Who Is Rita Moreno?

A young Puerto Rican girl who moved to New York when she was five years old
The first Latina woman to win an Academy Award, for her role in the film West Side Story
A successful star of stage, film, and television whose career has lasted over eight decades

How did a girl growing up near the rainforests of Puerto Rico become a Hollywood star and the first Puerto Rican woman to win an Academy Award? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library!

Before she was Rita Moreno, Rosita Dolores Alverío emigrated to New York City from Puerto Rico with her mother when she was five years old. With a talent for dancing and performing, she started her career on the stage at age nine. By the time she was thirteen, Rita made her Broadway debut! Best known for her role in West Side Story, Rita became the first Puerto Rican woman to win an Academy Award and eventually the first Latina woman in history to win an EGOT, all four of the major entertainment awards.  

After thriving in Hollywood and on Broadway, Rita found joy in children’s television, and became a regular cast member with The Electric Company and a guest star on The Muppets. While sharing her love for music, dancing, and performing, she also focused on political activism in the 1960s, supporting Martin Luther King Jr. and the idea that by working together, change can be made for the better. Learn all about the career and life of the inspirational Hollywood and Broadway star Rita Moreno in this biography for young readers!