Twenty-year-old Ariana Miyamoto has been crowned Miss Japan and will represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant. Sadly, she’ll have to do so without the support of those who’ve voiced issues with her being half-Japanese.
Miyamoto was born to an African-American father and Japanese mother, making her the first bi-racial woman to ear the Miss Japan honor. This left detractors with a bad taste in their mouths, as some citizens believe her facial features aren’t a proper representation of a true Japanese woman.
Remarks have ranged from criticism to downright racist commentary, despite Miyamoto being born and raised in Japan, and considering herself to be a Japanese citizen.
Washington Post translated a tweet that read, “Even though she’s Miss Universe Japan, her face is foreign no matter how you look at it!”
Historically speaking, racism has always reared its ugly head in Japan, which can be seen in how Japanese-born Koreans and Japanese-born Chinese people are treated.
In any case, Miyamoto’s accomplishments are to be celebrated. And that’s without mentioning that she’s a long-legged stunner. Hit the jump to see for yourselves.
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Photo: Facebook
