Pi Alpha Phi
From Greekopedia | The Fraternity & Sorority Encylopedia
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| Fraternity Information | |
| Name: | Pi Alpha Phi |
| Founding Date: | 1929 |
| Founding Campus: | UC Berkeley |
| Number Chapters: | 11 Chapters, 2 Associate |
| Council: | NAPA |
| Website: | www.pialphaphi.com |
| NAME | Pi Alpha Phi |
| LETTERS | ΠΑΦ |
| FOUNDING DATE | 1929 |
| FOUNDING UNIVERSITY | UC Berkeley |
| TYPE | Social |
| SCOPE | National |
| COUNCIL | NAPA |
| MOTTO | "A Tradition of Excellence Since 1929" |
| COLORS | Navy Blue and California Gold |
| SYMBOL | Brotherhood Links |
| CHAPTERS | 11 Chapters, 2 Associate |
| HEADQUARTERS | 2534 Warring Street Berkeley, California, USA |
| WEBSITE | www.pialphaphi.com |
Contents |
History
History
Pi Alpha Phi was established in 1929 at the University of California, Berkeley by six founding fathers: D. Wing Tom, Wing Chan, Elmer Leong, Chack Chan, Tim Jang, and George Lee. Pi Alpha Phi's six founders formed their own Asian American fraternity in part because traditional Greek fraternities legally discriminated against them.
Founders
The Founding Fathers of Pi Alpha Phi hailed primarily from the state of California. Elmer Leong, George Lee, and D. Wing Tom were from the SF Bay Area. Tim Jang, Wing Chan, and his younger brother Chack Chan came from the Central Valley Region of California. All were born in America with the exception of Wing Chan, who came from China at an early age. The men studied science and engineering, which was considered a better path to employment after graduation since discrimination prevented most Asians from entering into law, medicine or other graduate disciplines.
Their challenges grew as they found out that student lodging was often not rented to those of Asian heritage. It was especially difficult for Tim, Wing and Chack from the Central Valley for whom commuting was not an option. The problem was solved by the goodwill of a sympathetic German woman known as Mother Tusch, who also had been a victim of racism. The seeds of brotherhood were planted in the cabin she rented to Wing, Elmer and D. Wing Tom behind her house near Sather Gate. The six men proceeded with their college careers, engaging in academic and social events, as well as athletics. Elmer Leong even joined the university track team. They found great comfort and camaraderie in their small group but felt compelled to turn their group into more than a circle of friends, more than a club, more than a social gathering. They decided to form a formal fraternity of brothers that would bind them forever; a fraternity that would break the status quo and seek recognition by the university system.
Following graduation in the early 1930s, the Founding Fathers found life difficult. The country was in the midst of the Great Depression and discrimination against those of Asian heritage for jobs was even more prevalent. Four of the six - Wing Chan, Chack Chan, D. Wing Tom and George Lee - went to southern China to find employment and new lives. Tim and Elmer decided to stay in America to continue their education and start a career despite the difficult circumstances. The four in China prospered, with Wing teaching chemistry at a university in Canton, Chack Chan working in the local aircraft industry, George Lee pursuing a medical degree; and all four found their wives and started their families. In 1937, with the advent of war in China, all returned home to America with the exception of Wing, who returned after World War II. During wartime, each of the founding fathers made contributions to their country. For example, Tim enlisted in the U.S. Navy Seabees. He served as a construction corpsman for the 132nd Naval Construction Battalion in the Pacific. Chack put his engineering skills to use as a draftsman at the famed Henry J. Kaiser naval shipyard in Richmond, California, where many of the country's great war ships were built.
Mission Statement
Pi Alpha Phi focuses itself on several core values, which are written into its [1]. The 5 pillars of the fraternity are: Academic Excellence, Asian Awareness, Brotherhood, Leadership, and Philanthropy.
Academic Excellence
The Fraternity creates a studious environment and encourages each of its members to achieve his greatest academic potential. The Fraternity supports all educational endeavors and recognizes exceptional academic achievement.
Asian American Awareness
The Fraternity believes in learning Asian American culture, heritage and history. The Fraternity encourages its members to pass on this knowledge to others.
Brotherhood
The Fraternity encourages mutual trust, respect, and loyalty among its members. The Fraternity creates an extended family that nurtures life-long "friendships" through the shared bonds of tradition, shared values, and unity.
Leadership
The Fraternity provides opportunities to fulfill important duties within the organization and helps members develop leadership skills in preparation for their future careers and endeavors.
Philanthropy
The Fraternity is committed to its responsibility to serve others and encourages participation in activities for the betterment of not only the Asian American community, but the community as a whole. One of its national events is the Jade Ribbon Campaign.
Jade Ribbon Campaign
The Jade Ribbon Campaign spreads awareness of the greatest health disparity between Asian Americans and white Americans: liver cancer, 80% of which is caused by chronic hepatitis B infection.
The dragon the fraternity purchased was thought to have a capacity of only 20 people, but when it was put together, it was much longer. Although the dragon may not have been the most elaborate of the parade, it was definitely the longest, as the crowd surely recognized as the dragon snaked through the downtown parade route.
The fraternity members took advantage of our opportunity by having a great turnout: almost 100 fraternity members showed up to participate and share in the bonds of brotherhood. Running a dragon at the parade has always been a great opportunity for the fraternity’s members to work together, build the bonds of brotherhood, and celebrate cultural traditions. This year, they were also able to support a great philanthropic cause: the Jade Ribbon Campaign.
Entities
Chapters
Α Chapter - University of California, Berkeley - 1929
B Chapter - State University of New York, Stony Brook - 1990
Γ Chapter - University of California, Davis - 1990
Δ Chapter - San José State University - 1991
Ε Chapter - University of California, Riverside - 1993
Ζ Chapter - University of California, Santa Cruz - 1995
Η Chapter - University of California, Irvine - 1998
Θ Chapter - University of California, San Diego - 2000
Ι Chapter - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - 2000
Κ Chapter - University of Arizona, Tucson - 2002
Μ Chapter - Michigan State University - 2003
Ν Chapter - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2003
Ξ Chapter - University of Washington - 2004
Associate Chapters
University of California, Santa Barbara - 2006
State University of New York, Buffalo - 2008
