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Ariana Miyamoto wins Miss Universe Japan

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Remember when Mari Nakagawa represented Japan for Asia's Top Model?

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^She doesn't do anything for me. But I guess most professional models don't, they're mostly too thin with really similar facial features.

Miyamoto is pretty gorgeous though.
 
That doesn't sound like a very definitive answer...

Either way, being born and raised in Nagasaki most likely means that she identifies more with Japan than her father's homeland. Hard to say for certain, though..

My son is Canadian. He was born here. He lives here.This is his country. I was born in india. I consider my self Canadian too. Other then his skin colour he does not have anything to do with india.

Yeah, I just want to point out that Ariana also has, at the very least, some tangential connection to America; after completing middle school she "went to USA to complete her studies". So I don't think we can say for certain that she doesn't identify with the US at all.

But again, it would depend on the person as to the cultures they end up connecting to.
 
Yeah, I just want to point out that Ariana also has, at the very least, some tangential connection to America; after completing middle school she "went to USA to complete her studies". So I don't think we can say for certain that she doesn't identify with the US at all.

But again, it would depend on the person as to the cultures they end up connecting to.

...

So is Utada Hikaru American?

I don't get why this is even being brought up. She was born in Japan, she is Japanese. As well as being American, if she so chooses to be. Dual nationalities shouldn't stop people from feeling whole in either. She is no less Japanese just because she went to study in the US after middle school nor because her Dad wasn't Japanese.
 
Why is it strange? People identify how they want to. My dad and his parents love the Italian American stuff. I don't care for it because I don't identify with it beyond joking about an inner Jersey guido or what have you. I disregard it, in other words. Not ashamed, just a lack of pride because I don't care either way. My sister embraces the Italian American "heritage" fully.

I don't think either of us is objectively right or normal. When a person makes a choice not out of shame or desire to belong to group, but just based on what they feel is important or not, I don't see the strangeness.

Embrace the pizza ascendants bro!
 
Are her parents not married since she has a Japanese familiy name? Just curious.

Good question. Since she's from Nagasaki, I'd say there's a good chance her father was stationed at Sasebo and bailed after shit got real. It's unfirtunate, but it happens a lot around the bases here. I know that's an extremely presumptuous response on my part, but considering I actually know several people and have several students where this is the case, I wouldn't be surprised if it's true.
 
I thought it was pretty clear that I wasn't only talking about appearance. I'm sure that someone who totally looked Japanese, sounded Japanese and acted Japanese would have trouble in certain situations with landlords who had a no foreigner policy.
Basically both of you are saying it's both. You have to look Japanes and be Japanese or you will suffer racism. Got it.
 
Basically both of you are saying it's both. You have to look Japanes and be Japanese or you will suffer racism. Got it.

That's what it seems like in my experience. I'll get to see first hand how life is for a person who is essentially Japanese (my two sons) despite looking different (they are both half Japanese). They will also be influenced by myself, an Australian so even though I don't personally think that that detracts from their "Japaneseness" it will undoubtedly make them stand out in the way they view things, being opinionated, etc.

Not how I feel about it at all. I believe that even if one of your parents is from a different culture that the fact you live here, go through the education system here and are constantly surrounded by other Japanese people, etc should be more than enough to make you 100% Japanese.
 
Sucks that she has to deal with people saying she shouldn't represent Japan because she isn't pureblooded Japanese or some bullshit like that

oh hello racists in Kotaku comments
I wonder if they feel the same way about a white woman representing America.
 
Cute girl, tbh her contenders would maybe profit from sunbathing instead of 'being white'. That Asian norm is a bit outdated.

Anyway racism is bad, you have stuff like that in Europe too. Fact is that the best Miss gets selected.
 
That's what it seems like in my experience. I'll get to see first hand how life is for a person who is essentially Japanese (my two sons) despite looking different (they are both half Japanese). They will also be influenced by myself, an Australian so even though I don't personally think that that detracts from their "Japaneseness" it will undoubtedly make them stand out in the way they view things, being opinionated, etc.

