Miss Universe Japan Ariana Miyamoto Faces Controversy for Not Being Japanese Enough

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 a black man from America, some are questioning whether she really 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 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 can speak the language fluently.

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