Residents of Tlaxiaco say Yalitza Aparicio up for best actress at the Oscars this weekend has given indigenous Mexicans renewed sense of pride The rest of the town band are rehearsing a competition routine with a troop of young folkloric dancers – including Yalitza Aparicio’s two younger brothers – in the grand courtyard decorated with murals depicting the town’s pre-Hispanic Mixtec warriors and artists “Yalitza from Tlaxiaco in Hollywood, that’s just wow! She’s such an inspiration to me,” says 16-year-old Arleth Velasco, who was very excited about watching the Oscars ceremony on a big screen in the main square this weekend Tlaxiaco is a bustling city of 60,000 people in the mountainous south-west state of Oaxaca surrounded by small indigenous villages where Spanish is normally the second language Aparicio is of mixed ancestry: her mother is Triqui and her father Mixteco She had to learn Mixtec to play the role of Cleo whose character is based on Cuarón’s nanny “Yalitza’s triumph shows that people like me with few resources Aparicio’s unprecedented success has generated an outpouring of pride and joy in Mexico’s indigenous communities which continue to suffer endemic rates of poverty and exclusion Aparicio’s mother was employed as a domestic worker located up a hilly dirt road on the southern edge of town The Aparicio family home in Tlaxiaco Photograph: Nina Lakhani/The Guardian“To see a Triqui sister in a film at this level gives pride and dignity to my ethnic group,” says Eduardo Gonzalez a 42-year-old shoeshiner who said he had experienced racism Aparicio is the latest in a long line of artists to emerge from Tlaxiaco, including the Grammy winner Lila Downs and the cartoonist Héctor Ramírez Bolaños music and dance is part of the community’s history,” says Miguel Angel Martinez Yalitza’s success has woken up an interest in young people for acting.” Martinez was approached in early 2016 by the film’s casting director, who was scouring communities looking for a young woman with dark eyes, black hair and dark brown skin. The casting agents came to Tlaxiaco because of the town’s participation in the famous Guelaguetza indigenous dance and cultural festival Read moreYalitza, who had no intention of becoming an actor, wowed the casting agents. After three more auditions, she was offered the role. Cuarón has said it took a couple of weeks to persuade her to take it Some in Mexico have argued that Aparicio’s success was down to luck which without having any contact with the arts through their parents has produced four artists,” says Uriel Aguilar In a telephone interview with the local radio station La Poderosa on Wednesday Aparicio said her success demonstrated the importance of trying things outside one’s comfort zone “I haven’t thought about winning [the Oscar] I’m still trying to assimilate the nomination.” Dance troop (including Yalitza’s brothers) rehearsing inside the Casa de Cultura with the band for this year’s indigenous dance and cultural festival Photograph: Nina Lakhani/The GuardianJavier Guerrero the radio presenter who conducted the interview thinks winning is a long shot against such stiff competition but whether they give or don’t give her the statue to see her name and image on the screen is a huge success for her and this community The cultural centre is situated opposite an imposing 16th-century church on the edge of Tlaxiaco’s fir-lined main square, which bustles with musicians, salsa dancers and market stall vendors touting everything from traditional blouses to cream cakes and Aparicio’s favourite snack, chicharrón Yalitza with street food vendor Rocío Reyes in Tlaxiaco main square taken November 2018 Photograph: Jeronimo Ortiz/The GuardianShe always stops by for a chicharrón fix say the husband and wife vendors Jeronimo Ortiz and Rocio Reyes They first met Aparicio when she was selling Christmas piñatas with her sister in the market Aparicio appears destined for further stardom There are rumours of a new project with the Mexican-American singer and actor Diego Boneta “She’s an example to us all,” says Ariadna Fabiola the director of the kindergarten where Aparicio taught until February last year “You have to take risks and not worry about failing