Alma's Way was created by actress and writer Sonia Manzano, who broke new ground as one of the first Latino characters on television in the United States in her role as "María" on Sesame Street.
(Photo Sonia Manzano)
(CNN Spanish) -
The animated series Alma's Way follows Alma Rivera, a proud and self-confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her family among a diverse group of close friends and community members.
Created by actress and writer Sonia Manzano, the series explores Alma's way of thinking, while sharing her observations and feelings, the challenges she faces, and speaking directly to viewers.
"Alma's Way" is a series for children where we see Alma's way of thinking in each episode.
The idea came directly from PBS who asked me to create this program with a Puerto Rican girl, in fact many of the characters are based on my family or on things that happened to me when I was growing up, "says the actress in a video call from New York with Zona Pop CNN.
He adds about the importance of Alma for children: "I was born in the United States and I never saw someone who lived where I lived or was like me. At that time, I only saw Latinos in Mexican films of that time such as Cantinflas or María Félix. I felt invisible and with Alma I try to prevent children from feeling the way I felt as a child. "
Sonia Manzano was awarded the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of her pioneering representation of Latinos on television and for playing “María” for 44 years on Sesame Street.
(Photo Richard Termine / Sonia Manzano)
Sonia Manzano, 44 years old on Sesame Street
Sonia broke new ground in the television industry in the United States.
She was one of the first Latino characters on American screens with her role as Maria on Sesame Street.
"They were 44 years that passed very quickly (laughs). My character of María and I lived many things at the same time, from falling in love in real life, getting married and even when my daughter was born," says the actress of origin. Puerto Rican.
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Working and living with Sesame Street characters like Big Bird, Cookie Monster or Ernie and Bert must have been an unforgettable experience, but Sonia has a spoiled person: "Without a doubt, my favorite was Oscar the Grouch, the grumpy one. Always I was in a bad mood, and being a writer on the show, it was always easier to write for someone who was always in a bad mood. "
Zona Pop:
Was it difficult to play a Latina on the show in the late 1970s?
Sonia Manzano:
"The problem I had was that I spoke Spanglish. At that time the actor Raúl Julia was also there and he told me that I should use real words in Spanish. I felt proud to be
New Yorikan
(a combined word that means of Puerto Rican origin but born in New York) and asked to be that way. We must accept our roots with great pride. "
Lin-Manuel Miranda is part of Alma's way
Working with Lin-Manuel Miranda today is a privilege for many actors.
How was the merger of Manzano with the singer / actor / writer?
Miranda gave voice to a little sheep named Ovejita who only spoke Spanish, with the English song "Mary and a little lamb".
Later he gave life to Freddy Flapman and wrote some songs for the show
"Lin-Manuel was on Sesame Street on a couple of occasions lending his voice and with a real character and from there I met him. His father, who is more of my generation, was very active in the Puerto Rican community. I called him and told him. I said, hey, help me connect with your son and work with me. We all know that with four words it says what it would take me to use 30 words, "says Manzano.
"For Alma's Way, I was looking for something that had hip hop and rap, that would show the train number 6, which goes from the Bronx to Puerto Rico and the theme of the program is her inspiration," concludes the actress and writer.
Alma's Way is currently only seen in the United States on the PBS Kids channel.
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