This is not a beauty pageant.
Its director, Ellie Joya, wants to make that clear ahead of the annual Miss Puerto Rico of Greater Hartford Cultural Pageant.
"Many of the girls … they are from family from Puerto Rico, but they never go to Puerto Rico,” she said. “And we want to preserve that culture here."
Plus, she says, all the girls are beautiful.
“So we don't need to say, ‘You can participate because you are beautiful,’ or you know, ‘because you are not beautiful,’” Joya said. “I think that's not nice.”
A connection point
This year, 13 girls are competing for the three crowns: Little Miss Puerto Rico (7-11 years old), Miss Puerto Rico Pre-Teen (11-14 years old), and Miss Puerto (15-18 years old).
Over the last five months, they have been preparing through classes that cover everything from traditional dances to modeling to Puerto Rican history.
“Even if the girl is born here, that's no problem. If the girl only speaks English, that's no problem, because some girls grow up here and they don't speak Spanish. But believe me: When I finish here, they come out speaking some Spanish,” Joya said, with a laugh, “so preserving the culture.”
Take a look at any of the promotional flyers, and you will notice a flag beside each headshot. Those are the girls’ ancestral cities and regions of Puerto Rico, which they will be representing on stage during the pageant. Ahead of the big day, they had to do weeks of research and present their findings about the place their parents or grandparents are from. Even their dresses must be custom-made to reflect their family’s homeland.
The pageant is as much a connection to the culture for the girls as it is for Joya, who is not Puerto Rican.
“Like my daughter,” she said. “I’m Peruvian, but her father was Puerto Rican. So she can do it for that reason.”
Joya’s daughter, Sasha Candelaria, participated in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Through that, Joya “fell in love” with the community. She continued volunteering years after her daughter was eligible and, eventually, was asked to be the director.
“I love it, so my plan is to stay as long as I can,” she said. In this way, she stays connected to her late husband’s culture and half of her daughter’s ancestry.
The queen(s) named
Once the winners are crowned, they will spend the next year attending cultural events, including the annual PR parade, representing the pageant and the Puerto Rican community broadly. The title also comes with an academic scholarship, the use of which is up to the discretion of each family.
The pageant is hosted by the Connecticut Institute for Community Development, the group that organizes Hartford’s annual Puerto Rican Parade, and has happened annually for more than 60 years. Joya says she pictures the next 60 years will bring even more contestants, as the state's Puerto Rican population only continues to grow. Latest census estimates show about 8% of the state population identifies as Puerto Rican, which is the highest percentage of any state in the U.S.
“Young ladies … they are the future,” Joya said. “The point is to preserve the culture. And they can grow it every year a little more.”
Learn more
This weekend's pageant is on Saturday, May 24, at 12 p.m. at the Theater of Performing Arts in Hartford. Parking is free on the premises, and tickets begin at $10.
Know a 7- to 18-year-old who wants to participate next year? Reach out to the CICD via email here.
