Tokyo (AFP) - Ariana Miyamoto
entered the Miss Universe Japan beauty contest after a mixed-race friend
committed suicide. And she endured abuse after winning the crown
because of her skin colour.
Far
from being put off by the backlash, Miyamoto resolved to use her
new-found fame to help fight racial prejudice -- in much the same way
British supermodel Naomi Campbell broke down cultural barriers in the
fashion industry a generation ago.
"I'm stubborn," said Miyamoto, the daughter of a Japanese mother and black American father, who turned 21 on Tuesday.
"I was prepared for the
criticism. I'd be lying to say it didn't hurt at all. I'm Japanese -- I
stand up and bow when I answer the phone. But that criticism did give me
extra motivation," she told AFP in an interview.
"I
didn't feel any added pressure because the reason I took part in the
pageant was my friend's death. My goal was to raise awareness of racial
discrimination," added Miyamoto, who was bullied as a schoolgirl growing
up in the port town of Sasebo, near Nagasaki.
"Now I have a great platform to
deliver that message as the first black Miss Universe Japan. It's always
hard to be the first, so in that respect what Naomi Campbell did was
really amazing."
Social
media lit up after Miyamoto's victory in March, many critics complaining
the title should have gone to what they called a "pure" Japanese,
rather than a "haafu" (the Japanese pronunciation of "half", a word used
to describe mixed race).
Miyamoto, who turns heads in Japan with her caramel skin and height of 1.73 m (5 ft 8 ins), admitted she has had to toughen up.
"I
used to get bullied as a kid but I've got mentally stronger, to protect
myself," said the model, whose first language is Japanese, screwing up
her nose in mock horror when handed an English menu by a waitress.
"When
I was small I stood out and always felt I had to fit in with everyone.
I'd try not to bring attention to myself, but now I say what I feel. I
do things my own way.
