Who is Yalitza Aparicio? The Indigenous Actress on the Cover of Vogue
If you’ve been scrolling through Instagram this past week, chance are you’ve seen Yalitza Aparicio on your feed. The Mexican-actress, who made her debut on the Netflix film Roma, made headlines after becoming Vogue Mexico’s latest cover star. The internet was quick to take to Twitter to express their excitement of seeing an indigenous woman on the cover of a famous fashion magazine.
Yalitza Aparicio, an indigenous Oaxacan actress is doing the damn thing! It’s amazing & heartwarming to see a beautiful mujer on a screen AND the front cover of Vogue Mexico y LatinoAmerica that looks like me and represents the Oaxacan community. Y si, una estrella ha nacido.✨ pic.twitter.com/Mt9ECtaVgF
— Karen Cruz-Orduña (@KarenOrduna143) December 17, 2018
For those who don’t know much about the Aparicio and her latest film, here are a few things to know about the actress who is making headlines.
1. She stars in the critically acclaimed film Roma.
From the director of “Gravity” and “Children of Men,” Roma follows the life of a middle-class family’s maid (played by Aparicio) in Mexico City in the early 1970s. Since the release, the film won the 2018 Venice Film Festival Gold Lion.
2. She had no acting experience before landing on the big screen.
Originally from Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Aparicio was far from your average actress. The 26-year old was an aspiring pre-school teacher before she landed the role of a lifetime. While the newcomer has receive high praise for her role in Roma, the Mexicana admits she almost didn’t audition out of fear that the casting ad was a human trafficking scam––sadly, something common in Mexico.
“My family was against the idea of me going to the casting,” she said in an recent interview. “There was a certain level of fear because the only thing I was told was that it was going to be a film shot in [Mexico City] and that they were not concerned about the age or physical appearance of the women who were auditioning, so it was all very strange.”
3. She is the first indigenous woman featured on the cover of Vogue Mexico.
In the 20-year-history of Vogue Mexico, there has never been an indigenous woman gracing their cover. Aparicio, who is photographed sitting in a chair dressed in a lace dress from Dior, spotlights how underrepresented diverse women are in media. Just this year, Hailey Baldwin, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski were also chosen to star on Vogue Mexico’s front cover.
4. She understands the importance of cultural representation.
Along with the historical cover, Vogue Mexico released a 3-minute video of the 26-year-old discussing her cultura.“Let’s talk about me,” the actress can be heard saying in the clip. “In the role I interpreted in a film that reflects reality. Let’s talk about real women, with nostalgia, memories, passions, and an identity that looks and feels like flor de piel. My skin, very Mexican, very Oaxaqueñan and very human. From the color of my land and the diversity of its colors.”
For Aparicio, appearing on a magazine that is historically known to feature women who are predominantly white, is a big step for diversity in media. “Certain stereotypes are being broken: that only people with a certain profile can be actresses or be on the cover of magazines,” Aparicio said. “Other faces are now being recognized. It is something that makes me so happy and proud of my roots.”
5. She might become the fourth Latina to be receive a Best Actress nomination for the Oscars and the first to win.
It’s no surprise Aparicio is already garnering awards buzz. Thanks to her stellar performance on the Netflix film, Roma, Oscars prognosticators believe the Mexican-star might appear in the Best Actress lineup. Aparicio would be joining the ranks of fellow Latina actresses Salma Hayek (Frida), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), and Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station), who also received Best Actress nominations. While several Latinas have received recognition throughout the years in the award show, no Latina has ever won an Oscar for Best Actress.
The magazine hits the newsstands on Dec. 27.