A biracial beauty queen in Japan is being criticized for not being Japanese enough. Miss Nagasaki, Ariana Miyamoto, half Japanese and half African-American, is the first ever mixed-race Miss Universe Japan. Many people have been saying that she does not properly represent Japan’s demographic, while others applaud the model, saying that she is overcoming racial boundaries and helping to expand the definition of what it means to be Japanese. However, she is facing many difficulties because she is working with a culture that prefers pale skin, as pale skin is traditionally represented beauty in Japanese culture. Because of this accepted culture in Japan, the dark skinned Miyamoto’s crowning last week was very out of the ordinary for the competition.

Miyamoto claims that she has been bullied throughout her life for being different, given that 98% of the population of Japan is considered to be the same race. Miyamoto also claims that kids would throw garbage at her when she was in school, as well as calling her negative racial slurs. These actions show the intense prejudice that is still present in Japan for anyone that is not “pure” Japanese. For a country that is often considered to be very conservative and resistant to change, Miyamoto’s crowning presents a different side of Japan internationally. It sends a positive message to the world about the progression of Japan and its changing society. Yet, at Miyamoto’s home in Nagasaki, many still feel that she shouldn’t represent her homogeneous homeland. Japan still has a long way to go before they can become completely accepting of all races in their media, as well as of the people who represent their country.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/asia/japans-biracial-beauty-queen/index.html