Encountering a “culture shock,”  was very common for a majority of the founding mothers upon entering college. They felt alienated in a place that seemed far away from home and therefore far away from the warmth of their families. There were few people to relate to and create genuine relationships with, as many of their peers seemed impossible. Upon finding each other and warmth that the company brought forth, they decided to establish a sorority, and called it…​

Pi Lambda Chi​

PLC

Preserving Latina Culture​

Were they assimilating into the mainstream? The founding mothers did not believe this was the case at all, and to further support this notion, made preserving their culture and their identity an integral part of their organization.

Preserving Latina Culture was chosen by the founding mothers as the motto of  to embrace the concept of what the sorority stands for, and to create a remembrance of why the sorority was established. The motto was the result of the personal struggles these women had encountered prior to meeting one another. It was a response to the ridicule they received from their own people at the idea of establishing a Latina sorority.

Admitting that the Greek words did not roll off their tongues naturally, they knew this was the only way to successfully achieve the vision that was common to all of them. These women saw the Greek system as a system that worked to retain women in higher education, and in their case, preserve their identity and their culture… their Latina culture.