Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Miss Arizona Latina

Adonis Albright speaks with Yulissa Felix about her impact on our community

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - From the stage, to empowering the youth in our community, Yulissa Felix has brought the state crown home twice.

"I am Miss Arizona Latina, and I like to say that I am a role model within my Hispanic community," said Felix.

To her, winning the crown is both an accomplishment and a message.

"I am a representation of the Hispanic women. I like to promote self-love, cultural pride and self growth within my community."

Representation - a word that Felix doesn't take lightly. Over the years, Felix said she's seen a change in the way Latinos are portrayed on the big screen.

"We're breaking stereotypes because before we were on television, but we were portrayed as a certain group of people. Someone that a lot of people didn't want to look up to, and now it's like, oh, we're Latinos, but we're much more than those stereotypes. We are people who are hard working, who are doing amazing things that need to recognized."

As Miss Arizona Latina, Felix has partnered with local organizations to raise awareness about the importance of our youth stepping up to make a difference.

To her, Hispanic Heritage Month means honoring those who came before, and paved the way for the generations that follow.

"I wouldn't have been able to be here, I wouldn't have been able to graduate from University, or have all of the opportunities that I have today. So for me it's celebrating them, all of the sacrifices that they have done, and there's a phrase that I always like to share with everyone which is: culture is pride, pride is success."

Felix wants to make it clear, when you hear her name either on stage or volunteering in our community, that everyone knows her heritage.

"Being Latina and being Hispanic is my superpower. I take it with pride."