In “Becoming Maria,” she recounts how her father would serenade the family with old Puerto Rican songs on his guitar, her earnest discussions with childhood friends about “pelo malo” (bad hair), and her discovering – on a New York City subway – the thrill of reading. Yet Manzano’s childhood did not lack for joy and wonder. “And so, I’ve always thought there was a kid out there that’s just like me, confused, no one’s talking to them, and I could offer… an hour of peace and tranquility and order in a world they recognize.” “And I think that that sensibility stayed with me, and I got on “Sesame Street.” And I remembered myself watching television and looking for answers,” she continued. And I used to watch television to get information and try to figure out why we weren’t like those people on television.” And to try to figure things out,” she said. “I did grow up in this crazy world and I watched television a lot for comfort. In elementary school, Manzano asked her teacher whether she was “middle class.” Her teacher’s blunt reply: “No, you are poor, very poor, just like everybody else at this school.”Īs a child trying to make sense of her life, Manzano turned to television. In kindergarten, one of her favorite games was playing “jumping out a window of a burning apartment.” From an early age, she was an eyewitness to such adult problems as alcoholism, drugs, and domestic abuse.
Manzano’s own childhood was far from the comforting world she helped bring to life on the small screen. This news was greeted with nostalgia and affection among her many fans one Washington Post reporter referred to her character as “surely the most loved person on TV.” Manzano’s childhood and adolescence are the focus of her latest book, “Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx.” Her memoir comes on the heels of her July announcement that she would be leaving “Sesame Street” after 44 years. So we all used to come to the park and wreak havoc.” “But things have obviously changed around here,” said Manzano.
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