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In the Spring semester of 1991, a
handful of women decided to establish a Latina sorority at Hofstra University after finding that the other sororities on campus
did not meet their expectations in terms of promoting and helping the Latino culture and community. In the Summer of 1991,
the women were informed of a new sorority named Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha , Inc.. The women learned of the sorority's goals and history which brought them to
the decision to bring Hermandad de SIA, Inc.
to Hofstra University.
In the Fall semester of 1991, an interest group of thirty women
formed at Hofstra University. These women performed various community service activities with the sisters of SIA. Out of the thirty women, seven were determined to pledge and thus join
the sisterhood of SIA. They were Claudia
(Seijo) Rivera, Karina (Borja) Hirshfeld, Migdalia Sanchez, Janet (Tavarez) Darrow, Fanny (Gonzalez) Blair, Lisette (Montalvo)Cantara,
and Kathleen (VanIhsem) Gastelu.
On December 1992, Hofstra University approved the establishment of a chapter of
SIA on campus. Not only did the Zeta Chapter
become the first organization approved by the African and Latino Fraternal Sororal Alliance, but it was also the first Latino
"Greek" Lettered Organization recognized at Hofstra University.
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