Jenna Ortega Gets Candid After Being Called A Fake Latina

Jenna Ortega is opening up about feeling just not good enough to represent her Latinx community .

In case you missed it, some people online questioned the Wednesday stars heritage last September after the California-born actors lack of Spanish fluency was thrust into the spotlight. 

The discourse stemmed from a viral clip  at a fashion show in Paris, in which actor Anya Taylor-Joy , who grew up in Buenos Aires, was seen introducing her husband in Spanish to Spanish pop star Rosala  and to Ortega, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent.

Ortega replied to the greeting in English at the time, prompting social media users to accuse her of being a fake Latina . 

In an interview with Vanity Fair  published Tuesday, the Netflix star said she feels a bit of shame over not being as in touch with her roots as she would like to be. 

I think theres a part of me that carries a bit of shame. For a second I was almost nervous to speak about my familys background because I feel like I was made to feel like it wasnt, she said before trailing off.  

But also, something that Im learning is its not my job to carry the weight of everybody whos ever had that experience, Ortega continued.

The Millers Girl star said the criticism can feel like youre just not good enough. 

Because I wasnt born in a Spanish-speaking country, I know people have a hard time connecting with me, she added. 

Ortega then commented on the underrepresentation of Latinx actors in Hollywood. While nodding to actors like Pedro Pascal and Aubrey Plaza, she spoke about banding together to create more powerful onscreen portrayals. 

Its something that I feel like has not made it through studios heads, she shared. There needs to be a little more faith in what we bring to the table. Maybe that means all of us banding together a little bit more and creating these projects for ourselves. 

I would love to be able to craft stories that show how powerful we can be, she added. 

Elsewhere in the interview, Ortega defended how her character is portrayed in Wednesday, which has earned the Netflix show both praise and judgment .

While Vanity Fair noted that some critics consider Wednesdays Latina identity undercooked due to the lack of Spanish in the series, Ortega argued that she appreciates that Wednesdays heritage is not being shoved down your throat. 

Theres nothing worse than when they have the side Mexican character whos carrying the flag on their shoulder, she added. Were so much more than that.