Beauty pageants have become a growing cultural institution in diverse countries, taking many cultural forms and artistic expressions involving symbolism and collective cultural agency in the generations.
Community pageantry institute purposes are deeply linked to the cities' cultural authenticity and identity. The beauty in service is defining civic duty and commitment, self-development, and representation; there are no fixed boundaries.
Pageantry celebrates the strength and commitment of those willing to represent the community as goodwill ambassadors. Judges choose symbolic representatives who represent the spirit of their locales and those that will nurture the civic spirit and pride.
Chantelle Angel Martinez, “Miss Colton 2022,” cultivates that authenticity for the City of Colton. Chantelle emphasizes the importance of collective identity as she says, "In order to represent Colton, I have to be a part of Colton.”
During her reign, she learned she could do more than she imagined with her title; she has developed a deeper civic identity that involves an intentional and active presence, shared values, and collective cultural productions with the City of Colton Chamber of Commerce, non-profits, small businesses, foundations, civic groups, corporations, The City of Colton, etc. She spends time reading books to children and accepted an invitation from the Rialto Unified School District as a guest speaker for the Girls Club, where she received a special note from a student saying she had a super corazón (heart).
Ever heard of the phrase “A Little Dirt, Never Hurts,” this Queen is not afraid of getting dirty; she participates in cleaning community parks.
Students were catapulted into a new sphere of living; lost in the uproar, the transition into online learning was burdensome and unfamiliar territory; it became identified with the pandemic learning style. A significant challenge for Chantelle was “thrust remotely into hours of lectures before a screen.” Recognizing she wanted to avoid mismanaging her purpose, she took advantage of each opportunity to help her adjust.
While promoting her platform, she attends the University of Redlands. She is set to graduate in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, bachelor’s degree in Race, And Ethnic Studies, Minoring in Women, Gender, And Sexuality Studies; she is the Vice Chair of the Native American Student Union and program assistant of the Proudian Interdisciplinary Honors Program.
Diverse trajectories of symbolic appearances by an appointed “Miss Queen of Colton” draws upon actively engaged processes beyond the passive citizenship framework.
Veteran Mr. Ramirez stated, “riding with Chantelle in the Veterans Day parade was a memorable moment for me.”
Chantelle’s coordinator, Erlinda Armendariz Rotary Club of Colton, said, “Chantelle loves being miss Colton. She is always there when you need her and loves helping others in her community.”
Advice to future nominees Chantelle would give is, “I would encourage them to become more involved with events and organizations. We all benefit from the experience gained from becoming active participants in the Colton Community.”