TAYLORSVILLE — A trio of women of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Mexican descent took the top three spots in an inaugural pageant in Utah meant to empower Latina women in the state.
Yanelin Rivera, of Nicaraguan descent, took top honors in the Miss Utah Latina Imagen contest held Dec. 20 in Taylorsville. The contest is meant to encourage participants to “embrace their cultural identity, share their voices and be recognized for their achievements,” according to promotional material for the event.
Second place went to Laurent Taveras, of Dominican descent, and Marvy Rocha, of Mexican descent.
Utah Latino Arts, a nonprofit group that promotes arts in the Latino community, hosted the event, drawing 27 contestants, all from the Salt Lake area.
The aim is “to empower Latina women and give them a platform to show their talents,” said Liliana Fernandez, who organized the pageant. As the winner, Rivera will work to raise awareness about social programs available to the community and represent Utah in other pageants.
The 27 participants, from Latin America or of Latina descent, have roots in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. They took part in evening gown, traditional clothing and other competitions as well as a fashion show.
“This experience itself pushes participants outside their comfort zone, helping them to develop confidence, poise and self-esteem,” reads promotional material for the event. It also serves as an opportunity to “open doors to career opportunities, particularly in fields related to fashion, media, entertainment and public relations.”
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Sandra Andrade won Miss Congeniality honors and Carolina Baez, of Mexican descent, won the best traditional costume competition.
Fernandez, originally from Peru, runs Viva Peru Dance, which offers lessons in traditional Peruvian dance. She helped organize a Día de la Marinera event at the state Capitol in Salt Lake City last October to mark the day, celebrated in Peru to celebrate La Marinera, a traditional Peruvian dance.
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