Not how I feel about it at all. I believe that even if one of your parents is from a different culture that the fact you live here, go through the education system here and are constantly surrounded by other Japanese people, etc should be more than enough to make you 100% Japanese.
It's not going to happen in a homogenous culture(whatever 100% means). Also are you suggesting they're not at all Australian? It's awesome to be a part of multiple cultures and it would be a shame for them to be raised without being aware of both.
 
You know what they mean - same shit that this woman is facing in Japan. It is racism mixed with multiculturalism with a dash of political correctness to make it less bitter.

Edit: Not to say that multiculturalism is bad - but it is often used as a justification for telling someone they can't be x because they are y. Multiculturalism should be about taking many different cultures and making them your own, not telling people what they can't be because they are also something else.

that is my point. Every single day some one mentions oh you are Indian so this and that. Every Single day. This are not new people either they know me at job at market. I grew up here my son is Canadian yet they will ask question about politics to rape to everything like i am Indian and i should be responsible for those answer.
When you play sports they say hey you are suppose to play cricket. When I say I have one kid only they say how many more are coming there are one billion there. Every day something happens. One guy seriously asked and this is in office that how come you don't have more than one wife it is very common right in india?
I am going to start asking each person mentioning my indianess their background. If they say Canadian I will tell them if you are not native you are not from this point. just ask them where their forefathers where from and once i know i am never mentioning them as Canadian.

Example from one week before. I literally walk without any heavy jacket in -20c no problem. I am used to it. Weak ago i was not feeling well. Temperature was in positives at this point but i bundled up. First comment in the office was " It is too for you guys eh!. IT is not this cold in india. Get used to this cold" . Could he not see that i was not feeling well and just said hey man not feeling well? Above all this are the guys that bitch and moan about winter all year long. Go to vacation to cuba. While I have never said single word about it because by mistake if i say it is too cold i am sure i will be reminded of why i feel cold.

one day i will be happy if they actually comment on me being me rather than everything about be making it relevant to my ethnicity. Sorry for rant. This is getting off topic.
 
It's not going to happen in a homogenous culture(whatever 100% means). Also are you suggesting they're not at all Australian? It's awesome to be a part of multiple cultures and it would be a shame for them to be raised without being aware of both.

Homogenous doesn't have to mean that they can't be accepting, though.

I am going to raise them as Australian and to make sure they know about my country of birth. I just don't see why that will detract from how Japanese they are in the eyes of many.

I don't know about anyone else but for me, if I meet someone in Australia and they say they intend to live there long term and have been there a couple of years, then they are Australian.

that is my point. Every single day some one mentions oh you are Indian so this and that. Every Single day. This are not new people either they know me at job at market. I grew up here my son is Canadian yet they will ask question about politics to rape to everything like i am Indian and i should be responsible for those answer.
When you play sports they say hey you are suppose to play cricket. When I say I have one kid only they say how many more are coming there are one billion there. Every day something happens. One guy seriously asked and this is in office that how come you don't have more than one wife it is very common right in india?
I am going to start asking each person mentioning my indianess their background. If they say Canadian I will tell them if you are not native you are not from this point. just ask them where their forefathers where from and once i know i am never mentioning them as Canadian.

Example from one week before. I literally walk without any heavy jacket in -20c no problem. I am used to it. Weak ago i was not feeling well. Temperature was in positives at this point but i bundled up. First comment in the office was " It is too for you guys eh!. IT is not this cold in india. Get used to this cold" . Could he not see that i was not feeling well and just said hey man not feeling well? Above all this are the guys that bitch and moan about winter all year long. Go to vacation to cuba. While I have never said single word about it because by mistake if i say it is too cold i am sure i will be reminded of why i feel cold.

one day i will be happy if they actually comment on me being me rather than everything about be making it relevant to my ethnicity. Sorry for rant. This is getting off topic.

That's fucked up. I wouldn't have expected that kind of treatment in Canada based on my (limited) knowledge of the country.
 
No- she is Japanese. I think that is the point of the thread. Genetically she is half African American and half Japanese- but culturally she identifies as being Japanese. Culture trumps genetics.

Anyways, I just asked my wife - who is Japanese- what she thought of it. She said is is strange and makes her feel weird because she is not fully Japanese- that it isn't fair because she is half. This is the mother of a biracial child saying this might I add.

