Jenna Ortega is one of the most prominent Latinas in Hollywood right now and yet she’s struggled with the weight of expectations around what it means to be Latina. The 21-year-old actress spoke with journalist Michelle Ruiz for Vanity Fair about how she doesn’t feel like her connections to her roots aren’t deemed “good enough” to be Latina. Born in California to a Mexican American dad and Puerto Rican mom, Ortega grew up exposed to la cultura through her family but never learned to speak Spanish. Earlier this year, a clip from the Dior fashion show came out featuring Ortega with Spanish singer Rosalia and actress Anya Taylor-Joy, who grew up in Argentina, where Ortega responded in English when Taylor-Joy spoke in Spanish. The backlash included comments on how she wasn’t a “real Latina” because she didn’t speak Spanish. In the VF interview, she mourns her own disconnect with her Latinidad but also recognizes that she can’t bear the brunt of that experience:
“Because I wasn’t born in a Spanish-speaking country, I know people have a hard time connecting with me. I think there’s a part of me that carries a bit of shame,” she said, adding, “For a second I was almost nervous to speak about my family’s background because…I feel like I was made to feel like it wasn’t…” Ruiz then adds that she doesn’t finish the sentence though the implication would be “valid” or a similar sentiment. “But also, something that I’m learning is…it’s not my job to carry the weight of everybody who’s ever had that experience.”
And though she grew up making tamales at Christmas and surrounded by family which connected her to her culture, she told VF that “oftentimes, you’re just not good enough.” She added that she wants to become more “in touch” with her roots and learn about her her tias who came to the U.S. and were told not to speak Spanish in school so as to not draw attention. Many Mexican Americans in particular can relate to that struggle as historically in the Southwest many were punished or chided for speaking Spanish.
While Ortega and her father don’t speak fluent Spanish, it was her mother’s first language: “I’m so jealous every time I hear my mom speak perfect Spanish”. Similarly, her portrayal of the iconic Wednesday Addams vaguely alludes to the character’s Latinidad though she also doesn’t speak Spanish. VF reported that this iteration of Wednesday was meant to be played by a Latina actress per Netflix though no reason for that was made clear. The character itself has never been played by a Latina before though her father, Gomez, was popularized as a Latin character with Puerto Rican Raul Julia’s portrayal in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). The name Gomez was reportedly chosen by actor John Astin, who played the patriarch on The Addams Family series (1964–1966), with permission from comic creator Charles Addams. Before the ’60s series, the cartoon characters did not have names when the single-panel comic was first published in 1938.
In the Netflix series, Wednesday’s Latinidad is subtlety hinted at through Gomez, played by Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán, (e.g. one of his nicknames for her is “Tormenta”) as well as her mention of Dia de los Muertos, a tradition celebrated throughout Latin America, most famously in Mexico. With Wednesday being more overtly Latina on screen than ever before and with Ortega portraying the character, it’s seen as a win for representation though critics see Wednesday’s Latinidad as underdeveloped and lacking nuance.
Ortega shared that she likes that it’s not so blatant, saying it’s “not being shoved down your throat. There’s nothing worse than when they have the side Mexican character who’s carrying the flag on their shoulder,” she says. “We’re so much more than that.” But make no mistake, she’s proud to have the character’s Latinidad be more apparent than ever before: “Wednesday is technically a Latina character and that’s never been represented,” Ortega previously stated in a Netflix featurette. “For me, any time that I have an opportunity to represent my community, I want that to be seen.”
There’s no denying that this role has skyrocketed her career and now with the upcoming release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in which she plays Astrid Deetz, her star will only shine brighter. Despite the criticisms she’s faced regarding her Latinidad and that of Wednesday’s, she’s undoubtedly one of the most prominent Latinas in entertainment today and her openness about her identity has now put a bigger spotlight on the struggles many Latinas like her face.
Season two of Wednesday is currently in production and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is out Sept. 6.