About Pageant
The Miss Rhode Island Latina™ Pageant and the Miss Teen Rhode Island Latina Pageant were created "to unite in single events all Latin-American resident families in the state of Rhode Island, increasing the brotherhood in our community and serving of incentive for the intellectual and professional participating youths."
Since its beginnings in 1986 the goals and ideals of the contests have not changed. They are "emphasizing the values of the Latin-American woman and to support their development." In 1988 the Rhode Island pageant obtained its franchise and sent its delegate to the national contest Miss USA Latina. It was the first time that the Rhode Island Latin-American community participated in an international beauty contest.
Message from our Director
- Mercedes Mendez, Founder & Director of Miss Rhode Island Latina™
We strive to make our pageant, Miss Rhode Island Latina a colorful and entertaining event that is appreciated not only by the Hispanic community, but by our culturally diverse Rhode Island neighbors as well.
I believe our Miss Rhode Island Latina pageant has helped provide insight and understanding to bridge the truly few cultural differences between us, and also help us all appreciate the vast number of similarities.
By showcasing the many contributions of our Latino community in a public forum, and by encouraging, recognizing, and rewarding excellence in our Hispanic women, we strive to raise a public awareness of the similarity between all people, not just our differences.
This understanding helps to strengthen the bonds of friendship and neighborly tolerance between us all, and binds us tightly into one people, Rhode Islanders.
When we send our contest winner, Miss Rhode Island Latina as our representative to Miss Latina US, we send a young lady who not only represents our Latina Community, but goes to share with the entire world the very ideals that Rhode Island Founding Father Roger Williams set so long ago, tolerance, understanding and kindness. She truly represents all Rhode Islanders.
We have been sending that message from Miss Rhode Island Latina to the world for the last 22 years and continue to hope for understanding and tolerance with all people around the world.