For the last 44 years, you could ask Maria how to get to Sesame Street, but not any more. Sonia Manzano, the actress who has played the character since 1971, is retiring and won’t be part of the next season.
 Manzano, 65, announced the news earlier this week at the American Library Association Annual Conference.
 On the show, Maria owned the Fix-It shop, repairing all sorts of things, including a lot of toasters, with her husband Luis, writes the Associated Press:
 “In confirming Manzano’s retirement, Sesame Workshop said ‘she will always be a part of the fabric of our neighborhood. During her 44-year career as the iconic "Maria,” and the first leading Latina woman on television, she was a role model for young girls and women for generations.’“