The candidates have begun to climb onto the stage at the Patrón Night Club, all very young, friendly, radiant, looking at the others from the height of their adolescence. They wear dresses with red, silver and black sequins, high heels, and their faces are covered in glitter. They appear calm; if they are nervous, they do not show it, as do their relatives and companions throughout the room, who shout, wave banners, let out loud whistles and chant slogans. It is a Sunday afternoon in the Bronx and it will be decided who will occupy the position of queen of the great Mexican Parade in the city of New York, the girl who will climb onto a float, wave her arms, smile at the public and be for a few hours this September 15 the star of all Madison Avenue.
Madison García, after the awards ceremony. Jordana Bermudez
From two in the afternoon, a line of people forms, not wanting to miss the spectacle. In the large hall, overflowing with Mexican flags, mariachis and children dressed as chinelos, there is a table where five people make up the jury that will choose the future queen, who will parade on September 15 in a parade of 13 floats. For 30 years, Patricia Vázquez, a 77-year-old Mexican migrant, has been preparing the celebration as part of the activities for Mexico’s Independence Day. But Patricia says that, because she cannot read, because she is an illiterate who came from Chila de la Sal in the Mexican state of Puebla, the authorities have never supported her. “They have never loved me, they have always left me alone, the city has only given me permission but at no time has it supported me,” she says. What she is grateful for is that she has been allowed to parade her carriages down Madison Avenue, the same street where famous New York families such as the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts and the Astors have lived, with its Chanel, Hermés and Prada boutiques, its haute cuisine restaurants and its more than 100 contemporary art galleries.
The girls have worked hard, they have put in effort, they have studied history, economics, politics, they have reviewed again and again how to walk in high heels, how to speak in front of a microphone and how a young lady behaves. It was Blandy Medina herself, a Mexican folkloric dance teacher, who trained them every Friday in a club in Brooklyn so that they would be ready for their big day. “It was a unique and very special experience for the girls,” says Blandy. “We started practicing everything, speaking into the microphone because they had no experience. I taught them how to walk in heels, everything is new for them. A teacher also came from Mexico who gave classes on politics and history.”
Participants in the beauty event. Jordana Bermudez
The candidates, all born in New York, have had to learn, for example, how many colors the Mexican flag has and what the shield in the center means; what celebration in Mexico is the equivalent of Halloween; who is Claudia Sheinbaum and who is Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or what type of currency circulates in the Republic. Some speak perfect Spanish, others pronounce it with difficulty. They are all students of high school, They eat rice, beans and tortillas, and hop on a plane for some summers to spend time with their cousins, uncles and grandparents in Mexico.
The first round of questions is about to begin. A group of at least twenty men, all dressed in black leather jackets and Aztec Rebels insignia, are shouting loudly, filling the space with testosterone, almost drowning out the voices of the others. They have come to support Madison Garcia, a sweet 14-year-old girl who wants to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and who is accompanied by her mother, a Mexican immigrant and employee of Amazon, and her father, who came to the United States illegally at the age of 18 and is one of the members of the biker club that goes around New York City to distribute aid to the sick.
—Here in New York I made a life, I had my children, the first was Madison, says Sergio García, while he looks proudly at his daughter, slender on the stage.
Madison poses with her family and friends. Jordana Bermudez
To the left of Madison’s supporters are those supporting Citlalli Quetzalli Ortega Sánchez, a 16-year-old who loves “nails, makeup, and eyelashes” and wants to study nutrition and cosmetology. Citlalli grew up watching her grandmother grow the Cempasúchil flower for her Day of the Dead altars, which took up almost the entire space of her Bronx apartment. In this contest, she represents the community of food delivery workers, those in charge of collecting and distributing food for people who don’t leave their homes in New York. That’s why there are so many food delivery people shouting her name.
“If I win, it would be a great opportunity,” Citlalli said before the competition. “I can show the young girls in my community that it is possible.”
Maria Elena Morales, the mother of Luz Elena, another of the 15-year-old candidates who wants nothing more than to buy her own house, has come with her entire family and friends, who carried signs and messages for her candidate: “Go, Luz Elena Cortés. Long live Mexico.” Fewer people have come to support Luz Elena, fewer than the group of motorcyclists, or the delivery men, but even so her mother is confident that she will win: “I am happy to see her there,” she says. “Happy that she puts so much effort into it.”
The fourth candidate is supported by the city’s street vendors, a group of migrants tired of asking the authorities for their licenses to sell without fear on the corners of New York. Valeria Salazar herself, 17 years old, grew up on the streets working alongside her mother. She has said that what she wants most if she becomes queen is to demand justice for street vendors. They have also placed their hope in Valeria. “For us it is vitally important that someone from our team becomes queen,” says Vicente Vintimilla, a merchant for 46 years. “We are certain that she will fight for our sector, which is the most unprotected and the most vulnerable.”
