Mexican actress and activist Yalitza Aparicio , among other actresses and actors from diverse ethnic backgrounds , was invited join Hollywood's Academy, as the Oscars-awarding club opened its prestigious doors to a diverse crew of new members. Only Academy members can vote for Oscar winners.
The Mexican actress voiced her excitement after the Academy announced the news:
Last year, Yalitza Aparicio was nominated to the Oscars for her role in ROMA , a film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Since then, she has teamed up with the UN and UNESCO for different initiatives to help domestic workers and Indigenous communities.
Furthermore, ROMA producers Nicolás Celis and Gabriela Rodríguez were also invited to join the Academy.
After being slammed for the lack of diversity , the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has boosted its efforts to increase female and ethnic minority membership in recent times.
Recommended: Yalitza Aparicio is attacked after speaking out about racism
The majority of actors invited to join this year were women, and more than half were from "underrepresented ethnic/racial communities," said the Academy in a statement.
"We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now," said Academy President David Rubin.
Seen as the apex body of the Hollywood film industry , the Academy issues a single round of invitations annually.
The organization has grown vastly more international in recent years, tripling its non-US membership since 2015.
In 2016, the Academy set specific inclusion goals as part of its A2020 initiative to double the number of women and underrepresented ethnic/racial communities by 2020.
Recommended: Yalitza Aparicio, a bold feminist activist
gm