Yalitza Aparicio

Yalitza Aparicio Martínez is a Mexican actress and preschool teacher, born on December 11, 1993 in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca. She gained recognition for her role as Cleo in Alfonso Cuarón's 2018 drama film Roma, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Aparicio comes from an indigenous background, with her father being Mixtec and her mother being Triqui. Despite not being fluent in the Mixtec language initially, she learned it for her role in Roma. Aparicio was raised by a single mother who worked as a maid, and she pursued a degree in pre-school education while already having a degree in early childhood education. In addition to her acting career, Aparicio was named the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples in 2019.