Family and friends support Madison. Jordana Bermudez
Amid the excitement, a host announces that the battle is beginning, that “everyone deserves the crown” but that one will win, and asks Citlalli the first question: Who was the first president of the United States? Citlalli grabs the microphone and answers George Washington. Applause and cheers can be heard from below. Then the host turns to Valeria: In what year was George Washington president? The audience finds the question too difficult and an “ohhh” is heard, and the host immediately changes it to another: So when was the independence of the United States? Valeria doesn’t know, and the audience boos the host, who then, as if to remedy the situation but actually making it worse, begins to ask all the girls the question that Citlali had already answered at the beginning. The parents protest from below until the questions begin again.
Who was the first president of Mexico? Madison raises her hand and says Guadalupe Victoria. Her father and the bikers couldn’t be more proud. Where was the Constitution of the United States signed? Madison raises her hand again and says Philadelphia. The people applaud her. Where did the first president of the United States live? Now it’s Citlalli who says Philadelphia and her mother approves with her eyes. At some point in the competition the atmosphere heats up, the shouts get louder, the whistles start to get louder, the families look at each other with suspicion, they shout cheaters at each other, and Valeria, the candidate who has come with the street vendors, leaves the stage, she hasn’t been able to handle the insults, the shouts and the almost violent atmosphere that is beginning to unfold at the Patrón Night Club. The security agents focus their eyes on those present and walk around in case it is necessary to intervene.
A judge interrupts the event: “As judges, if we cannot listen to them, we cannot choose who will represent Mexico. This is not about us, but about Mexicans as a community and about them.” People nod, agreeing that some boundaries have been crossed. Valeria returns to the stage and another round of questions begins immediately.
How many states does the Mexican Republic have? Valeria answers 32. Then they ask Madison a question: Which state produces the most lemons in Mexico? Madison doesn’t know the answer and the host answers that it’s Michoacán. In which part of the Mexican Republic is the National Palace? Luz Elena, almost hesitant, says in Mexico City. In which state of the Republic is the Guelaguetza danced? Citlalli says that she doesn’t have the answer. How many years does a Mexican president last in power? Luz Elena assures that six. In which state of the Republic was the mariachi born? Valeria doesn’t know and from the audience they shout that it was in Jalisco. In which part of the Republic was the banda style born? Madison says that it was in Sinaloa. Who are Mexico’s neighbors in the north and south? Citlalli says that it is Guatemala and the United States. The host answers that she missed Belize, but that her answer will be considered “good.” In what year was Mexico’s independence? Luz Elena says 1810. Which character in history shouted “Long live Mexico!” Madison doesn’t know, but people in the audience shout Miguel Hidalgo. The host nods, asks them not to “blow the whistle” and says that the girls are “very studious, as well as pretty and beautiful.”
Where did they give the cry of independence? Madison says in Guanajuato, but they correct her and tell her that it really happened in Dolores Hidalgo. What is the name of the state that has the largest and busiest border in the world? Madison loses her sight, she looks for her father’s face in the audience, and suddenly says it’s Tijuana. What is the name of the conqueror of Mexico? Citlalli doesn’t know and although some shout Christopher Columbus, the host interrupts and lets them know that it’s Hernán Cortés.
After almost an hour and a half of questions, the girls are visibly exhausted, they can’t wait for the contest to end. As in almost all competitions, a member of the jury says that “they are all winners”, but that one will be chosen. The jury insists that, in selecting the candidate, they have not only taken into account her knowledge of history and politics, but also her attitude in the “stage”, the equanimity with which they answered the questions and the way they withstood the pressure of the public. Without delay, someone announces that Madison García is the winner of the contest, the next queen of the pageant, the girl who will represent Mexico in New York throughout the next year.
Madison starts to cry, her father starts to cry and kisses her mother on the lips, they can’t bear so much pride, they are convinced that all the effort they have made, from the moment they crossed the border until today, has been worth it. The people applaud, Citlalli’s mother grabs the microphone on stage, interrupts the excitement of the bikers and the merrymaking of the street vendors, and says that it is not fair to her daughter, who had been threatened the day before to try not to win because “something was going to happen to her.” The strong young men of the security team take Citlalli’s mother off the stage, who in turn grabs her daughter and they leave the room with the entire family and the group of delivery workers.
At last, there is a sense of calm at the Patrón Night Club. The diamond crown that has been sitting on a table waiting for the winner now belongs to Madison, who puts on her father’s biker vest over her bright red dress. “I definitely didn’t expect this, I can’t believe it. And now all I can think about is that they’re going to go see Madison on Madison Avenue.” The lights go out, the cleaners take care of the mess. A new Mexican queen has just been born.
