First half-black Miss Universe Japan crowned
By Silvia Mwendia on March 23, 2015 — An African-American and Japanese woman has been crowned for the first time as Miss Universe Japan, and her win is already raising eyebrows
Local media are describing Ariana Miyamoto as a “saishoku kenbi,” a woman blessed with both intelligence and beauty. Photo: Ariana Miyamoto's Facebook page
Japan has crowned its first biracial Miss Universe Japan. The 20 year old African-American and Japanese Miss Nagasaki, will go on to represent her country at 2015 Miss Universe pageant.
According to local media, Ariana Miyamoto has been described as a “saishoku kenbi,” a woman blessed with both intelligence and beauty who also holds fifth-degree mastery of Japanese calligraphy.
The win of a “hāfu” (the Japanese word used to refer to half-Japanese individuals) has however raised mixed reactions.
“The controversy that has erupted over her selection is a great opportunity for us Japanese to examine how far we have come from our self-perpetuated myth of homogeneity while at the same time it shows us how much further we have to go,” remarked Megumi Nishikura, filmmaker and co-director of the film “Hafu: The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan when speaking to NBC News.
Source: www.afro.com
By Silvia Mwendia on March 23, 2015 — An African-American and Japanese woman has been crowned for the first time as Miss Universe Japan, and her win is already raising eyebrows
Local media are describing Ariana Miyamoto as a “saishoku kenbi,” a woman blessed with both intelligence and beauty. Photo: Ariana Miyamoto's Facebook page
Japan has crowned its first biracial Miss Universe Japan. The 20 year old African-American and Japanese Miss Nagasaki, will go on to represent her country at 2015 Miss Universe pageant.
According to local media, Ariana Miyamoto has been described as a “saishoku kenbi,” a woman blessed with both intelligence and beauty who also holds fifth-degree mastery of Japanese calligraphy.
The win of a “hāfu” (the Japanese word used to refer to half-Japanese individuals) has however raised mixed reactions.
“The controversy that has erupted over her selection is a great opportunity for us Japanese to examine how far we have come from our self-perpetuated myth of homogeneity while at the same time it shows us how much further we have to go,” remarked Megumi Nishikura, filmmaker and co-director of the film “Hafu: The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan when speaking to NBC News.
Source: www.afro.com
