Pi Alpha Phi

Pi Alpha Phi Fraternity, Inc. (ΠΑΦ, also Pi Alpha Phi or PAPhi) was an American university-level fraternity. It was founded in 1929 at the University of California, Berkeley. On August 1, 2023, Pi Alpha Phi Fraternity announced that it was closing all of its chapters. At the time, it was the oldest active Asian-American interest fraternity in the United States. It was a founding member of the National APIDA Panhellenic Association.

Origins
When Pi Alpha Phi was founded in the 1920s, traditional Greek letter fraternities along with the rest of the nation, legally discriminated against men of color. In 1928, Wing C. Chan, Dong Wing Tom, and Elmer Leong, members of the class of 1930 at the University of California, Berkeley, had the idea to start a fraternity for the several hundred students of Chinese descent. Six students signed the fraternity's charter in both Chinese and English, officially establishing Pi Alpha Phi on February 1, 1929.

The six founders of Pi Alpha Phi were D. Wing Tom, Wing Chan, Elmer Leong, Chack Chan, Tim Jang, and George Lee. All were born in America except Wing Chan, who came from China at an early age. Wing Chan became the fraternity's first president.

Because they were banned from joining traditional Greek letter fraternities, Pi Alpha Phi's founding fathers wanted to ensure that Asian-American awareness would be an important part of the fraternity. The fraternity encouraged its members to learn Asian-American culture, heritage, and history and to share this knowledge with others. In its later years, the basic premise of the fraternity remained largely unchanged. The fraternity was open to people of all ethnic backgrounds but retained its Asian-American character.

Expansion
The local fraternity became national with the addition of its Beta chapter at the Stony Brook University in 1990. This was followed by Gamma chapter at University of California, Davis that same year. More chapters followed in California and Michigan through 2000. The fraternity's first annual convention was hosted by the Epsilon chapter in Arcadia, California in 2000.

The fraternity continued to charter chapters, expanding into Arizona, North Carolina, and Washington. Pi Alpha Phi was a founding member of the National APIDA Panhellenic Association in 2005. In 2014, Pi Alpha Phi had active ten chapters, one associate chapter, and six colonies. It was headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Scandals and dissolution
In July 2020, the National Board of Directors placed a national moratorium on chapter activities in response to "multiple reports of sexual misconduct nationwide." The moratorium was lifted but, a pledge, Phat Nguyen, died and three others were hospitalized after a hazing incident at Michigan State University on November 19, 2021. Nine fraternity members were charged in connection with the death. In June 2023, the family of the deceased student filed a wrongful death suit against the fraternity.

On August 1, 2023, Pi Alpha Phi Fraternity announced the closure of all of its collegiate chapters. The fraternity said that its chapters were unsustainable because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining university enrollment, and financial pressures. Not all chapters agreed with this decision. Some chapters attempted to stay open or tried to start a new organization; although, the former was prohibited by the national fraternity. At the time of its closure, Pi Alpha Phi was the oldest active Asian-American interest fraternity in the United States.

The National APIDA Panhellenic Association removed Pi Alpha Phi from its membership roles on October 13, 2023. NAPA said, "Pi Alpha Phi Fraternity, Inc. has contributed to the vibrant Greek life on campuses nationwide and served as a chartering organization of  NAPA in 2005. Their dedication to fostering academic excellence, Asian American awareness, brotherhood, leadership, and philanthropy has left a lasting mark on our fraternity and sorority community." Some of the fraternity's materials are archived at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Symbols
The name Pi Alpha Phi was derived from the initials of the Greek phrase meaning "To advance through brotherly ties; the thirst for learning." The colors of Pi Alpha Phi were Berkeley Blue and California Gold. Its mascot was the phoenix. Its symbol was the Brotherhood Links. The five pillars of the fraternity were academic excellence, Asian awareness, brotherhood, leadership, and philanthropy. Its motto is "A tradition of excellence since 1929". The group's nicknames were PAPhi and Pineapples.

Activities
From the mid-1980s to 2002, Pi Alpha Phi participated in the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, operating the “Pi Alpha Phi Dragon”.

The fraternity awarded the annual Herbert Gee Scholarship, named in honor of an Alpha chapter founder. The scholarship was funded by alumni and was award to an active member of the fraternity.

The fraternity's national philanthropy was the Jade Ribbon Campaign which promoted hepatitis awareness and discussed the health disparity between Asian Americans and white Americans. Chapters also supported charities in their local, such Habitat for Humanity and Christmas charities for children.

Chapters
Following is a list of the former Pi Alpha Phi collegiate chapters.

Alumni clubs
The fraternity had alumni clubs in the United States and Asia.

Notable members

 * Evan Jackson Leong &mdash; filmmaker and director
 * Delbert Wong &mdash; Retired Superior Court judge, the first person of Chinese descent appointed to the judiciary in the continental United States. Appointed as the special master in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

Member and chapter misconduct

 * On January 21, 2003, the San Jose State chapters of Pi Alpha Phi and the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity turned their rivalry into a brawl. The fight involved around 100 people, including Pi Alpha Phi members of the University of California, Santa Cruz who had been recruited to participate.  Four people were stabbed in the incident. A member of Lambda Phi Epsilon was killed while trying to stop the fight, and others were seriously injured and were taken to the hospital.
 * Phat Nguyen, a pledge, died and three others were taken to the hospital after a hazing incident involving the forced consumption of alcohol at the Michigan State University chapter on November 19, 2021.   Nine fraternity members were changed in connection with the death. In June 2023, the family of the deceased student filed a wrongful death suit against the fraternity.