美国国家公共电台 NPR Rita Moreno To 'My Gente': Be Proud Of Who You Are, And Don't Give Up

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

The list of accolades 1 is long for Rita Moreno. She is the only Latina to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony for her work. And this weekend, she received a different award for her advocacy. The Ellis Island Honor Society is giving her a medal of honor for her work with immigrant communities. She joins us now from the dressing 2 room at "The Wendy Williams Show," which is the noise I think we can hear behind you. And I want to say congratulations. And what a tremendous honor it is for us to have you on the show.

RITA MORENO: I'm delighted to be here, Lulu. Thank you so much.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You've always been involved in important causes. You joined Harry 3 Belafonte to take part in the March on Washington for civil rights in 1963. You've been involved in numerous causes for Latinos. This is a moment when many inside minority communities feel under threat.

MORENO: As well they should.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah. Where are we now? You've seen so much over so many years. Where are we now in your view?

MORENO: You know, I really don't know. I am confused. But I - but here's the difference. We are now really raising our voices like we never have before. And I think that is the big difference, whether we're dealing 5 with someone difficult and dangerous and bizarre as this president. We are getting just as loud as he is. And we are trying to show America that we are not the kind of people that he keeps portraying 6. And I think that's going to help a great deal.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Where's your role in that - in this conversation?

MORENO: Well, my role hasn't changed at all. I'm still advocating. And I'm really pressing for - I'm going to press for the vote, the Latino vote, when the time comes because I think it's going to make a great difference. I think we just have to make the people believe that their vote does make a difference. I think people are still under the impression - people of color and minorities - that, oh, well, you know, it's only one vote. It is not one vote. It's hundreds and hundreds of thousands.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'd like to just ask you also a little bit about Hollywood. You know, there's a huge discussion about representation. But you were talking about this issue in the 1960s. I read a quote as I was researching this that said, "Hollywood Jim Crowism must end now in all of its aspects," which is amazing if you think about how long it has taken for this issue to really gain traction 7. Why has it taken so long?

MORENO: Well, part of the reason, I think, is that I don't think everybody was as serious about it then as they are now. I think we have found a voice. I think the #MeToo movement has done something quite extraordinary in all kinds of directions, not just about men and sexuality but about just simply being heard and being listened to. I think we were voices in the wind, and the wind was blowing the wrong way. And we weren't experienced yet at how quite to do this. I think we are getting the experience now. And I think that we're going to - it's going to make a big difference. I really believe that.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You, though, took a stand pretty early in your career. You didn't act for several years after winning your Oscar for Anita in "West Side Story" because you refused to take the sort of stereotyped 8 roles that were offered. I think in your memoir 9, you referred to them as generic 10 ethnics 11. That must have been tough to do.

MORENO: It was actually heartbreaking. I had won two major awards for "West Side Story." I'd won the Oscar and the Golden Globe - and fully 12 believing that I was going to get a lot of work from then on. And the opposite happened. I couldn't get a job to save my life. There were a few offers, but the offers that were offered were minor 4 movies with gangs. I just couldn't believe it. I'm telling you that it broke my heart at the time. It just absolutely broke my heart.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what's changed for Latino performers, do you think?

MORENO: I think what's changed for Latino performers is Latino performers. I think we have spoken out. And the door is much more open now. I don't think it's open enough, but it's certainly more open.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I guess I'm just going to close by asking you something that I want to know because as a Latina, you know, you've been such an inspiration. You know, as someone who's had to fight for recognition at every step, what do you say to you know your gente right now?

MORENO: What I say to my gente is to hang on and to remember who they are. Be proud of who they are and keep talking and keep complaining and just don't give up. That's always been my motto anyway. My motto has always been persevere 13 - (speaking Spanish). And that's what we need to do.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: That was Rita Moreno, national treasure and icon 14. She's currently starring in "One Day At A Time" on Netflix. And she just won an award for her advocacy. Thank you so very much.

MORENO: It's my pleasure. Thank you for asking the good questions.