'The teachers and librarians tweeted it,' Manzano says. She casually mentioned the news at the 2015 American Library Association Conference in San Francisco. But with fewer episodes, more characters and less airtime, she made the decision to leave Sesame Street. Sonia Manzano joined the show as the character Maria in 1971. 'I just think that 44 years is long enough to wait for Oscar the Grouch to propose, don't you?' she says. But now, she's left the family.the Sesame Street family. Sonia Manzano, known around the world as Maria, has spent more than 40 years in our homes. NY1's Budd Mishkin filed the following One on 1 profile. For so many years, on our televisions, in our homes, she's almost been like a member of the family. When Sonia Manzano announced last year that she was leaving 'Sesame Street,' the news hit home for many people.
