At a panel on diversity in the Greek system, six student panelists said distrust between minority groups and Greek houses may inhibit advances towards a more diverse system.
The panel on Wednesday night, which had five minorities from "mainstream" Greek houses and one member of a historically black fraternity, was sponsored by the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council.
Several panel members, speaking to about 20 people, said their houses are more diverse than they were in the past, but progress still has to be made.
"I think the Greek system has come a long ways in terms of diversity," said Kiyoe Hashimoto '95, an Asian-American member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. "I look at composites on the wall and all I see are white faces."
Hashimoto said when Danielle Moore '95 depledged Tri-Delt last summer because it did not support her needs as a Native American, it made many people in the house think about diversity issues.
Yeng Felipe '96, a Filipino who is a member of Sigma Delta sorority, said she did not even consider diversity in the Greek system to be an issue until she rushed.
"It wasn't an issue until I went to different houses and thought there was a big emphasis on addressing minority issues which I though was very positive," she said. "I found it very rewarding."
Because she is the only Filipino in the house, Felipe said she is asked to "educate" other sorority sisters, a role she said she enjoys.
"Once I joined a sorority I always wanted to give something back because, I know it sounds kind of cheesy, I got so much out of it," she said.
Ana Henderson '94, President of La Alianza Latina and member of Sigma Delt, said she does not have a problem with diversity in her house but does run into problems at some fraternity parties. She said sometimes she is talking to her friends in Spanish and people at the parties will tell her to speak in English.
"Getting the Greek system more diverse will be very difficult because a lot of people don't like it --they feel alienated in it," she said.
She also said there is not enough of a commitment to increasing diversity in many Greek houses and that many houses do not seem interested in learning about other cultures.
"Unfortunately, when you are a minority in any type of situation, you also end up being an educator," she said. "I went to the house I ended up in because people wanted to learn."
Several panelists said there is distrust between minority groups and the Greek system. For example, Henderson said La Alianza Latina does not like to sponsor events with fraternities because "there is a belief to some extent that they are doing things just to raise their image with the administration."
She also said there is some mistrust of minorities who are in Greek houses.
"Some people consider it selling out -- that's what you hear sometimes, but not often," she said.
Felipe said she agreed, saying there is a barrier between minorities and the Greek system.
"I've always felt like I had my own separate Filipino friends and my sorority friends," she said.
Malia Brink '96, a Jewish member of Tabard coed fraternity, said her house is very diverse, and that diversity leads to interesting discussion.
"It fosters an informal environment where things are going to come up and you're going to learn something whether you like it or not," Brink said.
But Chip Sanchez '96, a Latino in Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity, said most of his Latino friends do not have a problem with him being in a house.
"The diversity issue is not a very big issue in my mind," he said. "I definitely feel like being Latin American hasn't influenced my fraternity life in any way at all. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I don't know."
He said some degree of separation is natural between students from different cultures, because people want to be with those similar to themselves.
Calvin Daniels '96, a member of historically black Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, said he joined his house to reach out and help others in the black community.
"I chose to be in Alpha Phi Alpha as opposed to any other fraternity," Daniels said. "It is not a black or white issue. It is not a color issue at all."
He said some African-Americans are skeptical of other blacks joining mainstream Greek houses, calling those people "sellouts."
Several panelists said one of the reasons why minorities are skeptical about the Greek system is that they do not know much about it.
