Sonia Manzano, renowned for her portrayal of "Maria" on "Sesame Street," has significantly impacted the entertainment and educational industries. She was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, and her journey from the Bronx to mainstream American television played a pivotal role in reshaping the representation of Latino culture in media.
Aside from her role on Sesame Street, Manzano is an accomplished author known for her literary works that encapsulate the cultural richness of her heritage. These include her celebrated 2015 memoir, "Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx." Her writing offers a window into her personal experiences and amplifies the voices of the Latino community, demonstrating her dedication to storytelling and education.
In addition to her contributions to television and literature, Sonia Manzano is a vocal advocate for social change. Her career continues to inspire audiences and readers with her enduring influence.
Sonia Manzano continues to leave her mark as Granny Isa in "Alma's Way," an animated children's television series created and executive produced by her at Fred Rogers Productions. The show centers around Alma Rivera, a 6-year-old Puerto Rican girl navigating her Latino neighborhood and showcasing decision-making and social awareness skills.
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During Hispanic Heritage Month, the show returns with a storyline in which Alma tries to bring her grandparents back together so her family can be united. Additionally, the show features Alma and her family and friends visiting the American Museum of Natural History. It accurately portrays the museum and its popular exhibits, providing families with the opportunity to experience them regardless of location.
During an interview with HOLA! USA, Sonia Manzano discussed her career trajectory, shedding light on her past, present, and future endeavors.
Please tell us what we can expect from this season of 'Alma's Way.'
Hispanic Heritage Month is gearing up in the middle of the month. So we'll be celebrating it with a trip to the American Museum of Natural History, where Alma wants to see everything very quickly, and her little brother wants to take it a little slower. So we put these little human dramas that kids have in a bigger story, and the bigger story is that they go to the museum.
Another story I like very much is Uncle Nestor's bumpy ride. He is an adult who doesn't know how to ride a bicycle, and that's kind; I relate to that personally because I never knew how to ride a bike. I still don't ride a bicycle. And I mean, we didn't have bikes in the Bronx when I was growing up, and I remember being on Sesame Street, and the director saying, come around the corner on the bicycle. And I said I don't know how to ride a bike. And everybody was shocked. So, I like that we have a little story where Alma teaches Uncle Nestor how to ride a bike.
As far as my character goes, Granny Issa and Abuelo are divorced, and Alma wants to get them back together. Alma says, 'If I could recreate how they were in Puerto Rico, or how they did the salsa dancing, they'll get back together again.' And I think that that might be a hidden wish that a lot of kids have when their parents are separated. So, you know, we have a happy ending, and it doesn't affect Almas's relationship with Grammy Issa. So I'm very happy about some of those are the main stories.
The show pays tribute to the Bronx, its culture, and its people. Do you get to sit down with the writers and share a little bit of your story?
I read all the scripts, and I certainly will if I can put the new Eureka lens on it. We had the animators from Canada, and we took them around the Bronx so that they could see exactly what they were animating. Ellen Doherty from Fred Rogers Productions made sure that happened, and I appreciate that.
And how do you prepare for your voice? Do you change it, or do you use the same tone?
Sonia and Granny Issa are just the same. I'm the same Sonia. I'm Maria, but older. I don't change my voice at all. I think my voice benefits me because people can forget my face, but it seems that it is very memorable. So, I like to use my real voice.
But you bring up an interesting point. Animation is very different from live action. In live action, you could change things right on the set the moment you're performing it, whereas, in animation, they record the voices way ahead of time and then animate to it. So there's no changing at the last minute. So, I'm mindful of precisely what and how I say it because it won't be changed; it will be animated that way.
You have an impressive career that extends beyond children's entertainment. How do you ensure people remember you as more than just the lady who works for kids' shows?
I think about who I am, what I want to say, and what I stand for, whether it's Maria on Sesame Street, where it's the creator of Alma's Way, whether it's the book I wrote, I mean, I wrote "Coming Up Cuban," and I'm not Cuban.
On "Law and Order," it's fun, it's a great show to be on. But I never try to worry about how people see me. I advise young people going into the business not to worry about that because the only thing you have is yourself and your uniqueness.
Now that you mentioned your book, can we expect a second part of your memoir or any other project?
There's a picture book in the works, in the very early works with Scholastic. If you're asking me about another memoir, I fool around with that idea. But I'm not there yet. I love writing because I can do it alone, and I don't need a lot of people around me.
You have a lot on your plate, but do you have any hobbies that help you stay healthy?
Swimming is my primary form of exercise because it has no impact on my bones, and so I find that swimming helps. I'm part of the Jane Fonda generation who works out. You know, before her, women didn't work out that much, but Jane Fonda's famous video has always been a part of my life. I find the older I get, the harder it is to jog because there's impact.
As far as my voice goes, I don't do anything special about it, except whenever I'm recording, I have to have some slices of Apple because the apple will sharpen my voice so that it doesn't sound mushy.
No, no. I have always loved storytelling, theater, and television, but I never thought that I would be on television. When I was growing up, there were no Latinos on TV. There was only Rita Moreno at the time. I used to go see Mexican movies, where I saw Maria Felix and Sarita Montiel.
But when it was time to go to college, I had very low grades because of the school that I went to in the South Bronx. I couldn't compete going into college, so I decided to try an audition to get in, and that's how I got into Carnegie Mellon University. I quickly learned that all the power was behind the camera, and once I learned that I wanted to be more behind the camera.
Being behind the camera is one of your superpowers, so as the creator of Alma's Way, please invite our readers to enjoy the show as a family.
We certainly hope that parents co-watch. If Alma has a problem, parents are willing to say to their kids, "Would you do that, or would you do something else?" How would you figure this out? How would you incorporate this in your own life? And have conversations where there's no right answer. Maybe their kid will come up with something. Alma didn't think of that. That's a way of having a conversation.
They can also enjoy the music. We have Fabiola Mendez, she plays the cuatro, a Puerto Rican instrument. We have sophisticated music that adults can enjoy as well.
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
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© Sonia Manzano
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