A beauty queen has once again re-ignited a debate on what it means to be Japanese.

“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.

    • WraithGear@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      10 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.

    • clgoh@lemmy.caEnglish
      131·
      10 months ago

      If she was of African origin, would it be whitewashing?

      • Schmidtster@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        124·
        10 months ago

        There would have to be a term amalgamated, but by the essence of the definition, yes. You would be altering something in favor of another race/ethnicity.

        • yuriy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          9·
          10 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.

          • jordanlund@lemmy.worldMEnglish
            1·
            10 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!

          • Schmidtster@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
            110·
            10 months ago

            It’s racist for pointing out that “Japanese” means something? “(Native) American” means something? And to bring white washing to light?

            The hypocrites on Lemmy is astounding…

            • Zahille7@lemmy.worldEnglish
              4·
              10 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.

            • clgoh@lemmy.caEnglish
              21·
              10 months ago

              Your whole discourse is about race purity. Of course it is racist.