From the South Bronx to Sesame Street: How Sonia Manzano made Maria a Latina icon

On The Standard’s podcast Life in Seven Songs, we ask some of the world’s most fascinating people: What songs tell the story of your life?

Sonia Manzano knows you think of her as Maria on “Sesame Street”—and that’s exactly the point. Growing up in the South Bronx in an abusive household, television was Manzano’s refuge as a child, especially Jiminy Cricket singing “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

“It was so hopeful,” Manzano says. “It meant to me that anything was possible [and] that I could get out of this environment and do like Jiminy Cricket says.”

But Manzano never saw her life experiences represented in any of those beloved TV shows.

“We lived at a time when Latin people were absolutely invisible. We weren’t in the newspapers or on television. And you wondered what you were gonna contribute to a society that was blind to you.”

Years later, when she landed the role of Maria on “Sesame Street,” Manzano made a choice. She wouldn’t play a character; she would be herself—on purpose.

“I always remembered myself as a kid, watching hours and hours of television and never seeing anybody who looked like me,” Manzano says. “And when I got the opportunity to be on ‘Sesame Street,’ I remembered that little girl and I said, ‘I’m gonna be what I should have seen as a little girl.’”

For 44 years, Manzano served as an authentic and beloved role model for millions of children. More recently, she’s created another iconic Latina heroine through the children’s show “Alma’s Way” – this one inspired by her childhood self.

In this episode of “Life in Seven Songs,” Manzano reflects on the power of seeing yourself reflected in pop culture and the music that accompanied her journey from the South Bronx to “Sesame Street.” Here’s her playlist.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify (opens in new tab) or Apple Podcasts (opens in new tab)

🎵 Explore the episode playlist on Spotify (opens in new tab)

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