Jenn Tran, Lea Cayanan Disney(2)/John Fleenor;Richard Middlesworth
New Bachelorette Jenn Tran is the first-ever Asian American lead in Bachelor Nation history — and she’s already tackled issues with franchise viewers based on “cultural ignorance.”
Jenn, 26, uploaded a TikTok video last month addressing Asian representation on the show, and in the wider world. Jenn’s social media post came after The Bachelor’s official Instagram account posted a photo of her, but tagged fellow contestant Lea Cayanan — sparking major backlash online.
“This is why Asian representation on TV is so important. The lack of exposure directly correlates to the ignorance,” she captioned the clip. “I’m not saying everyone is guilty of cultural ignorance, but it is disheartening to see how many news articles about me have used pictures of other Asian women who clearly do not look like me. Let’s continue to take accountability, learn from others and lead with love always.”
In the video, Jenn recounted several encounters in her life where she’s been confused for one of her Asian coworkers. She even called out people that don’t care about how their actions are impactful in her life.
@jenntranx This is why Asian representation on TV is so important. The lack of exposure directly correlates to the ignorance. I’m not saying everyone is guilty of cultural ignorance but it is disheartening to see how many news articles about me have used pictures of other Asian women who clearly do not look like me. Let’s continue to take accountability, learn from others and lead with love always 🫶🏼 #culturalignorance #diversity #asianamerican #asian #culture #vietnamese
♬ original sound – Jenn Tran
Similarly, Lea, 23, posted a separate TikTok video addressing the same controversy. She explained how the Bachelor Instagram mistake should be treated as part of “a much larger conversation” in terms of representation.
“I…
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