National History

Our long established tradition of brotherhood was established in 1929 at the University of California, Berkeley. The fraternity of Pi Alpha Phi was founded by six unique individuals: Mr. D Wing Tom, Mr. Wing Chan, Mr. Elmer Leong, Mr. Chack Chan, Mr. Tim Jang, and Mr. George Lee. They wanted to establish an organization that would be based upon the bonds of friendship, mutual experience, academic excellence, and brotherhood.

Elmer Leong was designated charter historian and it was his job to choose his name for the fraternity. The name Pi Alpha Phi was chosen with the meaning that the fraternity will shine brighter as time goes on. The name Pi Alpha Phi can also be derived from the Greek phrase meaning: "To advance through brotherly ties; the thirst for learning."

Pi Alpha Phi is recognized as the first Asian-American interest fraternity to be established in the United States. Since the founding of Pi Alpha Phi, our fraternity has expanded to thirteen other campuses.

Today the basic premise of the fraternity remains largely unchanged. With brotherhood as our immutable asset, the lifelong bonds we develop extend far beyond the University setting. Although the fraternity is open to individuals of all ethnic backgrounds, it still retains its Asian-American character.

Ultimately, the basic goals of brotherhood achieved through shared experience, friendship, and academic excellence remain unaltered. From generation to generation, the organization evolves, but the underlying vision and the heart of the fraternity is as solid today, as it was for six young Berkeley men in 1929.

Chapter History

On the eightieth anniversary of its establishment, nine young men at the University of California, Santa Barbara sought to continue the fraternity’s legacy. They wanted to create an organization that would promote Asian Awareness and transcend beyond the negative reputations associated with fraternities. They wanted to have a positive impact on the community as a whole as well as abolish the image of Asian Americans as the “model minority.”

They soon discovered Pi Alpha Phi and realized that the nation’s first Asian American Interest Fraternity shared their cause and beliefs embodied in the Five Pillars: Academic Excellence, Asian Awareness, Brotherhood, Leadership, and Philanthropy.

In the spring of 2006, Hayato Wong, Adam Fremlin, Alan Ning, Julian Pulle, Kendrick Hui, Justin Santa Ana, Sui Shen, James Lim and Daniel Joo began the arduous journey to become men of the fraternity. Like the founding fathers before them, they forged an unbreakable bond and learned the essence of being a true brother of Pi Alpha Phi. The tradition of excellence continues to live on, nearly 80 years after its initial establishment.