In March 2015 Ariana Miyamoto became the first half-black Japanese woman to be named Miss Japan. This video feature by Al Jazeera America explores the varied reactions to a mixed-race woman, or what the Japanese refer to as a “hafu”, being crowned Miss Japan.
“I don’t think the equivalent word for ‘hafu’ exists overseas; but in Japan, you need that word to explain who you are.” — Ariana Miyamoto
Furthermore, the video communicates to viewers the often misused and mislead power of assigning meaning to bodies and outward appearances as opposed to acknowledging individuals’ ethnicities or nationalities .
“My appearance isn’t Asian, but I believe I’m very much Japanese on the inside.” — Ariana Miyamoto
This piece connects well with our discussion of what it means to talk about race, how we use or misuse the term ‘race’ to assign meaning, and the significance of the language we use in race-talk.
http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/live-news/2015/9/miss-japan-challenges-the-norm.html
Thanks for posting, Olivia! It’s really interesting to see how racial discrimination manifests outside the scope of the US, especially in a starkly homogenous society like Japan. The video reminded me of Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014, who’s the first woman of Indian descent to be crowned. She went through similar criticism and bullying as the nation scrutinized her racial identity and nationality, often resorting to offensive stereotypes, inaccurate assumptions, and ignorant accusations of terrorist affiliations.
Both of these cases highlight the power of racial bias in our behavior towards and our perception of others; regardless of a lack of biological basis, race has been used to differentiate people for most of human history. Precisely because we have attached millions of meanings to each race, we have made it a real, significant aspect of our lives.