Multicultural Organizations
Pan-American Society members, c. 1942
Simmons students come from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and unsurprisingly, this diversity has been reflected throughout the years in the creation of multicultural student organizations. Most of the highlighted organizations below emerged after the 1960s, a period of time during which a more diverse student body was enrolled at Simmons. Two earlier clubs of note, however, were founded in the 1940s – the Pan-American Society (1941) and the International Relations Council (1947).
The Pan-American Society’s purpose was to satisfy student interest in Latin American people and culture, and the club sought to create "One World" by promoting friendliness and understanding between North and South America. Monthly meetings featured Latin American speakers and movies and provided opportunities for students to meet South Americans and talk informally with them after their lectures. Members did not need to speak Spanish but only possess a genuine interest in Latin American civilization and a desire to promote cross-cultural understanding. The Pan-American Society continued its work through 1949.
International Relations Council meetings featured foreign student speakers who discussed their native cultures, their countries’ backgrounds, and current political and economic problems.
As more international students and students of color were admitted to Simmons from the 1960s onward, students with shared culture formed organizations to bring forth cultural/racial awareness, fight for inclusion and equity on campus, and create communities to celebrate their identities.
One of the first of these organizations was the Black Student Organization (BSO, founded 1967), which is discussed in greater detail in our digital exhibit on Black History at Simmons.
BSO members, c. 1989
Simmons News article about BHO dissolving into LASSO and BSO,
May 4, 1989
Asian Student Association display,
c. 1981
Korean Student Association, c. 1986
In 1979, the BSO changed their name to the Black-Hispanic Organization (BHO), with an intent to jointly “promote interest and pride in the aspirations and accomplishments of Black and Hispanic people.” The BHO existed for 10 years, after which the Latin America and Spanish Speaking Organization (LASSO) was formed and the BSO reverted to their initial purpose. LASSO in turn changed their name in 1995 to the Organizacion Latinoamericana (OLA).
Other multicultural organizations to emerge between the 1970s and 1990s included the Asian Student Association (ASA, 1970s), International Students Organization (ISO, 1980s), Korean Student Association (KSA, 1985), Hellenic Association (1990), and Caribbean Cultural Association (1997). These groups frequently collaborated with each other to sponsor events and lectures.