How a teacher from Oaxaca became an Academy Award nominee
In short: Before she was a global star, Yalitza Aparicio was studying to be a preschool educator. Her transition from a school setting to the heights of Hollywood was sparked by a single film role, leading her to become the first Indigenous Mexican woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
Hailing from a Mixtec father and Triqui mother, Yalitza Aparicio Martínez was born in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, on 11 December 1993. Aparicio's early life involved being raised by a lone parent employed as a domestic worker, rather than pursuing acting. Instead, she focused on education, holding a degree in early childhood education and working in a school while pursuing further studies in pre-school education. A domestic worker, her lone mother, raised her. Surprisingly, she lacked Mixtec fluency and needed to master it for her part.
Her trajectory shifted in 2018 through her first cinematic role playing Cleo within the Alfonso Cuarón drama, Roma. Though she lacked formal acting training, her performance earned widespread critical acclaim. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described her as the "jewel" of the film, noting her ability to bring a sense of gentleness and stoicism to the role. This performance made history, as she became the first Indigenous Mexican woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film Roma was released in November 2018. Her debut was written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
The momentum from Roma propelled Aparicio into the global spotlight in 2019. During that year, Time magazine included her among the world's 100 most influential people, alongside her appointment as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples. Her influence extended to fashion and music, appearing on the covers of Vogue México and Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue, and featuring in music videos for artists like Mon Laferte and Guaynaa. By 2020, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She was also recognised as one of the BBC's 100 women in 2019. Additionally, she was presented with the keys to Panama City in April of that year.
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