Estephanie Vázquez, representing Districto Federal, the capital of México, won the traditional costume contest / Certamen Señorita Fiestas Patrias Traje Típico during the Aug. 25 held at Pacifica High School in Oxnard. Photos courtesy of Alex Buck
Please see slideshow below for more images from the event
Fiestas Patrias activities encourage youth to learn about their heritage
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
While it may look easy putting on a colorful costume and walking up on the stage in the hopes of winning the approval of judges, the annual Fiestas Patrias contest is anything but.
The young people, selected from applicants from throughout the 805 region, must take a crash course in the cultural, economic, political and social history of the Mexican states they represent.
“Once they apply for say, Jalisco, they then have a lot of homework,” said Rafael M. Hernandez, secretary of public relations for the Comite Cultural Mexicano.
“They really need to research the history of that state, when the state was formed, why was it named that way, how big is the population, what is the most important thing about that state business-wise, what kind of government do they have, past and present? It’s a very wide variety of things they learn and it then gives them a better chance to win.”
Contestants must then work with family and community members to create costumes that meet the spirit and traditions of the states they represent, be it Aguascalientes, Districto Federal, Estado de México, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Sinaloa or Zacatecas.
“They must create an original costume and that is very hard to represent,” Hernandez said. “They really need to feel it in their heart.”
Contestants must then be prepared to go on stage and become a virtual tour guide of their states, speaking in front of a crowd that approached the 700-seat capacity of Pacifica High School in Oxnard.
“They have to have knowledge of that state and then express the knowledge they have,” he said. “They are promoting their states.”
Only then will they be chosen as the winner of the traditional costume contest / Certamen Señorita Fiestas Patrias Traje Típico.
On Aug. 25, it was Estephanie Vázquez, representing Districto Federal, the capital of México, who won the traditional costume contest. For contestants, the event moved them a step closer to the crowning of the Fiestas Patrias queen, which will take place at a gala dinner / Cena-Gala de Coronación on Sept. 7 at the Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel.
The queen and her court will then lead upcoming Fiestas Patrias events including the Fiesta in the Plaza / Fiesta en la Palcita de Oxnard on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Plaza Park in downtown Oxnard; the Fiestas Patrias 2013 parade / Desfile Commemorativo at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 15 on C Street in downtown Oxnard; and the traditional Cry for Independence / Grito de Independencia at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15 at Plaza Park in downtown Oxnard.
Besides Vázquez, contestants this year include Daisy Ramirez, representing Aguascalientes; Emely Báez (Estado de México); Jocelyn González (Michoacán); Martha Alicia Lona (Guanajuato); Marina Zetina (Sinaloa); Erica Reyes (Zacatecas); and Brenda Topete (Jalisco).
Planning for this year’s Fiestas Patrias celebration began in February, Hernandez said.
Members of the Comite Cultural Mexicano include Cecilia Martínez, president; Héctor Pelayo, vice president; Victor Martínez, secretary; Dolores Ochoa, treasurer; Hernandez and Melissa Vargas, the 2012 Fiestas Patrias queen.
“This is not an easy thing to put together,” Hernandez said. “It takes a lot of effort and time, coordination with the mayor and the chief of police, getting the permits and coordinating with the community.”
As an example, planning for the parade requires committee members to work with various officials on setting up the route.
“People come from Santa Barbara to attend the parade,” he said. “You have people coming from all over the county. Every year we have more and more people coming to watch the parade.”
At the same time, committee members reached out to high school and college officials and the media to get the word out about the application process for the contest.
Contestants have to be no younger than 17 years of age (with their parent’s permission) and no older than 21, he said. Ideally, the contestants should have been born in the states they will represent.
“We have senoritas that were born in México, came here and want to represent the states they were born in,” he said. “They say the reason they are participating is because their parents are from Mexico, ‘they took me back to Jalisco, the state where I was born and I enjoyed the food and people and that got me motivated to represent that state.’ ”
However, it’s difficult finding someone from all 31 Mexican states residing in the local area, Hernandez said.
As a result, contestants can represent a state if their parents or other family members were born there, or if they have a strong interest in learning about that state.
The eight finalists for this year’s celebration were announced during an event held in July 26 at Casa Lopez Mexican Restaurant in Oxnard.
Hernandez said the committee hopes to expand its membership next year in order to add even more youth to the contest in order to represent all 31 Mexican states.
“There is more interest now in the committee,” he said. “More people want to join and the more members we have the better job we can do.”
This is the 17th year the committee has presented the Fiestas Patrias celebration, Hernandez said.
“It’s very important to the community as a whole,” he said. “It’s important for our families here to learn about their culture so they know where their roots are from …. It’s important to keep doing this for the new generation so they can have respect not only for the Mexican community, but the whole Hispanic community and the whole country we now live in. We have two countries. We were born in Mexico and we are now Mexican-Americans. We now have two flags to respect.
“This country has giving us the opportunity to be here, to have progress and educate our people,” he said. “But while we make our living, make our family home, we don’t want them to forget their grandparents, their roots. It’s always good to remember our ancestors and remember the good things that happen, just like we celebrate the 4th of July.
“For me, the 15th of September means the independence of the country of Mexico,” he said. “This is the 203rd anniversary that the country became independent and that happened because Mexicans were under too much oppression. One day the leaders decided they would not tolerate what the government was doing to them and that is when independence took place.
Hernandez likens the moment to when U.S. President Abraham Lincoln — whom he admires — signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves.
“When a country is oppressed too much they can only hold it back for so long,” he said. “Eventually something has to change. They were tired of being slaves, working for little money and not having any of the freedoms.”
For Hernandez, the highlight of the Fiestas Patrias celebration will be the traditional Grito de Independencia on the evening of Sept. 15.
“When the Grito happens, emotions come to mind and heart,” he said. “The Grito is the time and date that you celebrate your independence. You are feeling free.”
