Symbolic Gestures of Sororities and Their Interpretations
In the world of sororities, hand signs have long been a symbol of affiliation and unity. However, questions about cultural appropriation have arisen, as many of these signs originated from historically Black sororities and fraternities that belong to the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
Sophie Burkholder, a classroom teacher turned content writer at the website, delves into this topic in an article co-authored with another staff writer. Burkholder, who graduated from Boston University in 2020 with dual degrees in Spanish and Modern Foreign Language Education, provides insights into the meanings behind these sorority hand gestures.
One such example is the hand sign for Alpha Gamma Delta. If officially adopted by the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), this sign symbolizes unity, sisterhood, and the core values of the organization. However, if rejected, it implies they were not accepted as formal gestures representing Alpha Gamma Delta within the sorority community.
Some sororities, such as Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, and Phi Mu, have stopped using their hand signs following the NPC's acknowledgement of cultural appropriation and refusal to endorse their usage as an official practice.
Each sorority's hand sign is unique, serving as a non-verbal way to identify their organization. For instance, the hand sign for Tri Delta involves forming a right-side-up triangle with thumbs and index fingers, while Phi Mu's sign involves touching the tips of index fingers together in a triangle shape, curling middle fingers to form a semicircle on top of each index finger, and forming circles with thumbs and ring fingers to sit beneath extended forefingers.
The hand sign for Phi Sigma Sigma involves making a heart with thumb and index fingers, then extending middle fingers and touching their tips together to make a triangle above the heart. Alpha Chi Omega's sign, on the other hand, extends the index finger, middle finger, and thumb, touching the tips of middle fingers and thumbs together, with palms facing out and thumbs pointing downward.
The widespread use of these hand signs in NPC sororities, without an understanding or acknowledgement of their origins and meanings, is seen as a form of cultural appropriation. Many people consider these signs to be cultural appropriation due to their origins in historically Black sororities and fraternities.
In response to these concerns, some popular American sororities have discontinued the use of their hand signs. The future of these symbols in the sorority community remains to be seen, as conversations about cultural sensitivity and respect continue to evolve.
