Ariana Miyamoto was crowned Miss Universe Japan 2015 – also
the first “bi-racial” Miss Universe Japan, which was very hard for some people
to come to terms with.
Ariana was born to a Japanese mother and African American
father, making her a “hafu” – the Japanese equivalent of a half caste. Despite
being born in Japan and having “many Japanese things about her on this inside”
she, in the eyes of her critics is not Japanese enough to represent Japan as
Miss Universe.
Upon being crowned with her title, she was met by a tyrade
of ridicule because she simply didn’t look Japanese enough. In an interview she
discussed how “when I say I’m Japanese people say, no you can’t be!”
The racial discrimination she experiences is not unheard of
in Japan, especially for hafu’s, some of whom feel Japan belongs to them but
they don’t belong to Japan.
I think Ariana Miyamoto’s win could serve as a very
important learning curb that there always needs to be an open minded attitude
towards the world’s ever growing diversity.
On a polar opposite to this claim, the Philippines and their elected Miss Universe contestants are mostly, if not all of the time half-castes. With the most recent example of the 2016 Miss Universe winner, Pia Wurztbach being a half Filipino and half German. This too can serve as an example for Japanese people to better accept half-castes as a member of their own nation, similarly to the Philippines in which opposite to Japan, would want to claim a half-caste like Pia as their own.
ReplyDeleteIn Samoa, half-caste is afa-kasi. The most sought after girls in Samoa. These Samoan men, well some Samoan men prefer a foreign palate so to speak of the European flavour. It could have something to do with the popularity of who the lead actress is in mainstream media, and the looks they have. Giving polynesian men the false perception that women of this ethnicity is what some might consider the 'white way is the right way'. So if you have a Polynesian, who is also white may be considered a rare find on a Pacific Island. And it could also be the fact that Polynesian guys might think twice about Polynesian girls because of her five huge brothers and possibly her left hook. Nice Bwap :)
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