We were formed from a meeting that took place on February 26, 1988. Fifteen good friends, the so-called Nacos, which is a Spanish slang word for someone who gets along well with everyone, would mark the beginning of a better social environment at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
These Nacos wanted to demonstrate that they were an important part of the Cal Poly student body. They were enthusiastic about starting a club to help Latino students overcome the culture shock experienced when arriving at a predominantly Anglo university. As their excitement grew, they sought to create structure for their ideas. They decided to form a fraternal cultural organization.
Adapting the term Naco to the university fraternity system, the group officially became Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, or NAK for short. Although choosing to adopt the formalized structure of the fraternity system, NAK was -- and remains -- determined to distinguish itself from traditional “frats” by maintaining a commitment to the ideals of academic excellence, cultural knowledge, and true brotherhood.
The pressures of being the first Latino-based fraternity at Cal Poly were significant. Despite having many supporters on campus, there were also many detractors who anticipated NAK’s demise. With steadfast determination, the brothers of NAK persevered.
Their hard work has paid off. Twenty-one years later, NAK is one of the most respected organizations at Cal Poly -- and at each of the 21 other chapters throughout California, Colorado, and Nevada that have since joined the NAK familia.