Mi Raza Magazine

 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CANDIDATES

1. A candidate may compete in the National Pageant as an official State delegate if she is a bona fide resident of that State for a period of six months immediately preceding the date of the first preliminary competition of the State Pageant and has MAINTAINED such residency through the National Pageant Finals;

2. A candidate may compete in the National Pageant in representation of any State even though not a resident therein, where she is and has been a bona fide full-time employee (employed by employer over forty hours per week as verified employer) for a period of six (6) months immediately preceding the date of the State Pageant Finals and has maintained such employment through the State Finals;

3. A candidate may compete in the National Pageant in representation of any State, as a student within the State, if she is presently a bona fide registered full time student attending classes at a college or uni-versity located within the same State of representation;

4. A candidate may compete in the National Pageant in representation of any State even though not a resident therein, if she was born in that State and presents copy of birth certificate.

5. In order to establish eligibility to compete in the National Pageant under the residency criteria above, a candidate must supply proof of residency consisting of two (2) or more copies of the following:

a. Current driver’s license issued in the State of representation or current automobile registration is-sued in the State of representation; or

b. Current voter’s registration card or written statement from the applicable State/Local voting regis-trar of valid current registration in the State of representation; or

c. Current lease in the candidate’s name for housing in the State of representation; or

d. Valid student I.D. from the School, College or University candidate is currently attending in the State of representation; or

e. Information sufficient to the National Pageant that the candidate is living in the State of represen-tation with her parents or legal guardian, even though she may be attending a college or university out of State; or

f. Birth certificate from the State of representation; or

g. Letter from employer confirming current full-time employment of candidate and her start date with the company.

The Pageant has the right to reject information if it feels, at its sole discretion, that the above documentation has not been gathered or provided in good faith.

6. One or more of the requirements set forth in paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) above, must be in exis-tence at the time of the State and National Pageants and, if selected for participation as a candidate, must remain in effect through conclusion of the State or National Pageant Finals, as applicable;

7. A candidate must be of Latin American or Iberian origin by birth or ancestry and reside legally in the United States.

8. A candidate must be single, born female, never have been married or given birth to a child, nor been a parent.

9. A candidate must have an attractive appearance and personality, with weight proportional to height.

10. A candidate must be of good moral character and maintain a respectable reputation.

11. A candidate must be minimum age 19 by May 1st and not over 27 years of age by December 31st in the year of the National Pageant in which she will compete for the “MISS LATINA US” title.

12. A candidate competing in either the “Miss” or “Teen” categories is ineligible to compete in another State Pageant anywhere in the United States in the same year she has been selected the winner in another State Pageant (i.e., a candidate may not hold two titles simultaneously) and is ineligible to compete in the same State Pageant where she had previously been selected the winner.

13. A candidate shall not have been a previous State Titleholder who competed in the National Pageant. In each Pageant year, a candidate may only compete in one State Pageant leading into the National Pageant. However, a candidate who has assumed the title and duties of a State Titleholder but has never competed in the National Pageant must allow a lapse of one year, following her year of service, prior to competing again in a State Pageant where she is eligible.

14. Unless specifically waived in writing, no candidate in a State Pageant shall be eligible to compete if she has endorsed or contracted to endorse any product or services competitive to those products or services sold by the national sponsors or national licenses of the Pageant within six (6) months prior to the competition, and/or is under such contract for endorsement at the time of competition or thereafter.

15. Titleholders will not, during the entire period of their year of service, associate, in any way, or partici-pate in any way, in the promotion or conduct, or become a contestant or participant, either directly or indi-rectly, including judging, of any other local, state, national or international competition of a nature similar to that of The Pageant.