Contact: Jarrod Cruz, Executive Director, Lambda Theta Phi
E-mail:
Date: May 11, 2018
Washington, D.C. – On April 27-28, 2017, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. hosted a two-day advocacy program on Capitol Hill. Lambdas on the Hill served as a direct opportunity for members to communicate with Congressional leaders about Immigration Reform, Higher Education Issues, Health Care Refom, and continuing to focus on resources for Puerto Rico on behalf of our local and national communities.
Brother Carlos Aguilera (Delta Gamma Chapter, Spring 2012) was one of the participants of this year’s Lambdas on the Hill and said this about the inaugural program: “Lambdas on the Hill helped me develop political consciousness, participate in the democratic process, and point out issues while proposing solutions. This program helped my growth; one can learn and continue to speak about issues in the classroom but it is also important to put them into practice.”
Members started the program by engaging in a Lambdas on the Hill training session led by Jose Abastida, Union Representative for SEIU-UHW and an alum of the CHCI Internship Program, led us through a training on how to advocate for issues and ways to approach the conversations with your representatives. Additionally, members had the opportunity to learn more in-depth about our relationship with our national philanthropy, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and with one of our national partners, Voto Latino, during our time in D.C. With more than 15 meetings held over the course of two days, members shared their personal experiences concerning immigration, higher education, health care, and Puerto Rico in hopes of igniting change and making these issues a a priority for Congress.
National Director of Community Affairs, Roberto C. Orozco (Gamma Chi Chapter, Fall 2011) was among the participants in Washington, DC and shared his experience. “Having the opportunity to lead this initiative has been rewarding because I get to work with members who are passionate about issues that affect marginalized communities, and more importantly, it contributes to our goal of raising the political consciousness of our members. Furthermore, it solidifies our commitment to these issues and places a responsibility on us as individuals and the fraternity as a collective to continue to bring these issues to the forefront at the local, state, and national level.”
Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. stresses political awareness and advocacy in their over 40-year history. As the first Latino fraternity in the U.S., we were founded during a time of political strife and injustices in the 1970s, inspiring us to take a stance on issues affecting the college student and local communities. Today, we continue with this approach by raising awareness and advocating for marginalized communities.
For photos of the two-day program, check out the national Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Participants included:
Roberto C. Orozco
(Gamma Chi, Fall 2011)
Alumnus/Officer
Jarrod Cruz
(Gamma Gamma, Spring 2002)
Alumnus/Executive
Omar Contreras
(Gamma Beta)
Alumnus
Carlos Aguilera
(Delta Gamma, Spring 2012)
Alumnus
Steven Baldizon
(Phi, Fall 2016)
Alumnus
Daniel Diaz
(Gamma Pi, Summer 2015)
Undergraduate
Elvis Gonzalez
(Alpha Tau, Spring 2016)
Alumnus
Patrick Mispireta
(Delta Nu, Fall 2015)
Undergraduate
Rigoberto Rayo Favela
(Alpha Tau, Spring 2017)
Undergraduate
Juan Loya
(Alpha Tau, Spring 2017)
Alumnus
Christopher Ramos
(Eta, Spring 2014)
Alumnus