Sam Ocampo
4-26-10
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
With the largest sorority and fraternity community in the country, it is evident that Greek
life at the University of Illinois is certainly an important and influential aspect on campus. This
makes the Greek system an intriguing subject for the study of race composition and relations.
According to the Greek mission statement, their diversity values are “to create an opportunity for
people of different backgrounds, cultures and interests to come together and celebrate the common
experiences” (Fraternity and Sorority Affairs). However, the evident racial diversity within each
chapter is quite slim. From observation, most sororities and fraternities on the University of Illinois
campus typically consist of mostly white individuals. In addition, these predominately white
chapters are segregated from the few sororities and fraternities that are instead comprised of mostly
minority individuals. Due to this reality, I would like to investigate what group(s) contribute to the
racial disparity and segregation within the University of Illinois Greek system and what are the
particular actions taken by the group(s) that are perpetuating the cycle of segregation and lack of
racial integration.
This question is worth examining for a number of different reasons. Many aspects of the
University have been criticized for their lack of diversity, potential discrimination, and observable
segregation such as housing, classes and admissions. Yet, measures have been implemented in order
to mitigate any racial preferential treatment and encourage more racial integration within these
realms. However, this is specifically a good question because Greek life seems like one of the
organizations on campus that may have gone under the same scrutiny, but effective measures have
not been taken, as evidence of the large majority of white and segregated Greek individuals. This
may be due to the fact that much of the Greek system lies on age-old tradition, and people often
refrain from questioning tradition, especially at this University. This research can be used to address
the issue of segregation and racial disparity within the Greek system. In addition, the question is
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open-ended but specific enough so that the research can focus on a directed aspect of the University
and race. The information gained will enable the Greek system and the University to create specific
measures or initiatives which would alter their specific actions that are perpetuating this racial
cycle.
This question also has a sense of stakes because it can reveal any discrimination or attempts
at segregation that continues to exist on a college campus in present time. Especially since the
Greek life is primarily geared toward social relations, this research may provide an answer to why
racial/ethnic segregation continues to exist within the relations of college students. This research
can then be used as evidence in the proposal of racial diversity or integration initiatives among
sororities and fraternities. If these initiatives are properly created and implemented and there is still
no difference in the racial composition and relations within the Greek community, it can be
reasonably inferred that the discrepancies between white and minority individuals engaging in the
Greek system are due to interest/desire motives, and not intentional racial segregation or exclusion.
By promoting an integrated Greek system, the integrity of the Greek system will be maintained and
the campus as a whole can move toward a more diverse and racially accepting institution.
PRIMARY SOURCE ESSAY
The University of Illinois is home to the largest sorority and fraternity community in the
country. With such a recognized title, one would think that the racial representations among this
community would not be such a pressing issue. In truth, the racial compositions and segregation
observed in the Panhellenic sororities, Interfraternity (ICF) fraternities, and the Black Greek
sororities and fraternities at the U of I and university campuses all around the nation pose a problem
to the universities themselves, as well as in an advancing society of racial integration. The harsh
disparity and separation between the numbers of white students compared to the numbers of
minority students in the Greek system, particularly within each chapter, poses the question: what
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actions taken by the Greek system are perpetuating the trend of racial disparity and segregation?
The answer to this question finds not one race or student group at fault, but instead is a result of
reciprocated behaviors on each other. It is important to note that throughout the essay, the term
“race” refers not only to the biological category of a group individuals, but the ethnic and cultural
backgrounds that remain closely tied with the definition of race as well.
It is quite evident that the Greek System on the U of I campus consists of mostly white
students. On the U of I Panhellenic Council website homepage displays an image of a group of
sorority girls in front of the Alma Mater from this past fall, each representing their respective
sorority. Virtually all the females are of the white race. What automatically strikes this group as
being predominately white is due to the quick observation that most of them lack the distinct
physical features that represent a racial minority such as chocolate skin or small eyes. While this
image does not indicate that only white females are in sororities, it does suggest the heavy influence
of white individuals in the representation of the Greek community.
