Race is based off what heritage you link back to, while ethnicity is the learned cultural behaviors of a certain region. This means because Miyamoto is half African American and half Japanese, her race is African-American and Japanese, while her ethnicity is Japanese because she was born and raised in Japan.
According to NY Times:
Ms. Miyamoto is one of only a tiny handful of “hafu,” or Japanese of mixed race, to win a major beauty pageant in proudly homogeneous Japan. And she is the first half-black woman ever to do so.
Ms. Miyamoto’s victory wins her the right to represent Japan on the global stage at the international Miss Universe pageant expected in January. She said she hoped that her appearance — and better yet, a victory — would push more Japanese to accept hafu. However, she said, Japan may have a long way to go.
Even after her victory in the national competition, local journalists have had a hard time accepting her as Japanese.
“The reporters always ask me, ‘What part of you is most like a Japanese?’ ” said Ms. Miyamoto, who has the long legs of a foreign supermodel, but shares the same shy self-reserve of many other young Japanese women. “I always answer, ‘But I am a Japanese.’
“I had hoped winning Miss Universe Japan would make them notice that,” she added.
With her parents |
That experience has driven her to use her pageant victory as a soapbox for raising awareness about the difficulties faced by mixed-race citizens in a country that still regards itself as mono-ethnic.
“Even today, I am usually seen not as a Japanese but as a foreigner. At restaurants, people give me an English menu and praise me for being able to eat with chopsticks,” said Ms. Miyamoto, who spoke in her native Japanese and is an accomplished calligrapher of Japanese-Chinese characters. “I want to challenge the definition of being Japanese.”
With her younger brother BJ |
Hmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteBut shes pwetty sha
I tell you
DeleteTell them
DeleteWOW! Amber Rose Goes Topless in Sexy New Pool Snap(SEE HERE)
Dis is coll, and great. I wish them well.
DeleteFine girl, I hope gets what she seeks. Linda take note!
DeleteShe is so cute
DeleteThis girl be tripping.. No offence but if Your father black then You Black! Be proud of your black heritage, talking bout "am japanese", at best she's 'blackanese'
DeleteAw the also face this racist shit?? Hummm * I siddon dey look*
ReplyDeleteShe's pretty
DeleteAw they also face this racist shit?? Hummm * I siddon dey look*
ReplyDelete*SMH - Na real wa!!*
ReplyDeleteShe's so cute.
ReplyDelete~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA
She has right to compete since she is a Japanese whether Black or White.... Get latest news
ReplyDeleteAren't they stupid? They shud be happy that a beauty like her is representing them. Ugly ass mofos😬
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't look like them tho! But if she says she is Jap why not accept her for who she wants to be!.......Pple jst like drama!
ReplyDeleteShe's beautiful #onelovefromsnow#
ReplyDeleteEven success could not change their racist behaviour. What a people!
ReplyDeleteLovely young lady. Nice one, she should continue to raise awareness.
ReplyDeleteWow those legs tho. They should chill, their reasons r baseless. She's Japanese!
ReplyDeleteThey better accapt and move on
ReplyDeleteHaba now they look like Japanese tho
ReplyDeleteOkay
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't even look mixed race to me
ReplyDeleteShe's such a beautiful girl and f**k all japanese
ReplyDeleteand their racist short d**k.
Have u seen a Japanese d**k before? There are some big ones out there. Get in touch I can help you out.
DeleteLmfao! This is serious !
DeletePretty geh looks sorta like Beyonce's coz
ReplyDeleteRacism is really bad.
ReplyDeleteDo she have to struggle?...she already a citizen by birth...Bj lol
ReplyDeleteBlack is a superior gene. According to Kunta Kinte. "Wether you are high yellow. A drop of black blood makes you black"
ReplyDeleteHer mom is so beautiful
ReplyDeleteFine girl.This African gene is just too good when it is mixed.Whatever race it is being mixed with comes out great.
ReplyDeleteTrue talk joo
DeleteLol@peoples comment...especially short dick and another who wants to enlighten people about happened enigma dicks...
ReplyDeleteHer brother looks more Japanese than her...mayb if she dates a white Japanese that will help her....
Nawa ooooooo, even success can not convince them....... she is really pretty thou.
ReplyDeleteDe girl beautiful nah
ReplyDeleteShe is beautiful
ReplyDeleteshe looks good
ReplyDeleteAnybody dat is against Black ppl. Am Against dem too. Japanese girls that r Skinny like 1 stick of broom... Mordafuckers
ReplyDeleteWhat you've written here about race is confusing. There are only three races: black, white and Asian. You're on point about heritage and ethnicity though. I've seen a lot of blasians, and she's one of the few who's physical appearance doesn't capture a more balanced mixture of the two. She looks more black and white to me. Good luck to her and her commendable mission. No more suffering in silence for blasians in Japan.
ReplyDeleteWhy does her dad look like Forest Whitaker..? Her mom is so beautiful, doesn't even look like a pure Japanese as well
ReplyDeleteShe does not look Japanese, like AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteShe's beautiful
ReplyDeleteCutie don't mind them
ReplyDeletePls accept her
ReplyDeleteGAIJIN DRAMA
ReplyDeleteTHE JAPANESE ARE AS RACISTS AS IT GETS