American TV icon, 15 Emmy-awarded Sonia Manzano is highly praised for her work as a TV shows screenwriter, and more for playing Maria in "Sesame Street". Today, at the age of 71, the actress, screenwriter, writer, singer, and songwriter once again is on the world’s spotlight for the creation and co-production of the children's animated series Alma’s Way, produced by Fred Rogers and Pipeline Studios.

Manzano stars as the title character of the series, Alma Rivera, an outgoing and confident 6-year-old New Yorker who lives in South Bronx with her Puerto Rican family.  Strongly inspired by his own life experiences, Manzano grew up in a low-income family in one of New York City's most multicultural neighborhoods. With the series, she expects to inspire children to think critically and value their own ideas.

According to the official website, fredrogers.org,  “the show offers children the tools to discover the confidence to think for themselves, find their own answers, and recognize and respect the unique perspective of others”.

In an the interview published by The New York Times, Sonia Manzano reveals that, in her  heart, she is communicating with the deprived children that was also part of the audience that watched  Sesame Street, but with a key difference:  Alma’s Way is totally placed in Bronx" and highlights different aspects of Latin culture to celebrate diversity.

The show intends to express references of real life of those who live in South Bronx, and it is possible to feel how careful they were when choosing the musical references and characters based on people who lived near the neighborhood where Manzano grew up. The Subway n. 6 train that connects the Bronx with the rest of New York City, for example, is there in an animated version, and it caught the attention of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who excitedly posted on Twitter: "Wait – that’s our community’s subway line!”. 

When considering the purposes of the show, Manzano says that she “wants children to begin embracing their cultural identity and understand their own worth from an early age, when they are actively building the foundation that will determine their future character and personality. This becomes even more crucial as they grow and are exposed to things like the web and social media”. The actress concludes, "It’s important for kids to see themselves reflected in society so they can become and feel a part of it and aren't intimidated by the problems they face later on”.

Alma’s Way premiered earlier this month on PBS Kids in English and Spanish dubbing.

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