“There have been racial barriers, and it has been challenging to be accepted as Japanese.”

That’s what a tearful Carolina Shiino said in impeccable Japanese after she was crowned Miss Japan on Monday.

The 26-year-old model, who was born in Ukraine, moved to Japan at the age of five and was raised in Nagoya.

She is the first naturalised Japanese citizen to win the pageant, but her victory has re-ignited a debate on what it means to be Japanese.

While some recognised her victory as a “sign of the times”, others have said she does not look like what a “Miss Japan” should.

      • @[email protected]
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        205 months ago

        Whitewashing… you keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.

        White washing means to attempt to change history to make something seem less bad than it actually was, or who someone was.

        Do you mean cultural appropriation? Though saying it like that kinda damns your point of view.

          • @[email protected]
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            105 months ago

            Oh golly, please amalgamate a term for it right now. You’re clearly the best person for the job with your enlightened (read: narrow) view of race.

            • @[email protected]M
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              15 months ago

              Removed under rule 5:

              Rule 5: Keep it civil. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (perjorative, perjorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (perjorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect!

              • @[email protected]
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                45 months ago

                Why do you give such a fuck about this? When we say someone is “American” it just means they live here. The same should go for every other country.

                You’re just a racist troll.