Sonia Manzano recently retired from Sesame Street after 44 years. However the character of “Maria” which sometimes mirrored her real life happenings, will remain a part of her personal heritage for as long as television exists.
Manzano recently was awarded the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for the role that defined her career and the lives of four generations of children that followed her on the most consistently popular syndicated children’s show of all time.
Bob Mauro, the President of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences summarized the feelings of many. ”
Sonia not only brought the life events of marriage, having a baby, and being a mother to viewers young and old,”
Mauro explained,
“She also brought a seldom-seen diversity, a Latin role-model, unlike anything on television at the time.”
This award also serves as a double honor, for this graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, who calls the Upper West Side home as she adds this one to the other 15 Emmy’s she won as writer for Sesame Street. Now, with her place in history secure, Sonia will continue to be “Maria” but just in a different setting.
