Roma star Yalitza Aparicio lived in a ramshackle home in Mexico

Publish date: 2024-11-09

It is the ultimate rags to riches Oscars story.

History-making Best Actress hopeful Yalitza Aparicio, the first-ever indigenous Mexican to be nominated for the film world’s highest honor, lived in grinding poverty and called a ramshackle tin hut her home, DailyMailTV can reveal.

Yalitza was so poor she had no means of transport to get to the school where she worked as a teacher.

Instead she walked five miles every day, five days a week, to get to her low paid job.

Before she found fame as the family nanny and star of the Netflix movie Roma, Yalitza, 25, was living with her mother Margarita and older sister Edith, a single mother of one, in the small shack they built themselves on the outskirts of Tlaxiaco, 270 miles southeast of Mexico City.

The family’s tiny home, pictured here for the first time, is made of old railway sleepers, scrap wood and corrugated iron.

When DailyMailTV visited recently the shack was still decorated with Christmas decorations put up by Yalitza.

The star has been so busy traveling and giving interviews since Roma was released she hasn't had time to take them down.

Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio, 25, is the Best Actress Oscar nominee for her role in Roma. She is the first indigenous woman in Academy Award history to be nominated for Best Actress. Yalitza's coworkers said she would walk five miles to work at a school where she was a 'wonderful teacher' and taught the students to read and write 

Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio, 25, is the Best Actress Oscar nominee for her role in Roma. She is the first indigenous woman in Academy Award history to be nominated for Best Actress. Yalitza's coworkers said she would walk five miles to work at a school where she was a 'wonderful teacher' and taught the students to read and write 

This is the family home where Best Actress Oscar hopeful Yalitza Aparicio lived with her mother and sister before finding fame as star of the critically-acclaimed Netflix film Roma, which is leading the Oscar nominations along with The Favourite

This is the family home where Best Actress Oscar hopeful Yalitza Aparicio lived with her mother and sister before finding fame as star of the critically-acclaimed Netflix film Roma, which is leading the Oscar nominations along with The Favourite

DailyMailTV traveled to the 25-year-old's hometown on the outskirts of Tlaxiaco, 270 miles from Mexico City. Her home was built by her family out of scrap wood, iron and railway sleepers 

DailyMailTV traveled to the 25-year-old's hometown on the outskirts of Tlaxiaco, 270 miles from Mexico City. Her home was built by her family out of scrap wood, iron and railway sleepers 

Photos of a young Yalitza show her dressed in traditional Mexican garb (left) and in a full-body costume (right) Photos of a young Yalitza show her dressed in traditional Mexican garb (left) and in a full-body costume (right)

Photos of a young Yalitza show her dressed in traditional Mexican garb (left) and in a full-body costume (right). Her father explained that Yalitza has Mixtec and Triqui ancestry, making her indigenous to the Mexican land 

Inside the home is where Yalitza and her sister made children’s piñatas, toys packed with candy which children break open, to help earn extra money.

There are geese and chickens in cages, with stalls for cows nearby.

Ariadna Bautista, principal of the Jardin de Ninos school where Yalitza taught after completing her teaching degree, said she was a much-loved member of staff there from November 2017 to December last year.

Incredibly, only one of the six-member staff at the school has seen Roma which has launched Yalitza, who speaks no English, to international acclaim.

Yalitza plays a nanny, Cleo, who is based on the real-life nanny of the film’s Mexican director, Alfonso Cuaron. In all the movie is nominated for ten awards tying it with Olivia Colman’s The Favourite

Yalitza plays a nanny, Cleo, who is based on the real-life nanny of the film’s Mexican director, Alfonso Cuaron. In all the movie is nominated for ten awards tying it with Olivia Colman’s The Favourite

Locals in Tlaxiaco have to drive three hours to the larger city of Oaxaca where they can see Roma at a cinema.

Yalitza herself was in Oaxaca last month to attend an event organized by Vogue Mexico in her honor.

Her mother traveled from Tlaxiaco to be with her daughter at the upmarket Hotel Azul and afterwards Yalitza headed to Mexico City for more interviews.

In Roma, Yalitza plays a nanny, Cleo, who is based on the real-life nanny of the film’s Mexican director, Alfonso Cuaron, who is also nominated for an Oscar; in all the movie is nominated for ten awards tying it with Olivia Colman’s The Favourite.

Most of Roma was shot in 2017 but some scenes were completed late last year while Yalitza was teaching a group of around a dozen three-year-olds in a yellow-painted tiny classroom.

'Yalitza would walk to and from the school from her home every day, she didn’t have a car. She worked from 8am to 1.30pm,' Ariadna said.

