Carmen Zapata

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]

Carmen Zapata
Zapata and Vito Scotti in Love, American Style in 1973
Born	Carmen Margarita Zapata (1927-07-15)July 15, 1927 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 5, 2014(2014-01-05) (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1946–2002
Spouse(s)	Ron Friedman ​ ( m. 1957; div. 1963)

Acting career

Zapata made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Oklahoma! in 1946.[5] She appeared in over three hundred movies and shows, including Batman: The Animated Series, Married... with Children, Sister Act, and she was Carmen Castillo in Santa Barbara. One of her longest-running roles was on the bilingual children's program Villa Alegre, where for nine years she played the lead character, "Doña Luz."[6][7]

In 1972, Zapata co-founded the Screen Actors Guild Ethnic Minority Committee with actors Ricardo Montalbán, Edith Diaz, and Henry Darrow. She was also one of the original members of the Hispanic actors organization "Nosotros," which was begun by Ricardo Montalbán.[1] In 1973, she co-founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA) with Cuban-born actress, playwright, and director Margarita Galban and Argentine-born award-winning set designer Estela Scarlata.

In 1976, Zapata joined Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr., in starring roles in the 12-episode ABC situation comedy summer replacement series Viva Valdez, about a Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles, California.[8]

In 1986, she and her writing partner, Michael Dewell, published translations for Federico García Lorca's dramatic trilogy. The title was published by Bantam Books and was part of her effort to bring Spanish language literature to English speakers.[1]

Awards

In 1983, Zapata was honored with the Humanitarian Crystal Award from Women in Film.[9] Zapata was also honored with a Hispanic Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 for her career trajectory in the arts and for her work with the BFA.[10]

Zapata was nominated for an Emmy twice in her career, once as Best Supporting Actress for her role in a segment of Medical Center and once for her role in the film Carola.

In 1981, Zapata was part of a group of greater Los Angeles women honored by the Young Women's Christian Association with the Silver Achievement Award.

In 1983, Zapata was given the Ruben Salazar Award by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF).

In 1985, Zapata was named Woman of the Year by the Hispanic Women's Council.

In 1986, Zapata was the recipient of the Best Translation Award from the journal Dramalogue.[2]

Granted an honorary doctorate in human services from Sierra University.[1]

In 1991, she was among nine Californian artists, arts organizations, and patrons to receive the Governor's Award for the Arts.[1]

In 1999, Zapata was knighted by His Majesty Juan Carlos I, King of Spain and received El Lazo de Dama del Orden del Mérito Civil, the Civil Order of Merit.[11]

In 2003, Zapata received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[5]

Philanthropy

Throughout her life, Zapata was involved in various charitable events including sitting on the board of the United Way, the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, the KCET Community Advisory Board, the Boy Scouts of America, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the National Repertory Theatre Foundation, and member of the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Committee on the Arts, the California Arts Council's Ethnic Advisory Minority Panel, and many other organizations. She has also served as a panel member of the Expansion Arts Program of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles Special Olympics Events Committee, and other programs.[12][11][1]

Death

Zapata died in Los Angeles on January 5, 2014, from heart disease; she was 86 years old.[5][12]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	Hail, Hero!	Juana
1972	Portnoy's Complaint	Mrs. Harero	Uncredited
1973	Bad Charleston Charlie	Lottie
1973	Toke
1974	The Last Porno Flick	Mama Theresa
1974	W	Betty
1975	Boss Nigger	Margarita
1976	I Will, I Will... for Now	Maria
1977	Billy Jack Goes to Washington	Minor Role	Uncredited
1977	Telefon	Nurse
1977	John Hus	Mother of John Hus
1977	Emergency!	Car accident victim.	S6E24 “All Night Long”
1978	Rabbit Test	Madam Nundi
1979	Boulevard Nights	Mrs. Landeros
1980	How to Beat the High Co$t of Living	Mama	Uncredited
1980	There Goes the Bride	Mrs. Ramirez
1984	Vultures	Elena Garcia-Lopez
1986	The Education of Allison Tate	Teresa Aleman
1992	Sister Act	Choir Nun #2
1993	Point of No Return	Judge
1993	Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit	Choir Nun #2
1994	Por la Vida: Street Vending & the Criminalization of Latinos	Narrator	Voice
1994	Skins	Roses
1996	The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca	Lorca's Mother
2000	The Egg Plant Lady	Rosa Vecino
2001	The Sleepy Time Gal	Anna

See also

• List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Bilingual Foundation of the Arts

References

1. Latinas! : women of achievement. Telgen, Diane., Kamp, Jim. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. 1996. ISBN 978-0-7876-0883-5. OCLC 34514552.CS1 maint: others (link)
2. S., Meier, Matt (1997). Notable Latino Americans : a biographical dictionary. Franco Serri, Conchita., Garcia, Richard A., 1941-. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-585-38908-0. OCLC 49569798.
3. The Sacramento Bee, "Playing Against Type Long Cast In Stereotypical Mexican Roles, Carmen Zapata Has Found A Part That Fills Her Soul In Stc'S "Driving Miss Daisy"(September 11, 1990, Page E1); "She had been christened so in New York City daughter of a Mexican father and an Argentine mother"
4. Candelaria, Cordelia (January 1, 2004). Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33210-4.
5. Actress Carmen Zapata Dies at 86: Hollywood Reporter website; retrieved January 17, 2014.
6. Lowe Kilmer. "Celebrities" (column), Watertown Daily Times (New York), October 7, 2003, Lifestyles & Leisure section, page B2.
7. Matt S. Meier, Conchita Franco Serri, and Richard A. Garcia. Notable Latino Americans: A Biographical Dictionary, Westport, Conn. Greenwood Press, 1997, page 410: "Most important, in her role of Doña Luz she was, for nine years, the heart and soul of the Public Broadcasting System's bilingual program, 'Villa Alegre.'"
8. "Viva Valdez". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
9. Baugh, S. L. (2012). Zapata, Carmen (Margarita) (1927–). In Latino American Cinema: An Encyclopedia of Movies, Stars, Concepts, and Trends (pp. [292]-293). Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2727700298/GVRL?u=umuser&sid=GVRL&xid=bac25939
10. "The Paley Center for Media". The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
11. Telgen, Diane (1993). Notable Hispanic American Women, Volume 1. Gale / Cengage Learning. pp. 424. ISBN 978-0-8103-7578-9.
12. Manning, S. (January 14, 2014). Carmen zapata. The Independent Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1476948633

External links

• Carmen Zapata on IMDb