Televisa draws heat for ‘brownface’ Yalitza Aparicio parody

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS
March 4, 2019

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A television personality for the Mexican-based Televisa network is facing strong criticism after dressing up in “brownface” and wearing a prosthetic nose to make fun of indigenous Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio.

Televisa’s Yeka Rosales recently posted photos and videos of herself on social media wearing brown skin paint and thick lips in an apparent parody of Aparicio, who attended the Oscars last week after being nominated for best actress.

The stunt, coinciding with the Televisa’s season premiere of the comedy show “La Parodia,” highlights the racism some scholars say indigenous people in Latin America still face in media.

In the photo, Rosales wore a dress similar to the one Aparicio wore at the Oscars. Rosales also donned a straight, black-haired wig and made exaggerated facial expressions typically used to stereotype indigenous people.

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