Newly crowned Miss Universe Japan Ariana Miyamoto is facing a racial backlash because she is a daughter of a Japanese woman and an African-American man. Some social media users are questioning whether Ariana, whom Japanese refer to haafu-Japanese term for someone who is biracial, is Japanese enough to hold the title.
According to translations by The Washington Post, @sabu_love_a wrote, "Is it ok to choose a haafu to represent Japan? Sometimes the criteria which they use to select Miss Universe is a bit of a mystery." @oku_6_doku tweeted, "The contradiction that is having a haafu Miss Universe Japan..." @2ygravity posted, "Even though she's Miss Universe Japan, her face is foreign no matter how you look at it!"
Ariana was born and raised in Nagasaki. After being graduated from a junior high school in Sasebo, she spent her high school years in the U.S. She then returned to Japan to become a model. Ariana holds a Japanese passport, speaks fluent Japanese and has a fifth-degree mastery of Japanese traditional calligraphy. She lists her hobbies as cooking and touring.
In an interview, Ariana said her role model is Mariah Carey. "[Mariah] went through a lot of difficulties before becoming a popular singing sensation," she shared. "She faced some racial hurdles, similar to myself, but she overcame them and became a top star, so she's been a big influence on me."
Ariana received support and congratulations from her fans when she was chosen as Miss Universe Japan. One fan posted, "Don't lose to discrimination and with a strong heart do your best to go win the Miss Universe prize." Another fan posted, "Having a different ethnicity in you doesn't make you ANY LESS JAPANESE!"
Ariana told Rocket News 24, "The world competition is going to be tough, but I'll believe in myself and continue doing me best!"
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