5 Reasons We're Taking Maria's Departure From Sesame Street So Badly

Sesame Street was designed as a social experiment to provide early education to underprivileged kids who weren't attending preschool. No one expected the show to run for 45 years — especially the cast and crew. As one of the early cast members (she joined the show in 1971, in the show's second season), Sonia Manzano introduced Latino culture and words to kids across America who had never heard an "hola" before. To say she (and the show) were ahead of their time is quite the understatement.