Nearly 3 years have passed since Yalitza Aparicio left her job as a preK teacher to bcome the 1st indigenous Mexican nominated for an Oscar. On our final day in her home, Tlaxiaco, I’ll give u a glimpse in2 just how much her improbable fame has impacted her far-flung town.
Conversation
Yalitza has returned 2 Tlaxiaco only a couple of times since she left 2 film Alfonso Cuaron’s #Roma in 2016. Locals say she loves 2 eat chicharrónes from a street vendor outside the town’s main church. People form lines 2 take photos w/ her as her driver & bodyguard stand watch.
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National media has flocked 2 Tlaxiaco in recent months. More so, since Yalitza received the Oscar nomination 4 Best Actress. Reporters visit the schools she attended, the preK where she taught & the Casa de la Cultura, where she grew up taking art & dance classes. 📷 Netflix
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The little shanty where Yalitza Aparicio lived w/her sister & mom is just minutes outside of Tlaxiaco. Stray dogs roam. Roosters crow. Electric wires hang low from trees & crooked poles. The piñatas the family has lived off of 4 yrs lay unfinished behind the fence out back.
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The house has been empty 4 two weeks, a neighbor said. The family wants 2 avoid reporters who wander up the dusty road 2 their corrugated metal door each day. Yalitza’s sister, Edith, has signed a contract that prohibits her from speaking about her sister & family.
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Around town, Yalitza’s sister, Edith Aparicio Martinez, is known as the artsy one in the family. She’s been singing, dancing, playing guitar & reciting poetry since she was 9. The day of the #Roma audition she was 8 months pregnant. Yalitza went 2 keep her company 📷 El Universal
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Most girls in Tlaxiaco smile @ the sound of Yalitza’s name. La Yalitza they say w/ affection. They know there’s criticism across Mexico. They c it on TV. They call Yalitza “India”, her skin “burned”, her nose “smashed.” It hurts says Nancy Cortez. It hurts b/c she’s just like me.
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Rosa Maria Hernandez, 60, who sells mole negro @ the market, says what excites her most about Yalitza is that now Tlaxiaco’s on TV. “I get so happy each time, I almost cry,” she said. Her brother tells her: Don’t b a pendeja! Tlaxiaco couldn’t stay hidden 4ver. It’s time 2 shine!
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At the Casa de Cultura, kids from the symphony band & dance team all know the courtyard where they rehearse is where Yalitza Aparicio had her fateful audition. This week, the governor will send a giant tapestry embroidered w/ Yalitza’s face 2 drape from the ceiling 4 all 2 see.
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The band professor tells his students: What happened 2 Yalitza is beautiful, but it’s like winning the lottery. What matters most is that u work hard, u learn discipline. “Be impeccable — at everything you do,” he tells the kids. “Leave no room for error.”
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Tlaxiaco’s 1st kids symphony band, which started from scratch & became 1 of the best nationwide, takes nothing 4 granted. They practice 7 days/week not knowing if their band will b dissolved by politics, if they’ll make it 2 their Oscars, La Guelaguetza, if Yalitza can save them.
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