Bachelorette Jen Tran shares Michelle Young’s advice about racism

like Jin Tran When she started her journey, there was one member of Bachelor Nation that she wanted to talk to.

So before filming season 21 of And the bachelorette, She took on the mantle of being the first Asian American to lead the franchise, and reached out to her fellow alumni. Michelle Young.

“I really wanted to get a perspective from a person of color and just learn about her experience and where I’m going with it,” Jen told E! News’ Francesca Amaker In an exclusive interview, she said: “I know that being in the spotlight means you’re going to get backlash because of it, especially because of racism. I wanted to know how she dealt with it all and whether she thought it was worth it in the end.”

“She was really great with a lot of good guidance. She was like, ‘There’s going to be haters, there’s going to be racism, but know you’re doing it for a reason and be strong-willed,'” she added.

In fact, Jen finds that she and Michelle — who led the franchise’s 18th season — have a similar approach to their journey, both on-screen and off.