'She started with us after she had filmed most of the scenes for Roma, then she had to go to Mexico City late last year to finish some scenes for her filming.

'We loved her in the school. She didn’t talk much about filming Roma only saying she enjoyed doing it. I don’t think she thought it would lead to anything.

'She mostly enjoyed being with the children. She is a wonderful, wonderful teacher. Our loss is Hollywood’s gain.

'She was here as part of her teaching degree. She taught the children how to read and write, the basics.

'And she loved telling them traditional stories. She would sometimes bring them piñatas she made with her sister.'

Despite her love of teaching life for Yalitza has been hard in this deprived part of southern Mexico.

Her father Raul Bautista told DailyMailTV how his daughter suffered severe prejudice because of her desperately poor background.

Raul split from Yalitza’s mother Margarita, a cleaner, when the Roma star was in her teens.

He now lives in an apartment in Tlaxiaco just a couple of miles away from his daughter's ramshackle home.

Raul explained that Yalitza has Mixtec and Triqui ancestry, people who are often looked down on by their countrymen with European heritage.

The market trader is still close to his daughter and she called him in tears of joy to tell him she had been nominated for Hollywood’s highest honor.

He said: 'She suffered all her life because people who had money thought we were poor.

'She’d be called names as a child but she didn’t let it get her down. She is proud of herself and her family.

'Even now she suffers from it.

'Lots of people say cruel things about us and I think that a lot of people are jealous of her success.

'But her success has been incredible. I am very, very proud of her.

'She called me and was so emotional. But I am worried, too. I hope people treat her well.'

Yalitza stars as a domestic worker in Roma, which chronicles the life of an upper middle class family in a Mexico City neighborhood

Yalitza stars as a domestic worker in Roma, which chronicles the life of an upper middle class family in a Mexico City neighborhood

According to her godmother who helped raise her, Christmas time is Yalitza's favorite. She's pictured with coworkers holding Christmas decorations

According to her godmother who helped raise her, Christmas time is Yalitza's favorite. She's pictured with coworkers holding Christmas decorations

'She liked to get dressed up in a Santa Claus outfit,' Yalitza's godmother said, as she's pictured in a parade holding a sign for the school she works at Jardin de Ninos 

'She liked to get dressed up in a Santa Claus outfit,' Yalitza's godmother said, as she's pictured in a parade holding a sign for the school she works at Jardin de Ninos 

Pictured is principal of the school where Yalitza taught, Ariadna Bautista (second from left), along with Yalitza's friends and former teaching colleagues Mitzy Pablo (left), Flor Ramirez (second from right) and Mildret Pablo (right) 

Pictured is principal of the school where Yalitza taught, Ariadna Bautista (second from left), along with Yalitza's friends and former teaching colleagues Mitzy Pablo (left), Flor Ramirez (second from right) and Mildret Pablo (right) 

Inside the school Jardin de Nino's where Yalitza worked. Her former colleagues and a child watch a laptop in a classroom. Out of the six employees at the school, only one has seen the film Roma, they told DailyMailTV

Inside the school Jardin de Nino's where Yalitza worked. Her former colleagues and a child watch a laptop in a classroom. Out of the six employees at the school, only one has seen the film Roma, they told DailyMailTV

Yalitza was a teaching at Jardin de Nino's and spoke little about the filming about Roma, but said she enjoyed the experience, but had no idea it would be such a success, her colleagues revealed 

Yalitza was a teaching at Jardin de Nino's and spoke little about the filming about Roma, but said she enjoyed the experience, but had no idea it would be such a success, her colleagues revealed 

Yalitza was also hit with a family tragedy the year before she began filming Roma when her brother died in a road accident.

Neighbor Margarita Gonzalez, 81, said the star’s sibling - who she declined to name out of respect for the family - was killed as he returned home from working in a market.

She said the death hit the family hard.

Yalitza has two surviving brothers, Yessy and Pedro, plus an older sister, Edith.

Margarita, who sold Yalitza’s family the land on which they built their home, said: 'It was a terrible time, it was about three years ago.

Yalitza  is the Best Actress Oscar nominee for her role in Roma. She is the first indigenous woman in Academy Award history to be nominated for Best Actress

Yalitza  is the Best Actress Oscar nominee for her role in Roma. She is the first indigenous woman in Academy Award history to be nominated for Best Actress

'Yalitza was really upset but she held the family together.

'Their father Raul left home when Yalitza was a teenager so it fell on Yalitza and her brothers and sisters to really help their mama, who is also called Margarita.

'It brought them closer together and of course all their friends and neighbors were here to help.'

Godmother, Aracely Reyes, 43, who helped raise the actress, said Yalitza and older sister Edith are particularly close.