It is also observed within the Greek system that the sororities and fraternities are generally
divided by race, where the predominately white chapters make up the majority, and predominately
racial minority chapters, the minority. Even among the minority houses, they too segregate by race
where there tends to have a large representation of one specific race such as Black, Asian, or
Latino(a) in one chapter. From photo gallery on the official site for the Kappa Phi Lamda sorority,
the sorority is comprised of virtually all Asian females. From the official Omega Delta webpage, the
active brothers are largely of the Latino race. The fact that the University has a separate Black
Greek council alone attests to the separation of white and black races in the Greek system. One
possibility resulting of this racial composition and distribution may in fact be an outcome of self
segregation. Individuals naturally gravitate to their own racial or ethnic group because there is a
greater likelihood of identification, acceptance, and comfort. However, there also exists the
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possibility that the racial disparity and divide is caused by institutionalized segregation, specifically
segregation that is intentional by certain sorority and fraternity chapters. This occurs when there is
an evident preference for one’s own or a particular race, coupled with the blatant exclusion and/or
discrimination of other races.
The predominately white sororities and fraternities on campus are most often criticized for
the racial segregation within the Greek system and lack of diversity within each of the chapters,
likely because they constitute the overwhelming majority of the system. Being the majority, their
actions are frequently observed and scrutinized. Because of this heightened surveillance, particular
behaviors of predominately white chapters can cause minority chapters to feel isolated,
marginalized and racially excluded. The December 2006 Daily Illini article “Race Relations 101”,
observes how a racist exchange between two largely white sorority and fraternity stirred heated
debate, not only within the Greek system, but among the whole University campus. The racially
themed exchange dubbed “Tacos and Tequila” brought members of the Delta Delta Delta sorority
and the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity to come dressed in racist stereotypical costumes such as appearing
pregnant for females, and wearing sombreros or farmer shirts for men. Many students were
offended by the event, arguing the actions of the exchange were racist and mocking (O’Kelly).
While the article was published a couple months after the incident, the main purpose of the source
was not solely to report the event, but also to highlight the response of the angered student body to
the event, illustrating that stressed race relations on campus were certainly an issue at the time. This
article initiated the further search of an additional source that revealed the race issues within the
Greek system at a more recent time period.
The above instance draws specific attention to white chapters isolating and excluding
minorities. It also demonstrates that while different racial minorities stem from unique racialized
histories, the commonality in their exclusion from whites brings us to the generalization that the
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white race denotes inclusion, while minority races indicate exclusion. However, behaviors taken by
minority chapters, too, result in the same marginalizing exclusion of whites, illustrating how the
segregation is evident in both directions. The separation of the Black Greek council from the
Panhallenic and Infraternity councils only reinforces the separation and labeling of individuals by
race. The likelihood of a white individual wanting to join a group labeled as “black” remains slim
because the label defines who and who cannot “fit” in the group, thus preventing any attempt at
integration. While the criteria to “fit” in a racial category may be partially biological, as noted in
“Racial Formations” by Michael Omi and Howard Winant, the authors also suggest “that the truth
of race lies in the terrain of innate characteristics, of which skin color and other physical attributes
provide only the most obvious, and some respects most superficial, indicators” (Omi & Winant 14).
This exclusion, regardless of which race is on the receiving end, aids in the continuation of the
segregating cycle. The reciprocal causality of white chapters excluding minority students and
minority chapters excluding white students further reinforces the racial divide, demonstrating that
the segregation is an effect of both white and minority chapters’ actions.
While the racial composition and segregation observed within the U of I Greek system may
not be at the blame of a particular racial chapter, many people do, nonetheless, often assume that it
is the Greek system as a whole that is responsible for the lack of integration. Some criticism arises
from the speculation of the racist underpinnings of certain Greek chapters. A September 2000
Florida Times Union newspaper article was published after allegations were cited in which a black
female student from the University of Georgia had been rejected by the Alpha Gamma Delta
sorority based on her race. The article quoted Owen Barker, head of the UGA Office of Judicial
Programs, stated “Greek system is ‘still for the most part segregated. Perhaps a situation like this
can help us change’ ” (Stroer). The quote implies that the underlying racism of the Greek system is
a key factor to the resulting segregation. The incident stirred national controversy as it served as a
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wake-up call that racism continues to seep into Greek life even in our contemporary era, an
organization that many college students all over the nation currently take part in, or wish to in the
future.
