Mike Vulpo, E Online, March 23, 2015

Instead of celebrating her crown, Ariana Miyamoto is already finding the need to defend it.

Japan’s newest Miss Universe contestant broke barriers when she was recently chosen to represent her country. But because the 20-year-old is the daughter of a Japanese woman and an African-American man from the United States, some are questioning whether she is Japanese enough to hold the title.

According to Japanese websites, comments on Twitter ranged from, “Is it okay to select a hafu to represent Japan?” to “Because this is Miss Universe Japan, don’t you think hafu are a no-no.” “Hafu” (from “half”) is a Japanese term used to refer to someone who is biracial.

In an interview with press, Miyamoto insisted that while she doesn’t “look Japanese” on the outside, on the inside, there are many Japanese things about her.

In addition to being born and raised Nagasaki, the young adult also is a Japanese citizen who speaks the language fluently.

While some critics have been vocal about their hopes of having another contestant take her spot, most have shown their support for the newly crowned beauty queen.

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