Rosita puppet used on Sesame Street

Rosita puppet used in the production of the children's television series Sesame Street. Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas is a Mexican-American Muppet character introduced to the show in 1991, performed by Carmen Osbahr. Sesame Street (airing 1969-present) is the longest-running children’s television series in American history and has earned acclaim for its blend of education and entertainment as well as its intentionally inclusive, multicultural cast and setting. However, activists have called for greater Latino representation on the show since its premiere; Rosita was the first bilingual (Spanish-speaking) and first Latina Muppet character introduced as a regular member of the cast.

Osbahr, who originally worked as a puppet performer on Mexico's Plaza Sésamo, portrays Rosita as a five-year old girl who enjoys history and geography as well as playing the guitar. She frequently introduces a Spanish word of the day on the program and teaches viewers about her Mexican heritage. Introduced at a time when Latino/a characters were almost nonexistent in mainstream American children’s television, Rosita has proven to be one of the most popular Muppet characters on Sesame Street today.

Jim Henson Company puppet builder Ed Christie designed Rosita with wings in reference to Mexican fruit bats, although a different puppet without the wings was used in the show's production from season 35 (2004) through season 52 (2021). The live-hand style puppet is made with shaggy turquoise puppet fur with a round orange fleece nose, tan eyebrows over closely set white eyes with black pupils, and wispy, feather-like yellow and turquoise hair strands atop its head. Obsahr operated this puppet with her arms through one of the arm sleeves and the character's head, with another puppeteer operating the other arm. This puppet was used in production of Sesame Street beginning in the late 1990s.