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You are here: Home / History / Which of the Puerto Rican characters in the movie West Side Story were actually Puerto Ricans?

Which of the Puerto Rican characters in the movie West Side Story were actually Puerto Ricans?

March 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

Only one of the Puerto Rican characters in the movie West Side Story were actually Puerto Ricans, Rita Moreno, who played the fiery Anita in the 1961 movie.

Natalie Wood, who played the ill-fated lover Maria, was an American of Russian-French descent. George Chakiris, who played Maria’s gang-leading brother Bernardo, was a Greek American.

The work of Puerto Rican artists such as John Sanchez is showcased at El Museo del Barrio, a New York City art museum devoted to Latino art.

Sanchez treats the theme of Puerto Rican independence in mixed-media works.

Related Facts

  • Who was the first Puerto Rican elected to govern Puerto Rico in 1946?
  • What Ethnicity are Puerto Ricans and Are Puerto Ricans black or white?
  • What was West Side Story based on and Was the musical based on real life?
  • When did Puerto Ricans start migrating to the U.S. mainland in large numbers?
  • Why do people wear straw hats at the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York?
  • Where do most Puerto Ricans in the United States live?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How many Hispanics live in New York and What does Se Habla Espanol mean in Spanish?
Next Post: Who is Rita Moreno and How many entertainment awards has she won? »

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