Darrell Rivera, a Filipino American dancer, and choreographer, is making waves on TikTok as he fearlessly tackles a sensitive topic: the alleged internalized racism of some Asian women against dating men from their own race.

The buzz all started with a clip from the “Egg and Bean Podcast,” in which host Sunny (@sunnysideuptv) reflects on the contrasting reactions towards Asian men and women dating outside their race. “Asian boys get applauded for dating outside of their culture, but Asian girls don’t,” Sunny muses in the clip. She criticizes the recurring narrative that Asian women with white partners are somehow being ‘colonized’ due to their ‘internalized racism.’

Enter Darrell Rivera, who steps into the TikTok arena with a passionate response to Sunny’s observations. He boldly addresses the issue of internalized racism, suggesting that many Asian women express strong preferences for white men while disparaging their Asian counterparts.

“The majority of us guys don’t care,” Rivera insists. “We just hate that you guys bash on your own race. There’s a big difference between having a preference and literally hating on your own kind.”

Rivera doesn’t just make claims, though. He supports his arguments with on-point examples of Asian women explicitly expressing a preference for white men on TikTok. He also references Kaila Yu’s (@kaila.yu) TikTok post discussing the satirical op-ed piece, “Hollywood cured my prejudice against white men,” which addresses the problematic narrative of Asian women not finding Asian men attractive due to their internalized racism.

Rivera’s candid critique has sent ripples through TikTok, with his video quickly racking up over 168,000 views. Users are applauding him for boldly addressing a sensitive and often overlooked issue.

One supporter wrote, “Date who you wanna date. Don’t drag us in the mud at the same time,” with others echoing similar sentiments.

Rivera’s ultimate message? “Do you, girl. Do whatever makes you happy. Just don’t make us feel any less than.” It’s a clear call for open-mindedness and mutual respect, regardless of who anyone chooses to date.

It seems that Rivera has tapped into a powerful conversation, one that pushes for acceptance, tolerance, and an end to discrimination — even if it’s within your own race.

It’s important to note that Sunny also posted another response video where she asks users to watch the full episode before making a judgement.