I didnt want to fight with her about it, but after I asked she said if we had a daughter that wanted to be in a pagent, then she wouldn't want her to represent Japan.

Dude I'm sure your wife is fine in many ways but consider this as a critical weakness that could negatively influence any daughters you have in the future.

The world is tough enough to deal with. Having parents who even subconsciously undermine their kids is beyond pointless.


Based on just looks I'd place her in the bottom 3 of all the contestants with Tokyo at #1.

I don't find her significantly attractive but bottom 3? You're fucking blind. She's easily top 3.

I'm not going to diss on the women who are clearly bottom 5 but you're still wrong.
 
Cute girl, tbh her contenders would maybe profit from sunbathing instead of 'being white'. That Asian norm is a bit outdated.

Anyway racism is bad, you have stuff like that in Europe too. Fact is that the best Miss gets selected.

You're going to have to explain that first paragraph.
 
Homogenous doesn't have to mean that they can't be accepting, though.

I am going to raise them as Australian and to make sure they know about my country of birth. I just don't see why that will detract from how Japanese they are in the eyes of many.
Unless they were abandoned at birth most half children are in a unique position and will have different experiences than the average kid. Pointing that out or being inquisitive is not malicious.
Basically imo, harassment and prejudice against say, someone who's mother is a Korean immigrant = heinous racism. A white guy whining about not being 100% inconspicuous in an Asian country after 10 years = whatever.
I mean how much of an actual handicap is people noticing your heritage for people?
 
Unless they were abandoned at birth most half children are in a unique position and will have different experiences than the average kid. Pointing that out or being inquisitive is not malicious.
Basically imo, harassment and prejudice against say, someone who's mother is a Korean immigrant = heinous racism. A white guy whining about not being 100% inconspicuous in an Asian country after 10 years = whatever.
I mean how much of an actual handicap is people noticing your heritage for people?

I'm not claiming that it's serious racism or anything. If it isn't evident from the tone of my posts, I actually don't really give a fuck and fully intend to try to guide my kids through any form of teasing or bullying, be it about their race, or any other thing that a kid will use to make fun of another kid, in a way that it helps them be stronger and more confident for it. I think that hardship can be a great way to build character.

That being said I'm not talking about my own situation except as an example of a situation. We are discussing this on a message board so I'm totally talking about an imaginary point at which the ideal situation is reached. I would also totally agree that the position of those Japanese of Korean and Chinese descent should be the first priority for any change of attitude.
 
...

So is Utada Hikaru American?

I don't get why this is even being brought up. She was born in Japan, she is Japanese. As well as being American, if she so chooses to be. Dual nationalities shouldn't stop people from feeling whole in either. She is no less Japanese just because she went to study in the US after middle school nor because her Dad wasn't Japanese.

It's funny you mention Utada Hikaru, because even she, with two Japanese parents, occasionally got treated differently and joked about for being "kikokushijo" or a returnee from abroad.

It's pretty obvious why this is brought up and it's because a lot of people have a pretty narrow definition of what makes someone Japanese. When someone has the option to choose either or, then it makes me who don't know that person question their Japaneseness. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but as long as we have things like nationality-based identities, I don't see it changing.

Are her parents not married since she has a Japanese familiy name? Just curious.

There's no requirement for a woman to change her last name in a marriage. In fact, my wife kept her last name, because we didn't really see the point in changing it, and my son has her last name on his Japanese passport and mine on his American passport.

I know a few couples who have done the same, although this does seem to be more of a recent trend and perhaps not something that would've been common 20 years ago.
 
It's funny you mention Utada Hikaru, because even she, with two Japanese parents, occasionally got treated differently and joked about for being "kikokushijo" or a returnee from abroad.

It's pretty obvious why this is brought up and it's because a lot of people have a pretty narrow definition of what makes someone Japanese. When someone has the option to choose either or, then it makes me who don't know that person question their Japaneseness. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but as long as we have things like nationality-based identities, I don't see it changing.

Look, the point is, this is a very outdated view that is hurtful to people. There are people who can deal with being told they are not like the rest of others, but especially in a place like Japan it would be hard to speak out as it is.

It's just a sense of pride really. The fact that even in the UK people have issues with identity means that in Japan it must definitely feel worse since they have a need to label people in almost every conversation.

