Jenn Tran is expressing her disappointment over the lack of Asian American men on her upcoming season of "The Bachelorette." Tran made history in March when she was named the first Asian American "Bachelorette" after winning fans' hearts as a contestant on Joey Graziadei's season of "The Bachelor." “I can’t really speak to the casting process and the decisions that were made, but it is unfortunate that there weren’t a lot of Asian men this season,” she told Glamour ahead of her season of the ABC dating competition, which premieres July 8.
“Asian men haven’t always seen themselves in this position, and I am hoping that me being here and (contestant) Thomas N. being there, that the both of us can inspire other Asian men to realize that they can do this too if they want. They can be in this position as well," she added.
Like "The Bachelor," the "Bachelorette" spinoff, which premiered in 2003, has been criticized over the years for its lack of diversity. It took until 2017 for the show to feature its first Black lead, Rachel Lindsay. Tran, who grew up the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants in New Jersey, described bonding with contestant Thomas N.
over their shared Asian American background during one on-air chat. "That was a really special conversation for me because he really understood where I was coming from, and my family means everything to me," said Tran. "Knowing that my parents immigrated over here to give me a better life, the sacrifices that they made, and t.
