Phi Iota Alpha was founded on December 26th, 1931 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In it's seventh chapter, Eta Chapter, was established at Union College in May of 1991 with the purposes of: creating an environment in which everyone could maintain, share and promote their cultures, advance multiculturalism in the college community, and create a respectful and supportive atmosphere for the future generations of Latino students, and students of color in general.