Carmen Zapata | |
---|---|
Zapata in 1973 | |
Born | Carmen Margarita Zapata July 15, 1927 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Died | January 5, 2014 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 86)
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1946–2002 |
Spouse |
Ron Friedman
(m. 1957; div. 1963) |
Carmen Margarita Zapata (July 15, 1927 – January 5, 2014) often referred to as "The First Lady of the Hispanic Theater"[1] was an American actress best known for her role in the PBS bilingual children's program Villa Alegre. Zapata is also the co-founder and director of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts in Los Angeles. Zapata took an active part in the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s.[2] Zapata was born in New York City to Julio Zapata, a Mexican immigrant, and Ramona Roca, an Argentine immigrant.[3][4]