So much so that it was Edith who originally planned to audition for Roma in Tlaxiaco two years ago.

But she fell pregnant at the time so couldn’t make the audition meaning Yalitza went instead.

Edith is extremely proud of her sister's success, however.

'Edith is happy because now she is famous, too, thanks to Yalitza,' Aracely said.

'Edith is a singer. She sings at local events here in Tlaxiaco like weddings and birthdays and now she is more in demand than ever before. She is very proud of her sister.

'I am sure Yalitza’s success will help her look after her family. After the Oscars she will look at getting her mother a new home. Maybe they can live together in Los Angeles.'

Aracely said Yalitza’s mother Margarita will be at the Oscars to support her daughter, but dad Raul isn't making the trip.

Godmother, Aracely Reyes, 43, (right)  helped raise the actress and said Yalitza and older sister Edith are very close. Aracely is with husband Justino Bautista, daughter Ariadna

Godmother, Aracely Reyes, 43, (right)  helped raise the actress and said Yalitza and older sister Edith are very close. Aracely is with husband Justino Bautista, daughter Ariadna

Aracely Reyes, Yalitza's godmother, is holding the photograph of Yalitza, the smallest girl in the white dress, and family. Yalitza has three brothers, one who is deceased, and a sister 

Aracely Reyes, Yalitza's godmother, is holding the photograph of Yalitza, the smallest girl in the white dress, and family. Yalitza has three brothers, one who is deceased, and a sister 

Yalitza's father Raul Bautista told DailyMailTV how his daughter suffered prejudice because of her desperately poor background and her indigenous heritage and was looked down on by those with European ancestry 

Yalitza's father Raul Bautista told DailyMailTV how his daughter suffered prejudice because of her desperately poor background and her indigenous heritage and was looked down on by those with European ancestry 

Raul is pictured in the white t-shirt in the market place. He and Yalitza's mother split up when their daughter was a teenager. He now lives in an apartment just a  couple miles away from his daughter

Raul is pictured in the white t-shirt in the market place. He and Yalitza's mother split up when their daughter was a teenager. He now lives in an apartment just a  couple miles away from his daughter

Tlaxiaco is a city, and its surrounding municipality of the same name, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, located about 270 miles southeast of Mexico City

Tlaxiaco is a city, and its surrounding municipality of the same name, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, located about 270 miles southeast of Mexico City

Big letter's signify the city of Tlaxiaco, Yalitza's hometown, which are displayed in the heart of the city 

Big letter's signify the city of Tlaxiaco, Yalitza's hometown, which are displayed in the heart of the city 

Yalitza's family's shack is located on the outskirts of Tlaxiaco (pictured), where she lived before her first big break catapulted her acting career 

Yalitza's family's shack is located on the outskirts of Tlaxiaco (pictured), where she lived before her first big break catapulted her acting career 

The family's neighbor, Margarita Gonzalez, 81, who sold the family the land on which they built their home said Yalitza's brother died in a tragic road accident about three years ago

The family's neighbor, Margarita Gonzalez, 81, who sold the family the land on which they built their home said Yalitza's brother died in a tragic road accident about three years ago

Margarita had to hurriedly organize to get her passport for her first-ever trip overseas to go to LA for Sunday's ceremony.

And when Yalitza walks down the red carpet her family, and Mexico, will be brimming with pride.

In honor of her heritage the star plans on wearing a traditional-style dress for the ceremony.

Her Godmother said: 'Yalitza is being given lots of offers with what to wear at the Oscars ceremony.

'But when I spoke to her she said she wants to wear a traditional-style dress.

'She is very proud of where she is from and she is very aware of representing the people of Tlaxiaco.

'She really wants to show them she is thinking of them and she wants to make them proud.'

Aracely added that Yalitza never used to like dressing up or wearing make up, but said she's 'getting used to it.'

She and everyone else in Tlaxiaco will be watching TV to on Sunday.

A former colleague at the school where she worked, Mitzy Pablo, is among the few who have managed to watch Yalitza on the big screen and plans to watch the ceremony.

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'I could not believe it was Yalitza on the screen. It seemed so unreal,' she said.

'I remember going with her on outings with the children. She loved gong out for picnics.

'Christmas time was a favorite of hers, too. She liked to get dressed up in a Santa Claus outfit.

'We expected her to get married and have her own children. She loves children so much.

'For her to be a Hollywood star is a fairytale, like what she used to read the children.'

Another friend, Mildret Pablo, who posed with Yalitza in a Santa Claus outfit in December 2017, said she fully expects the Oscar nominated star to now look after her family financially.

'It would not surprise us if she provided a better home for her mother and sister now.

'Yalitza may move away from here to live but she will always return.

'She would never turn her back on her home.'

 

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