http://thegrio.com/2015/03/23/first-bi-racial-miss-japan-called-not-japanese-enough-because-of-her-african-american-dad/

First bi-racial Miss Japan called ‘not Japanese enough’ because of her African-American dad
by theGrio | March 23, 2015 at 9:20 AM


Ariana Miyamoto, who will represent Miss Japan in the Miss Universe pageant, speaks fluent Japanese, was born and raised in Nagasaki … and is apparently “not Japanese enough.”

Miyamoto, whose father is African-American, had to spend her first television experience apologizing to reporters because she does not “look Japanese.” She assured the media that there were “many Japanese things about her.”

Many people across the country are expressing their doubts that a “hafu” (the term for someone who is biracial) could represent Japan, with some on Twitter asking questions like, “Is it okay to select a hafu to represent Japan?” and “Because this is Miss Universe Japan, don’t you think hafu are a no-no?”

Some have said that she does not “look Japanese” and that her face is “too gaijin,” meaning “outside person.” A few are even complaining that Japan is not getting a “pure-blooded Japenese” girl to represent Japan.

Japan is one of the least ethnically diverse countries, with 98 percent of its people Japanese nationals, and there is generally a feeling that people of mixed lineage are not fully Japanese. Not only is Miyamoto’s father an American but he is also an African-American, compounding the problem of “foreign” and mixed-race negativity.

One thing is for sure: Miramoto’s journey as the first mixed race Miss Japan will be a hard one … but hopefully, it will be worth it.

I got a million of 'em

Anyways, fuck Japan. And the rest of those homogenized countries with that baked-in exclusion.

Passive-Aggressive levels must be off the charts there.

Mos Def!! Would be just as big an issue..

Well it was Japanese folks who selected her to be Miss Japan. Considering Japan is 98% ethnically Japanese I'd say they're pretty damn progressive choosing someone of mixed race to represent their country.

It wasnt until 1984 that Vanessa Williams was selected as the first black Miss America.... Black folks make up roughly 14% of the U.S. population, in Japan black folks or half black half Japanese folks are an incredibly small demographic.

so black white latino arab etc...doesn't matter. you aint Japanese, so bye lol

d

I dunno if it wouldn't be different tho. they like blonde hair and shit, but they wouldn't want that representing japan either

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Whats trippy is some folks in Japan dye their hair blond or a brownish blonde color, though folks in the corporate or professional world don't do this, mostly artists, blue collar folks or young people.

Yup, "gainjin" or more formally "gaikokujin" literally means outside person or foreign country person, which means errrrrrbody.. lol

Here's a link just for fun and the dude has a pretty cool story

https://waybackandgone.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/kinugasa.jpg

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachio_Kinugasa

If I was single she could have an easy journey to my house

lol, j/k

http://thegrio.com/2009/10/14/the-crowning-of-nikole-churchill/


Hypocrisy reigns for critics of the first non-black Miss Hampton U
Opinion
by David A. Love | October 14, 2009 at 9:00 AM

The crowning of Nikole Churchill as the first non-black Miss Hampton University has caused a ruckus at the historically-black college and throughout the African-American community. Hampton alumni, bloggers, and callers into black radio talk shows are upset that Churchill, 22, was selected to fill a representative role for a traditionally black institution.

As a student at Hampton, Churchill was certainly eligible to compete and ultimately win the award. Any objections to her crowning that are based on her skin color are nothing less than hypocritical.

Churchill, who is from Hawaii, was selected to be Miss Hampton University from among 10 contestants. In addition to receiving a $1,500 scholarship, she will serve as the school’s homecoming queen and will compete in the 2010 Miss Virginia pageant.

Churchill’s mother is of Italian ancestry, and her father is from Guam. In a letter to President Obama – a fellow Hawaiian – the nursing major said that many Hampton students do not accept her crowning, and have made negative comments about her.

“It would be much easier to say that possibly some were not accepting of the news because I wasn’t the most qualified contestant; however, the true reason for the disapproval was because of the color of my skin. I am not African-American,” she told the president. “Despite the unfortunate beliefs that some are saying I should not have won, I am desperately trying to focus on those who believe in me and support me and my goal to represent this beautiful, multicultural campus the very best way that I can.”

