When a video surfaced showing a cast member from “Love Island USA” using a racist slur against Asian individuals, it reopened old wounds for Jenn Tran. Tran, a 27-year-old student studying to become a physician assistant and also a recent participant on “The Bachelorette,” promptly took to TikTok to explain why the word was “demeaning and demoralizing.” Tran’s video has since garnered 1.8 million views.
Cierra Ortega, 25, a frontrunner who was removed from the show, had used the derogatory term in 2024 to describe the shape of her eyes, a feature she sought to alter with a cosmetic procedure. “For me, it was particularly distressing how the word was used,” Tran shared in a conversation with USA TODAY regarding her reaction to Ortega’s post. “The fact that someone would use that word in the context of altering their appearance because they dislike the way it looks, especially when the word is derogatory towards Asian people, struck a chord with me because while growing up, it was challenging for me to embrace my own features.”
Tran, who is Vietnamese American, has been vocal about the impact of the lack of representation of Asian Americans during her upbringing. “I faced a lot of ridicule for my appearance, the shape of my eyes, bringing different lunches to school, speaking a different language. It led to a struggle with my identity,” she explained.
Witnessing a “Love Island USA” contestant in 2024 use a racial slur against Asians to criticize her eyes deeply affected Jenn Tran. This led her to briefly consider blepharoplasty, a popular cosmetic surgery in the U.S. that creates a crease in the upper eyelid to give the appearance of larger eyes. “I actually researched getting that eye surgery and even bought double-sided tape to mimic a double eyelid,” Tran admitted. “When you are constantly bombarded with images of beauty in the media that don’t reflect your features, you begin to question your own beauty.”
Reflecting on the conclusion of her season on “The Bachelorette,” where an Asian American lead was celebrated before facing criticism, Tran emphasized, “My eyes are a part of who I am, and I shouldn’t feel the need to alter them. There is nothing about me that needs fixing. We shouldn’t promote the message that people need to change themselves.”
Tran expressed her disappointment at seeing such messaging persist after decades. “These are my eyes, and I was born with them. I shouldn’t feel pressured to change them. There is nothing to fix,” she asserted. Tran highlighted the importance of embracing one’s natural features and rejecting societal pressures to conform to narrow standards of beauty.
Most responses to Tran’s video have been supportive, though some comments revealed a lack of awareness about the slur used. Ortega herself admitted in an apology video that she was unaware of the term’s offensiveness at the time.
The slur
In numerous TikTok videos discussing the controversy surrounding Ortega, there are comments from users who believe the outcry is an exaggerated response from those deemed “too sensitive.” Whenever Tran speaks out about the racism she encounters online, she is often dismissed by commenters who question why she is bringing race into everything and tell her to stop, according to Tran. She believes that the solution lies in a willingness to educate oneself about different cultures and to empathize with others’ experiences. Tran emphasizes that her video aims to raise awareness about the harm caused by the slur, rather than perpetuating the cyber-bullying of Ortega, which she feels has escalated unnecessarily.
Tran views the current dialogue on anti-Asian racism as occurring during a time of self-acceptance for her. She reflects, “I’ve gone through that journey and am grateful to have come out on the other side. I now truly embrace all of my features.” She attributes this mindset shift to her personal growth, realizing that accepting herself is more empowering than trying to change through surgery. Tran also notes the importance of increased Asian representation in media, allowing her to see beauty in others who resemble her and affirming her own beauty. This article was originally published on USA TODAY, where Jenn Tran addresses Cierra Ortega’s use of an Asian slur, acknowledging that it has deeply resonated with her.
