West Covina
Girl Finalist Dor Miss Costa Rica USA
By James Wagner
In April, Melvin Mora, a Pacoima-based
accountant but native Costa Rican, mentioned
to Yami Gallegos that he knew a woman who
was restarting a beauty pageant for young
Costa Rican girls in the U.S.
Gallegos, a former Miss Costa Rica USA, was
interested. And soon her 16-year-old
daughter, Jenna Gallegos, of West Covina,
was in the same spot she was in 1989.
At first Jenna, a self-proclaimed shy girl,
was reluctant but soon relented.
"I think it'll be a great opportunity to
learn about my country," she said Thursday
morning, as five of the finalists made their
second public appearance before the contest
at a Baldwin Park hotel.
Jenna, a West Covina High School junior, is
among seven finalists in the contest, run by
ACUDE, a local organization promoting Latin
culture. The girls were chosen from 10
applicants of Costa Rican descent. Jenna is
the only contestant from the San Gabriel
Valley and her mother is Costa Rican.
A similar contest was held in the 1980s but
was discontinued for unknown reasons. Yami
Gallegos thinks newer generations of Costa
Ricans born and raised in the U.S. have lost
touch with their culture.
"So not too many are plugged into these
events," she said.
ACUDE executive director and founder Brigid
Cordero restarted the pageant three years
ago. As the Costa Rican consul in Los
Angeles from 2002 to 2006, Cordero noticed a
void in the Costa Rican community.
"We didn't have someone to represent the
youth," Cordero said, who estimated there
are nearly 25,000 Costa Ricans in the Los
Angeles area.
The contest is meant to be nationwide, but
this year's girls came solely from
California, Cordero said.
Six judges - Cordero assures they won't be
Costa Rican - will crown a winner at 5 p.m.
July 19 at the Baldwin Park Marriott. The
contest is funded entirely by donors and
advertisers, like Mora,
Five of the eight Miss Costa Rica USA
Pageant finalists from left: April Salazar,
17, of Rialto, Brittany Fox, 16, of Cudahy,
Jenna Gallegos, 16, of West Covina, Michelyn
Arroyo, 18, of Fontana, and Michelle Vargas,
16, of Grass Valley spoke during a press
conference at the Baldwin Park Marriott July
9, 2009. (SGVN/Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)
and from the pageant ticket sales.
During the pageant, Jenna plans to make a
presentation on the culture and struggles of
the women of Costa Rica as a display of her
talent. Over the past few weeks, Jenna
Gallegos has been practicing dance routines
with her fellow finalists. And she's been
readying her three dresses, including a
traditional one she will decorate for her
presentation.
"I didn't realize it would be a lot of
work," Jenna said, laughing. |
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Miss Costa Rica USA Pageant finalist Jenna
Gallegos, 16, of West Covina speaks during a
press conference at the Baldwin Park
Marriott July 9, 2009. . |
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