Sarai Gonzalez

Sarai Isaura Gonzalez (born 2005) is an American Latina child actress and author. She made her professional acting debut at the age of 11 on the Spanish-language "Soy Yo" ("That's Me") music video by Bomba Estéreo. Cast as a "nerdy" tween with a "sassy" and "confident" attitude, her performance turned her into a "Latina icon" for "female empowerment, identity and self-worth".[1][2] She subsequently appeared in two get out the vote videos for Latinos in advance of the 2016 United States elections. In 2018 she co-authored several volumes in a semiautobiographical chapter book series for children aged 7 to 10.

Sarai Gonzalez
Born
Sarai Isaura Gonzalez

2005 (age 15–16)
NationalityUnited States
OccupationActress, author
Years active2016 – present
Known for"Soy Yo" music video

Early life and family

Sarai Isaura Gonzalez[3] is the eldest of three daughters of Juan Carlos Gonzalez, a native of Naranjo de Alajuela, Costa Rica,[4] and his wife Diana, originally from Peru.[2] Her parents immigrated to the United States when they were children and later met in church. The family resides in Green Brook, New Jersey. Juan Carlos formerly worked as a construction engineer before leaving his job to care for the children; Diana is a computer analyst in a hospital in Newark.[2]

Career

2015–2016

From an early age, Sarai enjoyed singing, dancing, and performing. In 2015 her parents signed her up for a talent and modeling program run by Actors, Models and Talent for Christ, and she was signed by a New York agent.[2] In 2016 she auditioned for the lead role in the Spanish-language "Soy Yo" music video and was selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants.[2] Cast as a "nerdy" tween with a "sassy" and "confident" attitude, she traverses the "mean streets" of Brooklyn, facing up to taunts and bullies.[2][1] The music video, released on September 7, 2016,[5] garnered over one million views upon its September 2016 release and logged over 6.5 million views as of early November.[1] Gonzalez was viewed as a "Latina icon" for "female empowerment, identity and self-worth".[1][2] The New York Times opined:

'Soy Yo' seemed to appear at precisely the right moment—a defiant, and adorable, rebuke to the anti-Latino rhetoric of the Trump campaign, and haters in general. "Don't worry if they don't accept you," goes the song's chorus, in Spanish. "If they criticize you, just say, 'That's me.'"[2]

Gonzalez' character inspired fans to post artwork, memes, and childhood photos of themselves on social media under the hashtag #SoyYo.[1][2] In October, Fusion released a video of Gonzalez giving advice on how to develop self-confidence.[6]

Gonzalez appeared in her first speaking role in a 30-second Latino get out the vote video produced by Civic Innovation Works in advance of the 2016 US elections.[1][7] She also appeared in the two-minute "Be You y Vota" video produced by People for the American Way, in which she encourages her father and neighbors to cast their ballots and dances as she leads them to the polling station.[8][9][10]

Gonzalez was a guest at the Hispanic Heritage reception at the White House on October 12, 2016, where she shared a hug with President Barack Obama.[2][4]

2017

Gonzalez was cast in the lead role in Watermelon (2017), a New York University thesis short film written and directed by Toryn Seabrooks. Gonzalez played a "12 year old frumpy wallflower" who wants to join a cheerleaders squad.[11][12]

2018

The first volume of a multi-part chapter book series, co-authored by Gonzalez and Monica Brown and published by Scholastic, was released in September 2018. Titled Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome, the series is based on events in Gonzalez' life and is aimed at readers aged 7 to 10.[13][14] Scholastic has since released volume 2, Sarai in the Spotlight,[13] and volume 3, Sarai Saves the Music. Each volume is available in English and Spanish editions.[13]

References
  1. Rodriguez, Cindy Y. (November 3, 2016). "Young actress from Bomba Estereo's 'Soy Yo' is back with Get Out the Vote ad". Fox News Latino. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. Correal, Annie (October 21, 2016). "Declaring 'That's Me,' and Empowering Latinas". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  3. Rivera, Agnes (October 20, 2016). "This girl is half-Peruvian, half-Costa Rican and completely awesome". Peru This Week. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. Lang, Elizabeth (October 26, 2016). "Meet Sarai González, the inspiring Tica in Bomba Estéreo's 'Soy Yo' video". The Tico Times. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  5. Flores, Griselda (September 7, 2016). "Bomba Estereo's Li Saumet Talks New Music Video 'Soy Yo'". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  6. Ramirez, Tanisha Love (October 12, 2016). "Girl From Bomba Estéreo's 'Soy Yo' Video Has The Best Advice For Us All". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  7. Yomary, Tatayana (November 3, 2016). "Sarai Gonzalez: 11 Year-Old Actress From Bomba Estereo's 'Soy Yo' Lands 'Get Out The Vote' Ad". Latin Times. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  8. Estevez, Marjua (October 31, 2016). "'Soy Yo' Star Sarai Gonzalez Returns With An Anti-Trump Call To Vote". Vibe. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  9. Ramirez, Tanisha Love (November 1, 2016). "Star Of 'Soy Yo' Reprises Her Fearless Role To Urge Latinos To Vote". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  10. Campoy, Ana (November 4, 2016). "This little girl's video is a perfect example of how to motivate Latino millennials to vote". Quartz. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  11. "Watermelon". Indiegogo. 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  12. "Así soy yo: Saraí González" [This is me: Saraí González]. La República (in Spanish). July 8, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  13. "A new book series to inspire girl power and Latinx pride". On Our Minds. September 20, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  14. "Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome". Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
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