After the Oscar nominations were announced yesterday, you have to believe that everyone involved with the Netflix film “Roma” had to be ecstatic. The streaming service made history with its first-ever Best Picture nomination and the film would go on to secure a total of 10 noms, including two for actresses Marina de Tavira and Yalitza Aparicio. However, there’s one person involved with “Roma” that would love to celebrate with his cast members and the filmmakers at the Oscars, but won’t get a chance due to numerous visa denials, which seem to point to a troubling stereotype.
Mexican actor Jorge Antonio Guerrero, who plays the character Fermín in the film, has attempted no less than three times to secure a visa to enter the United States to attend “Roma”-related events, only to find himself getting denied each time, and for what seems to be no good reason.
As detailed in an interview with Mexican outlet El Sol de Acapulco (via IndieWire), Guerrero explains that he’d love to attend the Oscars with the “Roma” folks, but feels like it won’t get to happen because of his history with applying for visas.
Guerrero’s first attempt to secure a visa was before “Roma” premiered, and he was attempting to visit the US as a tourist. The second time he applied for a visa was after “Roma” had premiered and become a massive awards circuit hit. And his most recent attempt to gain entry in the US was denied when he wanted to join his cast and crew during the awards season events held by Netflix and for the Golden Globes ceremony.
READ MORE: ‘Roma’ Gives Netflix Its First Best Picture Nominee
He says, “I want to think that, because if we could find a way for a consular officer or someone in the embassy to read those letters of invitation, one could understand the artistic figure that I have and the cultural exchange that is taking place between two nations.”
Guerrero claims that during one of his attempts, he was denied because the embassy didn’t believe his reasons for coming as an actor and just assumed he wanted entry in the US to look for work. As described by the Mexican outlet, Guerrero and star Aparicio are members of the Indigenous people of Mexico and face racism and prejudice from other Mexican people because of it.
The actor has a month to apply for another visa and attempt to secure entry in the United States if he’d like to attend the Oscars in late-February.