Churchill later apologized to the Hampton University community for writing the letter.

No apology was necessary; black folks should be able to relate to Ms. Churchill’s situation. The black experience in America has been one of exclusion, of society questioning our abilities and qualifications. The troubling legacy of racial exclusion by white universities is why historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were founded in the first place.

When black students first integrated into the public schools and colleges, they were greeted with insults and death threats, and were ostracized until graduation day. Even today, people of color are still scrutinized. They are the object of suspicion at school and, in the workplace, their credentials and capabilities are questioned. America’s first black president won a fair election, despite race-baiting from his political opponents. Yet an entire segment of the population believes he is unqualified, illegitimate and unfit to serve.

Dr. Martin Luther King talked about the drum major instinct, which he described as “a need that some people have to feel superior. A need that some people have to feel that they are first, and to feel that their white skin ordained them to be first.” Sadly, the oppressed internalize their own oppression from time to time. In the past, this resulted in “paper bag tests” for admission to exclusive African-American organizations, or the denial of so-called “lower-class” black people. Then there were the lighter-skinned blacks who were able to pass for white and occasionally abandoned their darker family members for a full-fledged life in mainstream society.

Yet, the black community has always had a tradition of bringing in others and claiming them as their own. African-Americans, as longstanding victims of discrimination, are in a special position to show tolerance and inclusion. We can’t afford to do any less. Anyone who gets upset over Churchill’s victory has not learned the lessons of history.

It is fitting that Churchill has invited President Obama to come to Hampton to speak about diversity. Hopefully he will accept the offer, and allow a constructive dialogue to take root.

Just like this Japanese girl is "Ms. Japan" and not "Ms. Japanese"

From that perspective, I think that no one should be excluded, so long as they either attend Hampton or were born & raised in Japan.

or included. If folks want to get in their feelings so be it, but she didn't do anything wrong by entering (save for falling for some patriarchal nonsense, but I digress). If people see it as an attack on a category they were placed into by white supremacy-- that seems like the wrong side to fight for IMHO.

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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

ole girl in white is salty too

http://blackoncampus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/miss-hampton.jpg

And Ghana is probably a bad example (trying to think of a not very diverse black country), but Japan is like the least ethnically diverse country on the planet so it's not surprising.


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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

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"And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." ~ 2 Tim 2:4

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"And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." ~ 2 Tim 2:4

Naww she just need to come hangout with me, I got you all beat, I'm local, damn near right down the street from her.. hahah

that's what I'm doing at least

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"And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." ~ 2 Tim 2:4

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"And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." ~ 2 Tim 2:4

lusting the chick in the Geico commercial loving fools.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

But if she's got that wannabe cutesy girlish thing Japanese women tend to have then nahh.

Plenty of women here in Japan in that age range don't have that stereotypical cutesy look, only certain women here do that, not most.

the whole mouth covering when laughing, super docile kind of thing. I know it's the culture so I'm not knocking it, it's just not for me.

Ahhhh ok, I got cha. Plenty of non docile women here, there is a certain politeness for sure but not submissive, at least IMO.

If anything I would be tight because that can't be the best they could find to rep. Even amongst the mixed that's the best?

Ok I looked at the video. She got those yameens so she gets my vote. She def pretty but when I think beauty pageant I think of Vanessa Williams level and she aint THAT!

her size isn't an issue for me, but her shape looks strange.

Bring her back to America and have her making sukiyaki with the cache of kobe beef she brought back from Japan.

Basic problem is it's too one-sided... isn't there any positive press about her in Japan to report?

>Many people across the country are expressing their doubts
>that a “hafu” (the term for someone who is biracial)

first off that it puts it in the romajified version of the katakana word without referencing the fact that the word is our 'half,' which may not be clear to readers immediately.

'Half' is also not (usually) a derogatory term.

'Gaijin' also means 'outside person' only in the literal sense, as in the meaning of the ideograms; in practical usage it simply means 'foreigner.' So that's a bit disingenuous/alarmist.

>Some have said that she does not “look Japanese”

I agree.

I don't know that I would say she looks like anything in particular...

Also, that shouldn't be a problem in electing her as Miss Japan, of course.

>” A
>few are even complaining that Japan is not getting a
>“pure-blooded Japenese” girl to represent Japan.