Utada Hikaru is no more Japanese than this girl who won this pageant. Can't we simply agree that anyone who complains is a piece of shit? There is no other side of the argument that makes sense.

I mean shit, even when people are outside of their country, they care about their identity. At the very least I don't get the "where are you really from" in Japan, which is a pleasant surprise. But the number of times that people say that you can't be British or French or whatever if you a black, and thus you would have to be African happens today and it's awful. Worse, I went to school with a girl who had one Chinese parent and people referred to her as Chinese, stereotypes included. It pissed her off.

There is no way this stuff doesn't happen in Japan, is even worse, and is harder to speak out about. And "you don't understand because you are not Japanese" would be the worst thing to hear and I see it in these blogs all the time. God forbid my child will grow up to be a little different and assertive, have different hobbies from the masses, and is branded that it is all because her blood isn't pure.

EDIT: Oh apparently 2014 was also Nagasaki, whoa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eA-N_LZJb6o

Dunno if that video is posted, but you can see her win from 25:00 onwards
 
Look, the point is, this is a very outdated view that is hurtful to people. There are people who can deal with being told they are not like the rest of others, but especially in a place like Japan it would be hard to speak out as it is.

"Outdated view" is a fine thing to say while arguing over the Internet, but I don't know how many people will relate with the idea in the real world. Humans are tribal and love to draw lines. It really is just in our nature and I don't think it can get better while we have nations and clearly defined boundaries. We need our Star Trek future to finally unite, but then we'd just hate on the non-Earthlings.

It's just a sense of pride really. The fact that even in the UK people have issues with identity means that in Japan it must definitely feel worse since they have a need to label people in almost every conversation.

Utada Hikaru is no more Japanese than this girl who won this pageant. Can't we simply agree that anyone who complains is a piece of shit? There is no other side of the argument that makes sense.

No, I think I'll pass on that one. You're just drawing lines in a different way.

I mean shit, even when people are outside of their country, they care about their identity. At the very least I don't get the "where are you really from" in Japan, which is a pleasant surprise.

Pleasant surprise? They still ask you where you're from and the underlying sentiment is the same: "you can't be from here with looks like that." Sure, it may hurt more coming from people in your home country, but it's really the same.

Worse, I went to school with a girl who had one Chinese parent and people referred to her as Chinese, stereotypes included. It pissed her off.

Yes, this kind of stuff is still common in the United States, which is supposed to some beacon of multiculturalism on Earth. I don't think it's realistic to expect better of mostly homogenous cultures.

There is no way this stuff doesn't happen in Japan, is even worse, and is harder to speak out about. And "you don't understand because you are not Japanese" would be the worst thing to hear and I see it in these blogs all the time. God forbid my child will grow up to be a little different and assertive, have different hobbies from the masses, and is branded that it is all because her blood isn't pure.

That's the thing, even to this day, conformity is valued highly in Japanese culture. Sure, things are changing gradually, but it's still very much a "fall in line or be ostracized." type of thing.

If anything I assume this competition has similar judges to the international competition. It's a good thing, because I doubt if Miss Universe Japan were not an international competition she would ever be allowed to win since this girl doesn't "look" Japanese. Until that can happen, there is still xenophobia.

EDIT: Oh apparently 2014 was also Nagasaki, whoa.

Lofty goals, but Japan is absolutely still a country by and for the Japanese and since mixed race or non-ethnic Japanese citizens are still pretty rare, it's hard to expect that people will readily recognize as being part of the same group at first glance.
 
No, I think I'll pass on that one. You're just drawing lines in a different way.

jennifer-lawrence-oh-yeah-thumbs-up.gif


Since people aren't complaining she was schooled in the US for a period of time, and that she has a drop of black blood in her, they are simply racist.

I mean don't get me wrong, my partner is very apologist for Japanese racism too and she hates that I bring this up, but I will definitely not back down once if I have a kid and they return being told racist things.

Pointing out that the US still has racism prevalent doesn't make it okay and excuse ignorance in Japan.

