Miss Brazil USA Connecticut

Just as with country music, romance novels, and celebrity gossip, I'm not a fan of beauty pageants, unless they are in Portuguese.

With the exception of Miss America when I was in grade school, I had never in my life paid attention to beauty contests. But when I learned Miss Universe 2011 would be hosted in São Paulo, Brazil, I marked my calendar and told my roommate she'd have to DVR The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. 

Despite its physical location, however, Miss Universe 2011 was not was Brazilian enough for my taste. As much as I like Andy Cohen and respect Natalie Morales' Brazilian ancestry, I hoped the hosts would bring more of Brazil to the stage. I also conveniently forgot that Miss Universe contestants come from all over the world, and only three this year were from Portuguese speaking countries. 

Really, I was never interested in Miss Universe. What I wanted was a Brazilians-only beauty contest. And where was I going to find that? Stamford, Connecticut it turns out.

Miss Brazil USA Connecticut is a qualifying beauty pageant for Miss Brazil USA, the United States' beauty competition for Brazilian-American women. 

I have to admit that I seriously considered entering the contest, when I saw a tweet by its organizer, Rio 100 Events. Despite not coming from a Brazilian bloodline, I thought my Portuguese fluency and paixão pro Brasil could carry me at least a little ways and that I could make up for the rest in spray tans and acrylic nails. But before I could schedule my salon appointments, my dreams of entering my first beauty pageant were shattered. I don't quality for Miss Brazil Connecticut, because my permanent address is in New York. Que pena. Still, I was determined to go to the pageant, even if not as Miss Gringa East Village.



Dressed not in a bikini and heels, I will be reporting tweeting live from the Miss Brazil USA Connecticut competition at the Stamford Marriot this Sunday, October 23. I may be seated in the audience, but you can bet I'll be judging the girls just as critically as the appointed officials.

And as far as meeting my expectations of Brazilian-ness? Silvani and Frank D'Agostino, owners of Rio 100 Events, have assured me that the competition will be conducted in both Portuguese and English and that all the contestants have Brazilian or Brazilian-American backgrounds. The universe may not be as Brazilian as I'd like, but I'm lucky to live in a part of it that is. 


A preview of the Miss Brazil USA Connecticut contestants will be held this Friday, October 21 at 84 Park in Stamford, CT. You can purchase tickets for Sunday's contest online or by calling 

Silvinho - 203.667.1527 Everaldo - 203.449.6033 Via Brazil - 914.939.1234 RogerVibe - 914.424.6717 Kunjan - 203.613.9966 Alex Carmargo - 203.312.6287 Erv Master - 908.313.0669 Silvani D'Agostino - 203.964.7798