A half-Indian woman was last Monday crowned Miss Japan, the second year in a row a biracial person has won the beauty pageant.
上周一,一名有着1/2印度血统的女性获得了“日本小姐”选美冠军,这是连续第二年混血儿在选美大赛中获胜。
Priyanka Yoshikawa, 22 and who also has an elephant training license, said she would use her win to "change perceptions".
今年22岁的吉川·普里安卡还拥有大象训练执照,她表示自己会用她的获胜来“感变人们的认知”。
Last year's Miss Japan, Ariana Miyamoto was the first mixed-race person to win the pageant. Critics complained then that a "pure" Japanese should have won.
去年的日本小姐宫本·亚丽安娜是首次摘取该桂冠的混血儿。当时就有批评者抱怨称,日本小姐应该由“纯”日本人做代表。
"We are Japanese," Ms Yoshikawa told news outlet AFP. "Yes, my dad is Indian and I'm proud of it, I'm proud that I have Indian in me. But that doesn't mean I'm not Japanese."
吉川在接受法新社采访时表示:“没错,我的父亲是印度人,而且我为此自豪,我自豪于我体内的印度血脉。但是这并不代表我不是日本人。”
She credited her win to Ms Miyamoto, saying she had helped show "mixed girls the way".
她将她的获胜归功于宫本·亚丽安娜,并表示是宫本激励了“混血女孩”。
"Before Ariana, haafu girls couldn't represent Japan," said Ms Yoshikawa. "That's what I thought too. Ariana encouraged me a lot by showing me and all mixed girls the way."
吉川说道:“在宫本获胜之前,混血女孩不能代表日本,我也曾对这个想法深信不疑。宫本的事迹激励了我,以及很多像她一样的混血女孩。”
"I know a lot of people who are haafu and suffer," she said. "When I came back to Japan, everyone thought I was a germ."
她说:“我知道很多混血儿遭遇到很多不公。当我回到日本时,许多人当我是病毒一样的存在。”
"Like if they touched me they would be touching something bad. But I'm thankful because that made me really strong."
“他们接触我的时候就像碰到了什么不好的东西。但是我对此表示感激,因为恰恰是这令我变的更为坚强。”
The pageant winner, also an avid kick-boxer and qualified elephant trainer, said that she hoped to change perceptions.
这位选美冠军同样热衷搏击,还是一位专业训象师,她希望自己能改变人们的看法。
"When I'm abroad, people never ask me what mix I am. As Miss Japan, hopefully I can help change perceptions so that it can be the same here too."
吉川表示:“我在国外的时候,没人问我是哪里的混血,作为日本小姐,我希望能够改变日本对混血的偏见。这样人们也就能慢慢接受。”
Ms Yoshikawa's win did not trigger the backlash that Ms Miyamoto received on social media. There were however, several on Twitter that expressed unhappiness.
吉川的胜利,并未像去年宫本的获胜那样,在社交媒体上引发强烈的不满。不过,还是有推特用户表示了不快。
"It's like we're saying a pure Japanese face can't be a winner," said one user.
一网友说道:“看起来好像我们纯正的日本面孔就不可能是赢家。”
"What's the point of holding a pageant like this now? Zero national characteristics," another complained.
另一人抱怨说:“这样的选美有什么意义,选出来的人一点民族代表性都没有。”