ABC's first Asian American Bachelorette, Jen Tran, stars

After 28 seasons of “The Bachelor” and 20 seasons of its spinoff “The Bachelorette,” the ABC dating show has cast its first Asian American lead.

Jean Tran, a 26-year-old studying to become a physician assistant in Miami, will date a group of suitors in a season that will air this summer, according to ABC. Her casting was announced Monday during the season finale of “The Bachelor,” on which she was a contestant.

“I feel so grateful and so proud to be the first Asian Bachelorette in this franchise,” Ms. Tran, who is Vietnamese American, said during the episode. She added that she hopes to find a partner and provide viewers with the kind of exposure she found sorely missing on television when she was growing up.

“Anytime Asians were in the media, it was to fill a supporting character role, to fulfill some kind of stereotype,” Ms. Tran said. “I always felt trapped by it, because I didn't see myself on screen. I didn't see myself as a main character.”

The series has received sustained criticism for its overwhelmingly white cast since its debut in 2002. It cast its first black lead, Rachel Lindsay, in 2017, and its first black “Bachelor,” Matt James, in 2020. The casting of Mr. James came next Online petition He chastised ABC for casting only one black lead in 40 syndicated seasons.

“The Bachelor” has also been accused of perpetuating racist stereotypes, especially in its episodes filmed abroad: a 2019 episode set in food markets in Singapore He was criticized For the way she portrayed Asian street food.

Chris Harrison, the show's longtime host, has sparked outrage for defending a white contestant on Mr. James' season who appeared to have attended an “Old South” plantation-themed party. Mr. Harrison apologized and then left the franchise in 2021.

Journalist Lee Chu wrote in an article that the show's representation of Asian contestants was also lacking Article for Fox this week. “Those who are chosen early on are often excluded, marginalized as supporting characters, or reduced to meek stereotypes,” she wrote.

Ms. Cho added that it was refreshing to see women of Asian descent having prominent arcs in the final season, noting Ms. Tran; Leah Kayanan, a Filipino-born account manager; and Rachel Nance, a black and Filipino nurse.

Mrs. Nance he told the show host She said she received hundreds of “hateful” messages on social media during the season, some of which included racial slurs.

ABC has made few changes to the “Bachelor” formula during its two decades on the air, but has experimented with spinoff shows like “The Golden Bachelor,” which featured contestants 60 or older and first aired last year.

Its pioneer was Jerry Turner, a septuagenarian retiree from Indiana who married his last choice, Theresa Neist, in January. The season received some of the franchise's highest ratings in years.