'Proud of my family': 'The Bachelor' contestant Rachel Nance fires back after trolls target her racial heritage

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘The Bachelor’ contestant Rachel Nance is firing back at the trolls who hurled racist slurs at her while refusing to change any aspect of her culture.

Nance, who was born to a Filipino mother and Black-Arabian father, is standing proud against all the trolls who called her 'jungle Asian'.

Nance, who is proud of her Black and Asian heritage, recently sat for an interview with NBC where she opened up about being at the receiving end of racial hatred.

Rachel Nance says she won’t whitewash her experiences

The 26-year-old contestant was among the top three contestants in the 28th season of popular reality show. 

A notable participant, Nance came under internet trolling after certain Filipino customs were shown in the show. However, Nance says that the online hatred has not convinced her to change the way she feels about her heritage.

Speaking to NBC News, Nance said, “Being a woman, you’re really put in a box and being a woman of color, you’re put in a smaller box and we just can’t win.”

She continued to talk about her struggle as she said, “It was either I honor my family and I show what I was raised with, or do I not and hold back, and then I’m sad, and I’m not honoring my family.” 

She shattered that she chose the former and shared the customs she experienced while growing up, saying, “and I think that’s all you can do —  you just show who you are.” 

During a Week 8 episode where the bachelor Joey Graziadei visited his prospective partners’ hometowns, Nance took him to her native place in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where Graziadei was introduced to several Filipino customs. This in turn, gave rise to major online hate.

Some critics even opined that she was “overdoing it with the culture.” During her interview, Nance even addressed the same while saying, “I think because it’s my norm, it’s not their norm, they thought I was doing too much.”

She further shared, “I’m so proud of my family that we still decided to showcase who we are. … And I don’t regret doing it.”

She also addressed the criticism where the viewers expressed their disgust at Nance kissing Graziadei.

She said, “I will not change who I fall for,” and noted, “My family’s an interracial couple. My cousins are in interracial relationships. I think it’s something so beautiful that my family is a melting pot as well.” 

Nance further opened up about the difference she felt when she moved to the East Coast from Hawaii (where she grew up).

She shared, “It was just the little looks I would get,” before elucidating, “I remember one time I was in a grocery store and this lady was like, ‘Shame on you, that you guys are together.’ When I was a nurse’s aide, I would have people call me the N-word.” 

Internet supports Rachel Nance for her stance

Fans were quick to support Nance for her comments as they told her to be proud of her heritage and bever back down under pressure.

One of the social media users said, "Never listen to negative comments, they are not dished out with good intentions, be you little flower."

"What ever they like let them see," said someone else.

"Spoke to Rachel Nance who received racist mgs after the Hometowns ep of @BachelorABC that showed her fam's Filipino customs. She said while many WOC are expected to whitewash their stories to make others feel comfortable, she will be doing no such thing," commented another fan.

Someone else supported, "Good for her! Be proud."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.