“I'm still advocating ... 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.”— Rita Moreno, npr.org
“Since its very genesis, this country has been an incubator for dreamers, especially hopeful immigrants. As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a performer, to make it in show business. And when I was cast as Anita in the 1961 film version of West Side Story — a major production — I knew the A…”— Rita Moreno, aarp.org
“It’s thrilling to be part of this wonderful country, this melting pot, and being Latina — well, consider me spice in the stew. This is America, the USA, my country, warts and all, and still the best country in the world. From Puerto Rico, Cuba or anywhere else in Latin America, Hispanics are woven i…”— Rita Moreno, aarp.org
“The United States is still a land for dreamers. I pray it will always welcome people from all over the world and that our diversity will increase. More spice in the stew!”— Rita Moreno, aarp.org
“What I say to my gente [people] 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 ever — don't give up. That's always been my motto anyway. My motto has always been 'persevere' — perseverancia. And that's what we need to do.”— Rita Moreno, npr.org
“I had won two major awards for West Side Story — I had won the Oscar and a Golden Globe — and fully believing that I was going to get a lot of work from then on and everything was going to be just rosy. And the opposite happened — I couldn't get a job to save my life. There were a few offers, but th…”— Rita Moreno, npr.org
“The thing I love about Vegas is that it's a melting pot. It's like working Ellis Island.”— Don Rickles, esquire.com