Rita Moreno Receives Legacy Award

“The door for Latinos is not closed. The door isn’t completely opened either. The situation has improved enormously, but we have a long road to travel.  Latina actresses need to be offered really good roles,” she says. “Young people always ask me, ‘Why don’t they ever nominate us for an Oscar?’ The response is simple. They don’t give us the opportunities…you can’t win if you don’t have the role.”

She’s always thought that the industry needs more content created by Latinos, but the biggest responsibility is to be faithful to their roots. “To be Rita Moreno is a responsibility. But, I always like to keep my Puerto Rican-ness. For me it’s very important to maintain my identity, because that’s what makes me special,” she says. “Winning an Oscar is amazing, but getting an Oscar when you’re a Puerto Rican woman makes a big difference and a big responsibility.”

She received the Legacy Award on September 28th during Variety Latino’s “10 Latinos to Watch” party as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.