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Inspiring Latinas: Yvonne Senat Jones & Paulina Lopez-Velasquez on ‘Get It Girl!’
Welcome to another exciting episode of LatiNation’s Get It Girl! This time, we’re thrilled to have two incredible women who have made a name for themselves in their respective fields. Joining us on the couch are the talented actress Yvonne Senat Jones and the inspiring chef, mom, and entrepreneur Paulina Lopez-Velasquez. In this episode, both women gave us a glimpse into their lives, careers, and experiences, and shared insights about their professions.
Meet Our Guests
Yvonne Senat Jones
Yvonne Senat Jones is a bilingual Afro-Latina actress who is becoming more and more prominent in Hollywood. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in a multicultural environment that profoundly influenced her identity. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts from California State University, Long Beach.
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Yvonne is known for her roles in major projects on top streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. She stars as Janice Rojas-Pierre in Disney+’s original sports drama, “The Crossover,” and as Denise King, Disney’s first Afro-Latina Queen, in “Sneakerella.” Fans can also recognize her from her roles alongside Jennifer Lopez in “The Mother,” streaming on Netflix, as well as from the show “Based on a True Story,” on Peacock.
In our interview, Yvonne shared her experience working with Jennifer Lopez, saying, “She never fails. She’s always so consistent. Sometimes I say, ‘Don’t meet your heroes.’ But I did, and she was genuine and kind. For me, in the industry, you have to be consistent, you gotta have that tenacity. And so just seeing people like that, people like Beyoncé, like J.LO, who have consistently done it, and now you see the success and the fruits of their labor, it’s so motivating. That was just like a gift from God.”
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Reflecting on her journey, she added, “It did take time. I feel very blessed that I did it through the academic way. So I was able to get a scholarship, go to grad school, and get my degree that way. But I think what has always helped is, just seeing other people and seeing how they continue. What I like to do is go to IMDb Pro and I’ll look up people that are like A-listers right now. And they’ve had these ebbs and flows where they were like next to Meryl Streep in a movie, but then we don’t hear about them. But now they’re here. So for me, it has been years. It’s not overnight, just like it isn’t for anybody. But I’m so grateful for the self-tapes that made it happen and it got me those roles and the ones that will in the future. But when I have those moments, like we all do, I’m just like, ‘You know what? This is everyone’s story.’ The theme is ‘get it done.’ And if you feel bad, that’s fine. Feel your feelings, but get it done.”
Paulina Lopez-Velasquez
Paulina Lopez-Velasquez is a culinary innovator, community leader, and cultural ambassador. Born in Oaxaca, Mexico, she moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 12, where her father founded the iconic Guelaguetza Restaurant in Koreatown, which has become a cornerstone of Oaxacan cuisine in America.
Paulina is a passionate advocate for Oaxacan culture and co-owner of the James Beard Award-winning Guelaguetza Restaurant. She is also a co-host of the “Super Mamas Podcast,” a platform for mothers to connect, share, and learn from each other’s experiences.
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In our interview, Paulina opened up and discussed the challenges of motherhood and the inspiration behind her podcast: “We all grew up in the telenovela era, and they made motherhood look very romanticized. So I wanted to be a mom, and it took me a while. But once I became a mom, I realized how hard it was and how we have been living in a lie. It’s really hard, it’s really lonely. I had postpartum depression twice because of parenting and motherhood. Once my sister, Bricia, who is a co-host of the show, became a mom, she came to me and cried and said, ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was this hard.’ So we were like, ‘somebody should be talking about this, someone should be telling the truth, someone should keep it real.’ So we decided as an avenue of venting ourselves, to start the podcast. And it became a community of mothers that were all feeling the same.”
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Paulina also shared her deep connection to her Oaxacan heritage and the importance of food in her life: “In the Oaxacan community, we are very attached to our roots, and it’s a very big part of our identity. Our culture, our food, our music—Oaxaca is a cultural heritage site because of its richness. My dad started selling food door to door, then opened a tiny restaurant, and slowly, 30 years later, we are in Koreatown. We have the James Beard for American classic. It’s one of the best Mexican restaurants in the country. We work really hard. We are all about family, we are all about tradition, authenticity, and trying to bring the culture to the new generation of Oaxaqueños that are here and don’t get to experience Oaxaca the same way that I have. And for the world to see.”
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