Australian Survivor‘s Aileen Chong On Breaking Asian Stereotypes & Why She’ll Be Backstabbing This Season

After what seems like an eternity, the best iteration of the Survivor franchise, Australian Survivor, has finally kicked off — and it looks like it will be a good one. This season's theme, 'Titans VS Rebels' will watch a bunch of physically intimidating and ruthless people (the Titans) take on a group of individuals who live by a different set of rules (the Rebels). Given the season is offering us an entirely fresh cast, there's been plenty of speculation as to who we'll need to watch this season, and there's one name that keeps coming up in fan groups — Aileen Chong.

While her promo hasn't been splashed everywhere like some of the others, Aileen is still one to watch. When asked about why so many fans already have her billed to make it to the final tribal council, Aileen says it's because people might recognise her as an underdog. "I think it is because I seem like an underdog," she tells Refinery29 Australia. "If you have seen my backstory, I am kind of the outsider who plays on the outside, and trying to fit in and prove my worth. I think that sort of story — where you want to prove that success can be achieved in unconventional ways and that you don't have to follow the steady route as most people do — I think people love that story."

Aileen, who grew up in the mountains of Kathmandu in Nepal, as well as the Philippines, is the only Asian woman cast in this season of Australian Survivor — something she does not take lightly. "I think a lot of people see themselves in me and I really want to be a good advocate and role model for everybody who sees themselves in me," she says.

Having grown up camping and hiking in the mountains of the Himalayas as well as living on the islands of the Philippines, she says that she has a distinct advantage compared to her tribemates, who might not be as in tune with nature as she is. "Thinking of myself going onto this island and sleeping on the beach, to be honest, I was prepared and ready than most city people," she says. "I think being in Samoa will be a good, relaxing experience... I'm gonna have the upper hand."

But while she may be the only Asian woman this season, she's well aware of what this means in how she may be perceived by other players. "Coming into the game, I always knew that just from appearances, I would be perceived as an outsider. I look different. I sound different," she explains. "But I've been managing and dealing with people my whole life — whether that's been in international schools, my current two jobs working as a waitress, and a sales coordinator in an investment fund — I deal with people all the time."

Aileen says that while she's aware that she might need to work harder to integrate into the tribe or manage their own perceptions of her, she's not one to just sit quietly in the corner. "There is a stereotype that Asian women are timid, quiet, obliging, but I did try to use that to my advantage," she says. "I want to prove to my tribemates that I'm just not this person who's willing to sit on the sidelines. I'm willing to integrate subtly and make moves that people are going to be surprised by."

The Australian iteration of the show has often focused incessantly on loyalty and mateship, which often sees those players (especially women of colour) who might play 'dirtier' faced with ridicule or judgement — both in the game and externally from fans. Inspired by Parvati Shallow (who has played three seasons in the US) and Australia's own Hayley Leake (who won season six of Australian Survivor), Aileen has openly said that she intends to lie and cheat in the game of Australian Survivor — something that many women in the game don't do because of gendered social expectations. "Ultimately, this is a game, and we're going use whatever social experiences we've had in our lives to our advantage," she argues. "Yes, mateship and loyalty is a core value, but if you can get yourself ahead of the game by stabbing someone in the back, why not? This is the arena to do it."

A microcosm of society, the American iteration of the show has previously come under fire for its poor treatment of women and people of colour, where stereotypes would often be attributed to people based on their identity. For Aileen, she's ready to break these stereotypes. "For me personally, I wasn't worried about the stereotype of having to look sneaky compared to being a successful studded player who can make big moves. I just did what I felt was right for my game and hopefully, I can prove to everybody that you can break those stereotypes and not to worry about what other people think because that's gonna hinder you in this game."

As a superfan and student of the game, Aileen has studied its gameplay for years. "I have been a superfan for nearly all my life, so I understand that certain moves need to be made in order to be recognised and to be validated if you're going to make it to the end," she says. "I want to show that anyone can play this game. Even if you look and sound like me, you can do it."