The new season of "Survivor" will be a race among races.

At the start of the reality show's 13th edition, "Survivor: Cook Islands," 20 contestants will be organized into four tribes divided along ethnic lines -- black, white, Hispanic and Asian, CBS announced yesterday.

The tribes, as usual, will merge later in the season, which debuts Sept. 14, the network said.

CBS identified Becky Lee, a 28-year-old lawyer from Washington, D.C., as a Flushing, N.Y., native who grew up in Allegheny County and attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills.

Monty Brinton, CBS "Survivor: Cook Islands" contestant Becky Lee is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills.

Her official bio says Lee, 28, was born to South Korean immigrants, played varsity tennis in high school and did international volunteer work in developing countries.

Lee attended the University of Michigan as an undergrad, where she competed on the women's boxing team. She earned her law degree at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was elected president of the Asian Law Students Association.

Jeff Probst, host of the show, said the network was worried the racial divide might offend viewers.

"It's very risky because you're bringing up a topic that is a hot button," Probst said. "There's a history of segregation you can't ignore. It is part of our history."

"For that, it's much safer to say, 'No, let's just stick with things the way they are. Let's don't be the network to rock the boat. Let's not have "Survivor" try something new,'" he said. "But the biases from home can't affect you. This is an equal opportunity game."

Probst said he and the "Survivor" producers wanted to bring more ethnic diversity to the competition.

"The truth is 80 percent of the people that apply are white," he said. "And television, in general, is white. So all these criticisms were valid."

On each episode of "Survivor: Cook Islands," at least one cast member will be sent to a separate island miles away from camp, where an immunity idol will be hidden. If found, this immunity idol could save a contestant from being voted off the show.