The breakout star of ABC’s Latinx-centric ‘Grand Hotel’ wants the community be more welcoming to non-Spanish speakers

ABC’s new show “Grand Hotel” tells the story of a Latinx family-owned boutique hotel in Miami Beach.

But even though she thinks the show gives the Latinx narrative some much-needed (and entertaining) representation, Justina Adorno, the Puerto Rican-American actress who plays Yoli on the show, feels that the Latinx community needs to be more welcoming — specifically, of people like her who identify as Latinx but don’t speak Spanish or feel deeply entrenched in the culture.

“In my generation, there’s a lot of us that don’t know Spanish fluently, but that does not make me any less Latino,” Adorno told INSIDER.

“If anything, it should encourage the Latino community to welcome people like me that are Latino but don’t know Spanish, to welcome us into the culture, to educate us more, because I’m always open to learning more,” Adorno continued.

“Grand Hotel” features a diverse cast, and focuses on the dynamics of the Mendozas, a “blended” Latinx family. The family is comprised of Santiago, the patriarch who oversees most of the hotel, his children, Alicia and Javi, and his second wife, Gigi. Gigi’s twin daughters — the narcissistic Carolina, and the witty, self-deprecating Yoli, played by Adorno — round out the family.

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Adorno said that even though she doesn’t speak Spanish fluently, she’s able to understand quite a bit — and that her language skills don’t change how she relates to her heritage.

“I still feel so connected [to Latinx culture],” she said.

The actress, whose parents are both Puerto Rican, discussed her experience as an American-born, non-Spanish-speaking Latina — and what she hopes to see from the Latinx community.

“The worst thing for the Latino community to do is to shun people who aren’t fluent or immersed in the culture,” Adorno told us.

“That doesn’t mean that we’re not a part of it, and our stories aren’t as relevant.”

Adorno shared with INSIDER that she hopes her character will help Latinx girls who don’t feel as connected to their heritage understand that they’re still a part of the Latinx community.

“There are a lot of girls that are like me that don’t have that representation,” she said, adding that most of the current portrayals of Latinx women usually feature them speaking Spanish and being quite connected to their culture.

“They’re like, ‘Look at this Latina girl! But she knows Spanish and she’s super cultured, and she falls into this pattern that I don’t live up to, so I don’t feel as connected,'” Adorno told INSIDER.

“And that’s not true. Which is why I’m so excited for my character and for me to be out there to be like, ‘Hello, we’re here,'” the actress added.

Adorno expressed her gratitude at being a part of a Latinx-centric show like “Grand Hotel,” but thinks the Latinx community still has a long way to go in terms of acceptance — although representation in mainstream media is still important.

“Our community needs to be out there, and we need to get together and say ‘Hey, we are American Latinos and we matter and our stories are meant to be shared,'” Adorno said.