PORTLAND, Ore. — A Mexican television personality faced backlash after dressing up in “brownface” and wearing a prosthetic nose to imitate Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio, of Oscar-winning Netflix movie "Roma."
Televisa’s Yessica Rosales, from the show “La Parodia” (The Parody), posted a photo of herself on Twitter in brown skin paint, thick lips and a prosthetic nose as an apparent parody of Aparicio, wearing the same gown she wore at the Oscars last month.
The sketch featuring Rosale's portrayal of Aparicio was supposed to air on the show's season premiere.
In an email to the Associated Press, Televisa spokesman Alejandro Olmos said the network strongly condemns any form of racism or discrimination
“We do not believe that the production of La Parodia engages in this type of practice,” Olmos said in Spanish, adding that some of the comments were made in “bad taste” and will be edited out from the show.
Televisa also deleted a separate tweet with a video of Rosales in brownface, mimicking Aparicio.
Twitter quickly took notice.
"This is racist. In the way you are treating Ms. Aparicio gives much to think about. I hope you get better guidance as you are excusing attitude is part of the problem. Such bad class," said Camila Fortier.
"I don't discriminate," Rosales responded, with a series of memes in Spanish via Twitter. "I interpret all skin colors, races and ages that exist in the world."
In one of the images she asks, "So, what skin color am I suppose use so I don't offend you?" In another she asks, "Why wasn't anyone offended when I portrayed Donna Summer?"
Rosales also went as far to tweet a tutorial for blackface and said it was art.
William Nericcio, a professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at San Diego State University, tells AP that he isn't surprised by Rosales' actions, given Mexico's historical portrayal of indigenous people in media.
“The Mexican elite disposition has always portrayed indigenous people as funny and ugly,” Nericcio said. “Networks like Televisa profit from this.”
Nericcio said the difference is that indigenous people are starting to speak out in the media and also on social media.
This is not the first time Aparicio has faced racist insults. In February, Mexican telenovela actor Sergio Goyri was caught calling Aparicio an "[expletive] Indian." Goyri later issued an apology.
In the same month, a group chat between Mexican actresses exposed plans to lobby the Mexican Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences (AMACC) to exclude Aparicio from the Ariel Awards, the country’s equivalent of the Oscars.
The chat was mostly fueled by arguments that Aparicio was not a real actress and was only playing a version of herself. The actresses denied the allegation.
The AMACC issued a statement saying that it did not receive such request, or whether it would have had any effect in the selection process.
The issue of colorism within the Hispanic culture is nothing new. A study done by Mexico’s National Statistics and Geography Institute (INEGI) in 2017 said a person's skin color “has an influence on the level of education that people reach, as well as the employment opportunities available to them.”
The Mexico Daily News published an article that same year that said 20 percent of people in Mexico don’t feel comfortable with the color of their skin and believe they may have been discriminated against, according to Mexico’s National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED).
For now, it's unclear what Aparicio's next role will be. She has said that she wants to first learn English and then continue to learn about the film industry.
La Parodia premiered its third season on March 4.
