The latest season of “The Bachelor” ended last week, and Joey Graziadei found himself a fiancé. Kelsey Anderson, a New Orleans native received Graziadei’s final rose and revoked his title as the hottest bachelor.
During the last episode of the season, fans were shocked to discover who the next bachelorette would be.
Fans expected it to be Maria Georgas, who was knocked out during hometowns. Instead, Jenn Tran, a physician’s assistant (PA) student from New Jersey, will be the star of the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette.” Tran is breaking the mold as the first PA student and first Asian American to serve as the lead in the franchise.
The reality show has received intense backlash in the past for its lack of diversity. Attorney Rachel Lindsay made history as the first Black bachelorette in the show’s 13th season.
In the 24th season of “The Bachelor,” fan-favorite Tammy Ly spoke about how she was treated like a secondary character because she was not white.
Many Asian contestants on the show have been portrayed as villains. On this last season of “The Bachelor,” Rachel Nance was ridiculed for performing traditional Filipino dances and eating cultural dishes. Bachelor Nation vouched for Nance and her family, but the discrimination was nothing new.
Fans of the show and fellow contestants have been showing their support for Tran as she embarks on her new journey. Georgas has been showing lots of love along with Tran’s alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The potential lineup for Tran’s season has been released and the show is said to be full of surprises. People reported that most of her season will not be filmed in the states or at the Bachelor mansion.
The first episode will take place in Santa Susana, California, but Tran and her suitors will travel globally searching for new sites and love.
It has been long overdue for the franchise to nominate an Asian lead. There is still much more work to be done to diversify the show, but it is refreshing to see Tran making history.
