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Bravo's Summer House episode 5 had the cast indulge in some serious conversations about race by the end of the episode. Mya Allen, the newest member of Summer House, had a hard time fitting in with the cast.
Throughout the episode, Mya talked about how difficult it was for her to blend into the culture at the Hamptons.
In the previous episode, Mya had asked Lindsay Hubbard if the cast could come along to the party, which Lindsay denied and upset Mya. In a confessional this episode, Mya said:
"We had the best time at Amanda's party, and I wanted to continue that. So Lindsay telling me she can't bring anyone else out to the bar doesn't feel great...especially while I'm trying to navigate my single life, I depend on my girls."
Summer House stars Mya and Ciara opened up about not fitting in
Mya continued to feel left out the next morning while hanging out with Paige Desorbo and Ciara Miller, and that was clear in her expressions when Andrea Denver brought the girls coffee.
While the Summer House cast was hanging out by the beach, Mya came at a breaking point when Andrea called her by his friend's name. Mya got hurt with Andrea getting her name wrong and not recognizing her presence.
Ciara and Mya then began to discuss their hardships. Mya opened up to Ciara about feeling alone.
"I really feel like a lone soldier. I don't feel like I fit anywhere... Like I don't feel like I have a place...like I can't sit around a circle of all of us and be like 'yay like we're happy.'"
Ciara shared her experiences of feeling excluded from the cast when she joined Summer House.
"Sometimes, like when I'm in these situations, it does feel like, I'm back in like high school again. They might not be intentionally excluding me, but they're just like excluding me."
The Summer House duo discussed how it brought back memories of them being in grade school and the demographics they grew up with. Mya opened up about how she was one of two black girls in school and how people called Mya by the other girl's name.
"Of course growing up, it was something that affected me. And as an adult I did everything in my power to be seen as Mya. To hear Andrea calling me another name, its 100% triggering, it brought me back to kindergarten. It brought me back to everything I've experienced in my life."
Ciara talked about how she was in the middle of all white people last season at Summer House during social intercourse on the civil rights movement and how white people should make more effort.
Summer House cast talked about race as Mya and Ciara
open up
Before leaving the Summer House for the weekend, the cast sat together as Ciara and Mya shared their difficulties being women of color in the entire house. Ciara stressed how they needed to check in with each other as a group.
"Last summer I was super intimidated to come to Hamptons because it is all predominantly white...there's this automatic feeling of.. I might not be adequate enough to fit in when people don't look like you."
Ciara pointed out how Andrea calling Mya by another girl's name was triggering, even though there might not have been malicious intent. Mya said:
"I have been in this house for over four weeks, I'm Mya, you know."
Andrea then apologized to the duo, after which Mya clarified that no one in the house was at fault, but there was a certain experience as a black person in America that did not get talked about in the house.
Alex opened up about being a mixed minority in the house and his experience of getting triggered by a man thinking that Alex worked in the house and was not a part of the cast.
"I hate it when people have these expectations of you, and you're trying your hardest to fight that expectation. but you feel like you shouldn't have to, you should just be able to be yourself."
Danielle even opened up about not fitting into the house in the beginning. The duo talked about stereotypes surrounding African-American women and being constantly pressured to prove themselves.
The cast apologized to the duo for having them feel that way and recognized the issues they talked about. The conversation, as well as the episode, ended with a group hug.
Summer House airs every Monday at 9.00 pm ET on Bravo.
