Miss Texarkana Latina uplifts youth with pride in heritage

TEXARKANA, Tx. - Miss Texarkana Latina Cris Peña captured the attention of pageant judges with her love of her Mexican heritage and culture.

Peña will represent the Texarkana area in the Miss Texas Latina pageant on Sept. 4-6 in Houston, Texas.

She visits Mexico often and says she enjoys its handmade food, arts and crafts, and has a talent for singing in Spanish mariachi music.

Her mission is to inspire young Latinos to be proud of their roots.

"I was the only Latino - to be more specific, Mexican in my high school," said Peña. "Honestly, I hope to be able to unite and show a little bit more of what it is to be proud of our culture, anywhere."

Peña was born in Texarkana, Texas, and grew up in Ashdown, Ark.