Rita Moreno
Moreno in 2013, photo by PrPhotos
Birth Name: Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano
Place of Birth: Humacao, Puerto Rico
Date of Birth: December 11, 1931
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Rita Moreno is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story (1961). Her roles also include the films So Young, So Bad; The Toast of New Orleans, Pagan Love Song, The Ring (1952), Singin’ in the Rain, Cattle Town, Fort Vengeance, Untamed, Jivaro, The Lieutenant Wore Skirts, The King and I, The Vagabond King, The Deerslayer, This Rebel Breed, Summer and Smoke, Cry of Battle, The Night of the Following Day, Popi, Marlowe (1969), Carnal Knowledge, The Ritz, Happy Birthday, Gemini; The Four Seasons, Age Isn’t Everything, I Like It Like That, Angus, Slums of Beverly Hills, Blue Moon, Piñero, Casa de los babys, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, the West Side Story remake (2021), 80 for Brady, and Fast X, and television’s The Electric Company, Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? (in the title voice role), Oz, Happily Divorced, Nina’s World, and One Day at a Time (2017). She has also been credited as Rosita Moreno.
She was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, the daughter of Rosa María Marcano, a seamstress, and Francisco José “Paco” Alverío. She was initially raised in nearby Juncos. Rita and her mother moved to New York City in the 1930s, and then lived in Valley Stream, Long Island. Moreno was the surname of her first stepfather, Edward. Rita was married to cardiologist Leonard Gordon, until his death, with whom she has a daughter.
Rita’s paternal grandfather was Nemesio Alverio Rivera (the son of Severo Alverio/Alverro and Fermina Rivera).
Rita’s paternal grandmother was Dolores Carrión Carrión de Alverio (the daughter of Jose Dolores Carrión y Rodriguez and Petra Carrión y Guzmán de Carrión). Jose was the son of Jose Maria Carrión Cabrera and Magdalena Rodriguez. Petra was the daughter of Cornelio Carrión Diaz and Dolores Guzman.
Rita’s maternal grandfather was Justino Marcano Rivera (the son of Isaac Marcano and Eulalia/Eulogia Rivera). Justino was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico.
Rita’s maternal grandmother was Trinidad López Morales (the daughter of Ramon Lopez Peña and Justa Morales Peña). Ramón was the son of Juan Ramón López de Victoria Serrano and Maria Trinidad Peña Diaz. Justa was the daughter of Dionisio Morales Maldonado and Maria Salomé Peña Diaz.
Sources: https://people.com
https://forward.com
Immigration record of Rita’s mother – https://www.familysearch.org
She looked black in west side story. She got miraculously lighter as she got older.
@charicew apparently Rita said the directors of West Side story darkened her skin for the movid
https://people.com/movies/rita-moreno-really-resented-darkening-her-skin-west-side-story/
And btw folks what is pure Spanish. If you take a look at my country where I am from in Andalucia, you will realize that we are one of the most ethnically diverse and mixed countries in all of Europe. We have had about 13-14 colonizations and people come in. Does not mean that all of us are mixed with all of that. You will find blonde and blue eyes and green eyes and red hair in about 20 percent of the population. This is due to Celtic and Viking and Visigoth ancestry. You will find those that look very Mediterranean and dark hair and eyes and med to dark tan and those that are darker. They can be located anywhere in Spain, but you will find them in greater percentage in the Andalucia region and the Islas Canarias. And they look much darker and more ethnic than this woman. People get educated please.. Learn Spains history before makiing blanket comments. Y para los que dicen que son españoles educate por favor!