Yamilex Hernandez, a Dominican woman based in New Jersey, won the inaugural “Miss Universe Latina” title in Los Angeles, California.
As the first to receive this honor, Hernandez will represent the United States’ Latin community at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand this November.
She prevailed over 29 other contestants after participating in a challenging reality TV-style competition designed to reduce the pool of candidates.
Only 24 of the initial aspirants progressed to stay in the Miss Universe Latina mansion, where they faced a series of challenges aimed at showcasing their abilities and resilience.