In the Daily Illini article “Project 500 lingers, influences UI race relations”, Ian Sassano,
sophomore in Business, stated “I think this campus is pretty racially segregated, and I think the
Greek system makes it that way.” He believed the Greek system perpetuated segregation among the
student community through their development of cliques that “view themselves in a narcissistic
light” (Cisneros and Silverberg). This October 2008 article was published examining the issue of
race on the UI campus during the 40th anniversary of Project 500, which was a program that offered
admission to more than 500 black students in 1968. The source reveals that even after the
implementation of diversity initiatives such as Project 500, stressed race relations continue to exist
due to lack of integration among students, lack of respect for other races, and lack of
communication among the Greek councils. Even more, the source acknowledges that “actions by
the Greek community have led to racial tensions” emphasizing their influence in the racial
exclusiveness, which perpetuates segregation of the Greek system and the negative responses
among the student body (Cisneros and Silverberg).
While this last source stresses the actions of the Greek system as the basis for racial
segregation within the Greek life, it also proposes the idea that the racial environment on campus is
more complex than just the actions of the Greek community. The argument of Greek system being
accountable for the racial divide is complicated by the source in suggesting that other individuals on
campus are responsible as well, requiring a broader answer. Thus, instead of questioning what
actions by the Greek system alone perpetuated racial disparity and segregation, the altered form of
the research question became “what group(s) contribute to the racial disparity and segregation
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4-26-10
within the U of I Greek system, and what particular actions taken by these group(s) continue to
perpetuate the cycle of segregation and lack of racial integration within the Greek system.”
This led to the next source of information, which argued that non-Greek students also
perpetuate the segregation of the Greek system by maintaining the stereotype of “racially exclusive”
chapters, or a “racially exclusive” Greek system as a whole. The article which was titled “Greek life
isn’t just for whites” in 2009 was posted in ORBIS, a Vanderbilt publication that provides a chance
for students to express their liberal, multicultural, and minority viewpoints. The publication aims to
inform the public of the issues that students are experiencing and encourage diversity within the
Vanderbilt community. In the article, a Japanese native describes her feelings of exclusion when her
fellow classmates continue to refer to a “white Greek system.” She states “I am part of the Greek
system, and blanket statements that it’s ‘white’ make me feel as though I don’t belong. It is the
comments made by uninformed people, not the Greek system, that often make me feel segregated
from the Vanderbilt community at large” (Fukuda). Labels such as these furthermore deter potential
minority students from even considering joining the Greek system in the first place. Thus, when
minority students that potentially could contribute to integration are dissuaded, segregation and
racial exclusiveness is preserved.
From this research, it is evident that the racial exclusivity and isolation practices of the
Greek system and the maintaining of racially exclusive stereotypes by the non-Greek students are
perpetuating the cycle of racial inequality and segregation within the Greek system. Acknowledging
that the race relations on campus are a complex function of both the Greek system and non-Greek
student body’s actions, these groups can strive to increase communication and interaction among
each other, while reflecting and stepping away from tendencies of racial exclusiveness. Examining
what initiatives have been taken by the Greek system and University to alleviate the racial
segregation and promote integration would be the next step in the research process. An integrated
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Greek system would not only advance from a racially preferenced and segregated college campus,
but advance our student population to look beyond the racial labels of each student. By learning
more about the characteristics that make each individual intriguing and unique as well as embracing
their differences, this campus can be a more diverse and racially accepting environment.
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Works Cited
Cisneros, Paolo, and Melissa Silverberg. "Project 500 lingers, influences UI race relations." Daily
Illini 22 October 2008. Web. 1 Apr 2010.
<http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2008/10/22/project-500-lingers-influences-ui-racerelations>.
Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. “Community Mission and Values. Web. 5 Apr 2010.
http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/greek/about/communitystatement.asp.
Fukuda, Ayumi. "Greek Life Isn't Just for Whites." ORBIS 9 Apr 2003. Web. 5 Apr 2010.
<http://media.www.vanderbiltorbis.com/media/storage/paper983/news/2003/04/09/Undefine
dSection/Greek.Life.Isnt.Just.For.Whites-2471600.shtml>.
O'Kelly, Meghan. "Race Relations 101." Daily Illini 8 Dec 2006. Web. 30 Mar 2010.
<http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2006/12/08/race-relations-101>.
Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. Racial Formations. 7th. Worth Publishers, 2007. 13-22. Print.
Offical site of Kappa Phi Lamda. Web. 5 Apr 2010. <http://uiuc.kappaphilambda.org/>.
Official site of Omega Delta. Web. 5 Apr 2010. <http://www.omegadelta-alpha.com/>.
Stroer, Joan. "UGa puts sorority on suspension." Florida Times Union 8 Sep 2000. Web. 14 Apr
2010. <http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090800/met_4008295.html>.
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