Sophomore crowned queen of New York’s Hispanic Day Parade

12:05 p.m., Oct. 17, 2003--UD sophomore Melissa Martinez was in high spirits after her recent crowning, but, like true royalty, she remained ever humble. Dubbed queen of New York City’s Hispanic Day Parade in a recent pageant, the 19-year-old fashion merchandising major said that although she was honored by the victory, it came as a shock.

Melissa Martinez, CHEP ‘06

“I had no idea whatsoever that I was going to win, so when they called my name I was very surprised,” the native of Queens, N.Y., said. “It was the greatest feeling ever and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m glad I got to experience it—but I never knew it would be so emotional!”

Crowned during a televised judging on Saturday, Sept. 27, Martinez honored her title and Guatemalan heritage in the Hispanic Day Parade on Sunday, Oct. 12, in New York City. Since being crowned, she also has met with several VIPs, including the mayor of New York City, and has attended many functions as a spokeswoman for Hispanic-American culture.

“I think my biggest duty is representing all Hispanics in New York,” Martinez said. As a first-generation, Hispanic-American whose parents were both born in Guatemala, Martinez said she also hopes to bring greater visibility to the small Central American country she represented in the September pageant.

“I entered the pageant representing Guatemala, and it’s the country that put me into the running, so I’d like to give it a bigger voice,” Martinez said. “I’m also the first Guatemalan girl to be elected queen in the Hispanic Day Parade’s 39-year history, so I feel it’s an honor to be able to have the opportunity to give the country more visibility. I grew up with a lot of cultural pride, and all through high school it was a goal of mine to raise awareness about Guatemala. I think because it’s a small country, it’s lesser-known.”

Martinez, who has entered pageants for the past 10 years, said she feels that both the pageant and the parade keep the accent on cultural pride rather than on physical appearance. The judging process, which lasted two days, assigned contestants points on traditional outfits and cultural knowledge, as well as their appearance in formal gowns. Each category was weighted, and Martinez said she believes that her ability to describe her outfit was what made her a frontrunner.

“I described my traditional outfit right down to its borders,” she said. “I explained how certain things represented certain concepts in the culture.”

Martinez, who said that she chose to attend the University of Delaware because of its location and academic offerings, believes that her pageant duties will only contribute to her college experience.
“The past two weeks have been a little hectic, but things will calm down after the first month,” she said. “Most of all, I see this as a great honor. I’m representing Hispanic women—and of even greater significance, I’m representing Hispanic culture. [Hispanic-Americans] are becoming a bigger population in this country, so when we have opportunities like this, it only makes us stronger and gets us more involved.”

Article by Becca Hutchinson
Photo by Kathy Atkinson

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