Yalitza Aparicio has always had a lot on her shoulders. The actress, who rose to fame after starring in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, has carried the representation of not just Mexico, but her Indigenous Oaxaca tribe, as well as the criticism that entails, for a long time. But, in an interview with influencer Juanpa Zurita, Aparicio hit back at people criticizing her for wearing designer clothes.
“It is my way to communicate what I want,” Aparicio said. “I have been judged for the type of clothes I wear, how I dress and how I behave because I come from an Indigenous community. Tell me a justification and a logical reason why I can’t wear designer clothing.”
There isn’t, of course. Aparicio is being judged for who she is, and the expectations others are placing on her have nothing to do with reality, just with preconceptions. The actress should get to wear whatever she wants, whenever she wants, without other people’s ideas of how she should look or behave coming into play.
But Aparicio didn’t just hit back at the absurd idea that her Indigenous roots made it so she couldn’t wear designer clothes, she also called out people who appropriate Indigenous culture. It is, after all, ironic that this is such a widespread problem but in turn, she is getting criticized for what she’s wearing.
Finally, Aparicio was clear when she stated that her Indigenous roots didn’t mean she couldn’t afford designer clothes and that there should be no limitation to what she can wear, other than her own desires.
We’re fully in support of Yalitza Aparicio making her own decisions about what makes her feel good. Other people’s decisions in general, and fashion decisions in particular, are not our business. Respect is a broad word, but a pretty simple way to put it in practice is to understand that we don’t get a say in what other people wear. Simple as that.