No surprise.

>Japan is one of the least ethnically diverse countries, with
>98 percent of its people Japanese nationals,

She IS a Japanese national! Isn't she? Hmm, maybe not, the article doesn't say.

What they probably mean is 'ethnically 100% Japanese.' That's very different (though in general it is very hard to become a Japanese national if you are not of Japanese origin. unless you're a sumo rikishi.)

and there is
>generally a feeling that people of mixed lineage are not fully
>Japanese. Not only is Miyamoto’s father an American but he
>is also an African-American, compounding the problem of
>“foreign” and mixed-race negativity.

Eh, I don't know that there's increased negative perception about half-white versus half-Black. It's possible.

It's not that Japan doesn't have its set of hangups about what it means to be Japanese and/or represent Japan... it's just that the article doesn't do a good job of examining it in even the most basic terms.

"some people said some mean things on twitter" articles.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

>Basic problem is it's too one-sided... isn't there any
>positive press about her in Japan to report?
>
>>Many people across the country are expressing their doubts
>>that a “hafu” (the term for someone who is biracial)
>
>first off that it puts it in the romajified version of the
>katakana word without referencing the fact that the word is
>our 'half,' which may not be clear to readers immediately.
>
>'Half' is also not (usually) a derogatory term.
>
>'Gaijin' also means 'outside person' only in the literal
>sense, as in the meaning of the ideograms; in practical usage
>it simply means 'foreigner.' So that's a bit
>disingenuous/alarmist.
>
>>Some have said that she does not “look Japanese”
>
>I agree.
>
>I don't know that I would say she looks like anything in
>particular...
>
>Also, that shouldn't be a problem in electing her as Miss
>Japan, of course.
>
>>” A
>>few are even complaining that Japan is not getting a
>>“pure-blooded Japenese” girl to represent Japan.
>
>No surprise.
>
>>Japan is one of the least ethnically diverse countries, with
>>98 percent of its people Japanese nationals,
>
>She IS a Japanese national! Isn't she? Hmm, maybe not, the
>article doesn't say.
>
>What they probably mean is 'ethnically 100% Japanese.' That's
>very different (though in general it is very hard to become a
>Japanese national if you are not of Japanese origin. unless
>you're a sumo rikishi.)
>
>and there is
>>generally a feeling that people of mixed lineage are not
>fully
>>Japanese. Not only is Miyamoto’s father an American but he
>>is also an African-American, compounding the problem of
>>“foreign” and mixed-race negativity.
>
>Eh, I don't know that there's increased negative perception
>about half-white versus half-Black. It's possible.
>
>It's not that Japan doesn't have its set of hangups about what
>it means to be Japanese and/or represent Japan... it's just
>that the article doesn't do a good job of examining it in even
>the most basic terms.
>
>

The comment regarding her complexion in the comments section at thegrio was amusing. Most folks perhaps don't know that Japanese tan pretty dark, put the average light skinned black person to shame, lol


I came across some surfers at a coastal city in Japan and I was surprised at how dark they were.

old school traditional folks from all colors have a hard time letting go.

so yeah i can see why they dont like her

Naaahhh, just the fact that both her parents aren't Japanese is enough, she could look like the next Japanese woman in the competition, it wouldn't matter, some folks would still be salty.. shrug. Makes more sense in Japan than the hell that black folks catch in the U.S. on a regular basis.

Doesn't make it right either way though

Not that a couple people in japan are racist. Ppl in the us are the same way whenever we have a non white winner. Let's not act like this is proof of how xenophobic japan is. Though they have their issues, who doesn't?

Them darker people with thicker hair in the mountains.

BTW the original Philippines and Cambodia were inhabited by Aboriginal aka BLACK people misnomer negrito.

>Them darker people with thicker hair in the mountains.

are actually frequently viewed as 'whiter' or more Caucasian in appearance than ethnic Japanese, not darker.

And they're indigenous to Hokkaido, and formerly NE Honshu.

where's waldo?

a few people praly said it on Twitter, then it become what a whole bunch of peole said or what the majority is saying

Mos definitely, she has quite a bit of support in Japan, just a vocal minority are unhappy. The news media likes to promote the drama stories... SMH