Yalitza Aparicio

Yalitza Aparicio was born on December 11, 1993 in the city of Tlaxiaco located in Oaxaca, Mexico where she studied to become a teacher. It was almost by accident that she auditioned for the role of Cleo, protagonist of the film Roma (2018) directed by Alfonso Cúaron. Her extraordinary performance made her the first indigenous woman ever to receive an Academy Award® nomination in the Best Actress category. Aparicio was also the first indigenous woman to appear on the cover of Vogue Mexico.

Since her cinematic debut she has advocated for different social causes such as gender equality, the rights of indigenous people and constitutional guarantees of domestic workers. This steadfast activism has given her a voice both in Mexico and in the rest of the world. Aparicio is now a worldwide symbol of justice, resistance and change.

In October of 2019, Aparicio was appointed as ambassador of Good Will for indigenous people by UNESCO. She recently took part in a round table organized by the Sorbonne University in Paris on women´s rights, as well as the 4th World Conference on Women´s Shelters based in Taiwan. Likewise, Aparicio has committed to endorse culture in her country and has promoted projects such as ¨Semilleros¨, which encourages the artistic development of children and teenagers in her hometown.