'Love Island' fans celebrate Latino couple Amaya and Bryan's finale win: 'This was needed'
Bramaya's happily ever after on "Love Island USA" wasn't just a personal victory. It was a win for el amor.
Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales, fan-favorite contestants on the latest season of Peacock's hit dating competition series, were crowned the winners of Season 7 during the reality show's finale on Sunday, July 13. Alongside their bragging rights as island victors, the two will split a $100,000 prize.
Following a season plagued by racism controversies, including the abrupt exit of frontrunner Cierra Ortega, Espinal and Arenales' win earned praise from fans on social media for its positive media representation of the Latino community.
Some online users shared their excitement over Espinal and Arenales being the first Latino couple to win the show (Espinal is of Dominican descent, while Arenales purportedly has Puerto Rican and Guatemalan roots). A representative for "Love Island USA" confirmed the series milestone to Paste BN.
Others highlighted the cultural significance of a Latino couple winning "Love Island" amid the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. In June, several demonstrations erupted across Los Angeles in response to a series of immigration raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which were part of a larger directive from President Trump to target immigrants living in the United States without legal status.
"Two Latinos winning Love Island in a time when innocent hardworking immigrants are being raided, deported, and demonized?" @swagrman wrote on Threads. "Yeah. This was needed🙌"
'Love Island' fans thrilled by Amaya and Bryan's win
After Espinal and Arenales were named the Season 7 winners, X user @vietbaddie playfully marked the occasion by sharing a clip of Puerto Rican entertainer Jennifer Lopez giving a shout-out to the Latino community during an awards show acceptance speech.
"Amaya Papaya and Bryan, the first Latino couple to win Love Island ever and in Trump's America," @vietbaddie wrote. "LET'S GOOOOO!!!!!!"
"I can sleep peacefully tonight knowing my Amaya Papaya and Bryan won Love Island USA and are the first Latino couple to win the show and a white man DID NOT," @tolIerateit wrote on X.
In response to the finale news, X user @tabbyfarans shared a GIF that read: "Smiling through it all: Can't believe this my life."
"Bramaya Love Island USA's s7 winners!!!!!!" @tabbyfarans added. "This is literally a reward for living in Trump's America."
"Amaya and Bryan winning was always on the bingo card," @uknwuluvme_xoxogossipgirl wrote on Threads. "Our first Latino couple making it on Love Island. Thank you for representing Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and New York. Congratulations 🎉🍾"
'Love Island' winner Amaya Espinal dishes on love for Dominican heritage
During her tenure on "Love Island," Espinal, a New York City native, emphasized the importance of her Dominican culture as the daughter of immigrants.
"Both of my parents were actually born in the Dominican Republic, and I'm the first generation to be born here," Espinal previously said on the show. "I'm heavy, heavy on culture."
Although Espinal's love story with Arenales is in its early stages, the cardiac nurse also shared how her Latino heritage would inform her family life.
"Even when I have my kids, let's say my husband isn't Dominican, they're still going to know Spanish," Espinal added. "They're still going to know the culture."
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Anthony Robledo, Paste BN