Sesame Street Icon Sonia Manzano Embraces Her Latinx Identity

In 2025, Sonia Manzano, the beloved actress who portrayed Maria on Sesame Street from 1971 to 2015, is reflecting on her journey and the lessons she learned about embracing her Latinx identity.

When Manzano first joined the Sesame Street cast, she was told by producers to "be herself." However, this meant using Spanglish words that not everyone on the show understood. Manzano recalls how the "front office" came down and told the production team that the Spanglish words she was using were not "real Spanish words." Manzano then turned to her co-star Emilio Delgado, who confirmed that he also didn't understand the Spanglish terms she was using.

This moment set the tone for Manzano's relationship with Delgado and served as an important acting lesson. Manzano realized she needed to make choices in her art and use "real Spanish words" so that the Chicano, Peruvian, and other Latinx children watching would understand her.

Manzano also had to confront her own insecurities about her identity. She initially thought it would be "better" if everyone thought she was born in Puerto Rico, believing that would make her "more authentic and more pleasing to the audience." But Manzano eventually realized she couldn't do her best work while "looking over [her] shoulder." She decided to embrace her identity as a Nuyorican, and the producers were supportive of this decision.

Manzano's experiences on Sesame Street taught her an important lesson: "Don't hide. If you don't know something, don't hide. Face it head on because something better will come of it." This mindset has shaped Manzano's career as she has advocated for greater diversity and representation on television.