The Nagasaki beauty has taken the world by storm.
You’re looking at the name Ariana Miyamoto and wondering just who this woman is.
Wonder no more you wonderful people, because here are five things you need to know about the Japanese beauty queen who’s making headlines around the world by battling racial discrimination in her home country.
1. She is the first ever mixed-race woman to win the ‘Miss Japan’ beauty pageant title
She was born to a Japanese mother and an African American father, but has unfortunately endured racist abuse since winning the title.
2. She moved back to the States with her father when her parents divorced
Just after finishing elementary school in Japan, her parents divorced and she moved to Jacksonville, Arkansas with her father.
She attended Jacksonville High School and after that she worked as a bartender.
This isn’t her below, but it’s a damn impressive bartender all the same.
3. She entered the Miss Japan contest to fight against racial prejudice
Her friend committed suicide over abuse for being of mixed-race descent.
When she won the beauty contest, there was a backlash in Japan on social media, with some saying it should have gone to a ‘pure Japanese’ person.
4. She was racially abused as a child in Japan
She told CBS News in a recent interview that other children would throw garbage at her or tell her not to touch them for fear that her darker skin would rub off on them.
Although she speaks Japanese and was raised Japanese, there are unfortunately many in Japan who view her as not Japanese enough to deserve the crown.
5. She wants to start a revolution
Arianna wants a revolution against racism in Japan. She will use her platform representing Japan in the 2016 Miss Universe contest to champion her cause.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, she said “I think there will be a lot of mixed-race children in the future and we need to create an environment where they can grow up free from prejudice.”
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