![]() When I started understanding my Latinidad as an adult, I realized I didn’t want to fit into what I perceived as a more acceptable mainstream portrayal of Latinx culture. For marginalized people especially, the validation we get in seeing ourselves in others is vital. She looks like me, and I can do that because she’s doing it.” We always remember the first time we feel seen and the times we do not. I want for the next generation of Afro-Latinx audience members to go, “That’s what I want to do. But I’m also very proud of the work-you sweat and you get nervous because you care. I feel a tremendous responsibility toward this film and, quite frankly, have been sweating over the day that it’s finally out in the world. We always remember the first time we feel seen and the times we do not. It’s what I always hoped to watch on screen when I was a kid. The fact that we’re showing it can be done respectfully and responsibly means everything to me. We all have different cultures and skin colors. ![]() That in and of itself is a massive part of West Side Story’s legacy. We celebrate the diaspora with Latinos from every walk of life. All Latinx roles are portrayed by Latinos in this film. Sixty years after the original movie’s release, I feel like our version of West Side Story is a step in the right direction. Those are attributes that need to be seen. And I wanted to do this with love and joy and strength and great vulnerability. I have to celebrate my Afro-Latinidad, not deny it. Auditioning for Anita was an act of teaching the people in the audition room by existing and taking up space as a Black, Afro-Latinx, queer woman. I came to a fuller acceptance of who I am as an adult because I didn’t understand that I could be both Black and Latinx growing up. I understood that I could claim that space too later on when I had a greater understanding of my Afro-Latinidad. But she believes in the possibility of her American dream and that there is space for her at the proverbial table, and she’s willing to work hard to earn it. Perhaps not completely in the physical manifestation of her, because Rita Moreno and I look very different, but in the attributes of this character. Oh, what did they cook? What are they making there? What are they talking about here? Why are the Sharks fighting the Jets? I revisited West Side Story several times over, and every time I watched the film, I found something new. The art that you consume during your formative years is incredibly impactful. So, making sense of all that art was how I found solace. I knew I was different, but I didn’t know how to articulate it. ![]() The way she tried to keep my Latinidad alive in me was through art. My mother is an educator and a glorious white woman, and I love the upbringing that she gave me. They also introduced me to Latinx culture. The film-and Dance with Me with Vanessa Williams and Chayanne, which I saw as an early teen-introduced me to Latin dance and Latin ballroom. I was probably seven or eight when I first watched West Side Story. ![]() ![]() Now, she’s turning the mirror back on the next generation of Afro-Latinx moviegoers, who will see a more accurate representation of Latinx people who are diverse in culture and complexion, and crystalize the kinship therein. The film helped DeBose connect with her Latinidad as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina and sparked an interest in pursuing dance professionally. For DeBose, playing Anita is more than a vehicle for a brilliant performance it ’ s a full circle moment. Her latest turn as Anita in Steven Spielberg ’ s West Side Story looks to define her career as it did for Rita Moreno, who originated the part in the 1961 original film and became the first Latinx woman to ever win an Oscar. Every new screen or stage role, whether it’s starring in Netflix’s The Prom or being in the Hamilton ensemble on Broadway, is a visceral challenge and a chance for her to grow. Ariana DeBose creates characters that touch the heart and linger in the mind. ![]()
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