In a step toward solidarity in opposing Arizona's controversial immigrant legislation law, SB 1070, some of the nation's prominent fraternities and sororities have decided to boycott upcoming Greek conferences in the state.
One of the first organizations to officially boycott Arizona's new immigration law was Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African-Americans. The fraternity decided to move its annual convention this July from Phoenix to Las Vegas.
"It was the full opinion of the board that we could not host a meeting in a state that has sanctioned a law which we believe will lead to racial profiling and discrimination, and a law that could put the civil rights and the very dignity of our members at risk during their stay in Phoenix Arizona," said Herman "Skip" Mason, Jr., the fraternity's national general president.
Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, the largest Latino fraternity in the country, had scheduled representatives to attend the Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA) and the National Association of Fraternal Latino Organization (NALFO) conferences in Phoenix this year. However, because of the actions of the Arizona state legislature the fraternity is boycotting both conferences and any national event held within the state of Arizona.
More civil-conscious Greek-letter organizations have joined the national Arizona boycott including Sigma Lamba Beta Fraternity, Phi Iota Alpha Latino Fraternity, Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity, and Lambda Pi Chi Sorority.
Other organizations have issued statements denouncing Arizona's SB 1070, however have fell short of an all-out boycott of the state. The list of fraternities and sororities calling for a state boycott continues to grow, so if your organization is not listed in this post, please feel free to add your fraternity or sorority's name below in the comment section.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeleteWhile I wholeheartedly disagree with the Arizona law and the racial message behind it, I struggle with the idea of boycotting Arizona in response. Of course, I understand the symbolic gesture, but economically it will be a drop in the bucket. And Arizona is hardly the only state with racist policies or practices. Therefore, does focusing on this one figurehead of racism simultaneously exonerate the other 49 states?
It's an interesting issue and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Let's just hope that something fair is done eventually on the national level to address the issue overall. I agree, as the governor has pointed out, a boycott would be just a drop in the bucket, but a symbolic one. I support the Greek organizations that strongly voice their opposition to the new law and applaud those that officially boycott the state. It sends a strong message for support of equal protection under the law and just puts all organizations on record.
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