No shit that half-anything doesn't look fully Japanese, and people will ask if they are foreign, but people are complaining about her winning even though she is Japanese. If she was denied entrance for the same reasons they are complaining, it would be complete bullshit. I mean, considering our understanding of genetics, we all have common ancestors anyway.

--

As for the "Pleasant Surprise" bit, I mean they aren't second-guessing when I say I am English. Which, you know, happens in England. "Where are you from" is not a question I like answering with ethnicity because then people say "have you been to Jamaica, do you speak Greek?" etc. I have heard it enough. Though I am mixed enough that I get mistaken for being half in Japan, which I find funny since I don't speak fluent Japanese, but that's far besides the point.

but Japan is absolutely still a country by and for the Japanese

Are you saying, even slightly implying, that you accept your half-child to not be Japanese?
 
Are you saying, even slightly implying, that you accept your half-child to not be Japanese?

No, of course he's Japanese, just like Ariana is. Thankfully we have laws that guarantee his status and (theoretically) prevent overt discrimination.

That's not going to stop people in both countries (U.S. and Japan in my case) from questioning his origin and identity. I'm optimistic that things will get better as time goes on, but it's not going to change over night. Personally, I'm not willing to condemn people and dehumanize them as "pieces of shit" simply for their ignorance. If they act on that ignorance in a malicious or violent way, then that's a different story, of course.

Pointing out that the US still has racism prevalent doesn't make it okay and excuse ignorance in Japan.

I think it should make it easier to understand to a reasonable person. If even the best example we have of multiculturalism is still rife with ignorance and racism, then how can we expect a homogenous country that values conformity to be somehow more enlightened? Humans are going to be human in the end.
 
No, of course he's Japanese, just like Ariana is. Thankfully we have laws that guarantee his status and (theoretically) prevent overt discrimination.

It's more to do with mental peace, if anything. I am desperately trying to find the blog post from years back, but the point is that mixed-race people eventually come across identity crisis like you wouldn't believe. I don't feel as if people are racist for it, but it's not accepting. My very limited experience of ignorance since I am from the UK makes me very weary about how it would be for a child of mine in any other country. The thought that the child is more accepting if they happen to look the part to fit into a culture is definitely not ideal.

That's not going to stop people in both countries (U.S. and Japan in my case) from questioning his origin and identity. I'm optimistic that things will get better as time goes on, but it's not going to change over night. Personally, I'm not willing to condemn people and dehumanize them as "pieces of shit" simply for their ignorance. If they act on that ignorance in a malicious or violent way, then that's a different story, of course.

Well questioning, up until he tells them, is not really an issue. As I said, my issue with this is that it is clear Ariana is happy to be Miss Universe Japan, representing Japan, as a Japanese girl. People trying to take that away from her to that they can, what, claim that she doesn't belong for being a bit black are either not thinking or are racist.

Ignorance, of course, won't make me hate anyone. I have said before in this very thread, it's not the individuals specifically, but the racial-profiliing in TV and the media's lack of interest in address to the public that these "ha-fus" are just Japanese.

I think it should make it easier to understand to a reasonable person. If even the best example we have of multiculturalism is still rife with ignorance and racism, then how can we expect a homogenous country that values conformity to be somehow more enlightened? Humans are going to be human in the end.

That's not a good stance to have in my opinion. Having that stance with anything is an excuse against change.

"If a country like the UK still has issues with gender equality, how can we expect a more traditional society to not have rampant sexism?"

I am not on a personal mission to improve Japan, or a better way to say it, change culture there, but immigrant workers are eventually going to be living there long enough to have children. Over time, people will be more accepting as the face of the average Japanese may change within the next half-decade or so. It won't be me that fights and mixed-raced people are treated there and identified, but it certaintly won't be apologist that do any favours.

I dunno, maybe we should meet halfway and call them "locals"? /s

If you son doesn't want to be told he is not Japanese, it shouldn't just be laws and the fact that he has a passport to be his justification. If at any point in his life he feels an issue people treating him different because of his skin colour, hair, or whatever your Son has that looks non-Japanese, I hope he learns that they are being racist and not making sense.

We are not talking about people from different cultures coming over and expecting their culture to be accepted, Japan is not the sort of place that can really handle that anyway, but afro-hair, natural curls and different skin-tones is Human.
 
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