Quotes from Yalitza Aparicio

I wanted to be like my mum: as strong as her. She was my role model.

Just because you are a woman doesn't mean you have to suffer more. We have to get that idea out of our heads.

My name means 'sunrise of life.'

For me, it has been very important to grow up knowing about my mom's work and that she was always, at every moment, supporting me and teaching me to have this strength.

I never expected a camera was going to follow all of my moves, and that was surprising when I saw it for the first time.

I haven't really made plans for the future; I'm just enjoying the moment, going with the flow. I haven't really had time to mortify myself thinking about the future.

I've never liked feeling closed in.

Sometimes, when I'm surrounded by a lot of people, I shake, I'm so nervous.

It shouldn't matter what you're into, how you look - you can achieve whatever you aspire to.

Employers tend to forget that the people who are working for them are also suffering. They also have problems. They also are facing issues.

I don't want my mum to be a domestic worker any more because it is so exhausting.

Politicians make a lot of promises when they are campaigning, and they come to towns, and people get enthusiastic about them coming to their communities. And then they don't fulfill the promises.

My sister sings, and in Mexico, we have these things called 'Casa de la Cultura,' which are specific places where they actually foster culture. They support people who want to do something in culture.

My skin - very Mexican, very Oaxaquenan, and very human, from the color of my land and the diversity of its colors.

Yes, you can do it. You can dream about being on the cover of magazines; you can dream about being in a film.

I'm not the face of Mexico.

It wasn't something that I really wanted or had dreamed about. Because of your socioeconomic status or your culture, you think you can't aspire to be an actress, and to participate in this medium, that sounds like a fantasy.

In life, you have ups and downs, but you should never give up. You should always try to get ahead.

Certain stereotypes are being broken: that only people with a certain profile can be actresses or be on the cover of magazines.

I don't think I am an actor, because I haven't studied to be an actress.

I really love teaching; I was actually studying to be a preschool teacher.