West Chicago pageant offers lessons in Mexican heritage

You don't have to speak Spanish to walk away with new knowledge from this year's Miss Fiestas Patrias scholarship pageant in West Chicago.

Five local women have been selected to give presentations about the heritage and culture of several Mexican states during the pageant, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at Wheaton Academy, 900 Prince Crossing Road, West Chicago.

"The pageant is done all in English," said Sara Phalen, publicity director of the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage. "Although we are a Mexican-based organization, we really feel it's important that they learn their presentation skills in English. This is also about educating the entire community. We don't want to restrict anyone."

The pageant will include a presentation from each of the contestants about the history and cultural traditions of a state they choose to represent. Afterward, Phalen often hears positive reactions from members of the audience who say they didn't realize the diversity that exists within Mexico.

The women also will perform traditional and contemporary dances and model traditional dresses and evening gowns. Despite the modeling, the participants will not be judged on their appearance.

Participants must be between the ages of 17 and 22 at the time of application. They must be of at least 50 percent Mexican descent, enrolled in school and have no children. The scholarship is for a college education, so applicants also must be intending to attend or enroll in college.

The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship and the runners-up will get $750 and $500, respectively. All five contestants have gone through about three months of training, which included participating in numerous service projects in the city. The top three contestants will be required to continue community service for at least the next year.

Phalen said that in past years, the pageant has inspired some of the girls to continue taking on leadership roles and pursuing new education opportunities. It also boosted their confidence and made some of them much more comfortable approaching strangers and informing people about important topics.

"They were all so well-spoken and could articulate the benefits of them going through this process. It helped them in jobs, college classes, the way they deal with family and the community," she said. "It was amazing to hear them talk about how much they gained."

In addition, the girls often pick a state that their parents or grandparents are from, which results in some family bonding.

"It's been a really nice intergenerational event," she said.