large they also provide access to strong alumni networks
And professional development connections and resources often not available to first-generation students so when a Latino student arrives on campus this is an achievement right it’s an achievement not of just that student but of their family and at many times their community right so they want to come to whatever
Campus they they choose enrolling they are looking for a place to celebrate and share in that achievement so a Latino students already a Latino student organization is a space to share in the hardships but also share in their successes one of the most rewarding aspects of Latino Greek life is being
Able to go back to their own neighborhoods and give back as a group in other words strength in numbers we are a support network of group of women going through college first and foremost that’s why we’re there we’re also a very big part of in giving back to our communities which means community
Service go to communities and help them out whether that’s to tutor them whether that’s going to Salvation Army’s and helping those communities out whether that’s an individual sister knowing different parts that they know that they need help with with FAFSA night where parents kind of need that bilingual help
As well so it’s more than just going to a party it’s a really community of giving back to where we came from where our roots are for many Latino students these fraternities and sororities give them more of an understanding into their Latino identities every time they are seen in their letters they are
Representing a community a network sisterhood a Brotherhood ultimately these organizations unify students of color whether they are stepping strolling or sitting in a classroom so at the end of the day I feel like it is helping and it’s helping to promote our organization to any woman that’s interested that unifies us whether
You’re in my organization or not your brother’s your sisters having a chance to perform together and that one moment those two three minutes seven eight minutes just shows a camaraderie that you guys all have I just I love more organization and what it stands for Hey NBC News fans thanks for checking out our YouTube channel subscribe by clicking on that button down here and click on any of the videos over here to watch the latest interviews show highlights and digital exclusives thanks for watching
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