Cinema Tropical underlines that sixty years after Rita Moreno’s win, queer Afro-Puert performero Rican Ariana DeBose has gained an Oscar for a similar function:
Afro-Latina performer of Puerto Rican descent Ariana DeBose gained the Academy Award for Finest Supporting Actress this night for her function of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the musical West Facet Story, sixty years later after fellow Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno gained for a similar function within the authentic model directed by Robert Sensible and Jerome Robbins. DeBose made historical past tonight changing into the primary brazenly queer girl of coloration to win an Oscar in an performing class.
In her acceptance speech, DeBose mentioned “To anyone who has ever questioned your id or you end up residing within the grey areas…I promise you this: there’s certainly a spot for us.” DeBose beat out fellow nominees Jessie Buckley (The Misplaced Daughter), Judi Dench (Belfast), Kirsten Dunst (The Energy of the Canine) and Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) to take the trophy this night on the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.