Miss Texarkana Latina uplifts youth with pride in heritage
TEXARKANA, Texas -- Miss Texarkana Latina Cris Peña captured the attention of pageant judges with her love of her Mexican heritage and culture.
TEXARKANA, Texas -- Miss Texarkana Latina Cris Peña captured the attention of pageant judges with her love of her Mexican heritage and culture.
Peña will be representing the Texarkana area in the Miss Texas Latina pageant Sept. 4 through 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.
Peña was born in Texarkana, Texas, and grew up in Ashdown, Ark. and 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, and just that needing of a little bit of closeness to my language, my culture, I missed that a lot," said Peña. "And 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."