A Vietnamese-American medical assistant is the first Asian-American female lead on the American dating show The Bachelorette.

Jenn Tran (26 years old) in Florida has just become the first Asian female lead in the famous American dating show The Bachelorette.

Vietnamese-American medical assistant Jenn Tran made a special impression when she became the first Asian female lead in the American dating series The Bachelorette - Photo: YAHOO NEWS

After 28 seasons of The Bachelor and 20 spin-offs The Bachelorette, ABC’s dating series has cast its first Asian-American lead actress, according to the New York Times . Jenn Tran, 26, who is studying to become a physician assistant in Miami, Florida, will date several suitors in the new season of The Bachelorette, which is scheduled to air this summer. The casting of the lead actress was announced during the finale of the competition on March 25.

Overcoming racial stereotypes

“I feel so grateful and honored to be the first Asian Bachelorette on this TV series,” Tran, who is Vietnamese-American, shared her feelings after being chosen as the first Asian female lead on the dating show. She hopes that she can find her other half, as well as bring to viewers the sincerity in love - something she rarely sees on screen. “Whenever Asians appear in the media, they can only take on supporting roles and perform roles according to certain stereotypes. I think because I don’t see myself on screen, or don’t see myself as the main character, I’m always constrained by stereotypes about Asians,” the Vietnamese-American medical assistant added. Writing in a recent issue of Vox magazine, journalist Li Zhou also pointed out the lack of Asian contestants on ABC’s dating show. “Asians who are on the show are often eliminated in the early rounds, seen as supporting characters or stereotyped,” Li said. She added that she found it “refreshing” to see Asian women like Jenn Tran, Lea Cayanan (a Filipina accountant) and Rachel Nance (a black nurse) take on prominent roles in recent seasons. However, Li said Rachel Nance received hundreds of hateful messages and comments, including racial slurs, during the show’s run.

Once controversial for racism

The dating series The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have received criticism for having mostly white leads since the first season in 2002. In 2017, attorney Rachel Lindsay became the first black contestant on the ABC dating series. In 2020, Matt James, an American businessman and former soccer player, became the first African-American male lead in season 25 of The Bachelor. However, James's casting as the male lead earned the show's producers a warning for casting a black lead in the first 40 seasons of both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The Bachelor has also been accused of perpetuating racial stereotypes in some episodes filmed overseas. In particular, a 2019 episode of the show set in Singapore's markets was heavily criticized for its vulgar depiction of Asian street food. Meanwhile, host Chris Harrison, who has been associated with the dating series for many years, faced outrage for defending a white contestant on James' season. The incident forced host Harrison to leave the show in 2021.

Uyen Phuong - Tuoitre.vn

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