Translator: Chryssa R. Takahashi Reviewer: Claire Ghyselen
What is your identity?
I was asked this question in every interview
after I won the title of Miss World Japan, in 2016.
I had guessed there would be some kind of reaction to my winning,
but I hadn't expected this question.
But this was not the beginning of my story.
As I was forced to answer this question,
I remembered my journey to figure out who I really was.
I did not enter Miss World Japan to prove that I was Japanese.
I wanted to challenge myself and to be seen as more than just a model.
Also, I thought it will give me a bigger platform,
not just for my career, but to do some good for the world.
Which led me to something bigger than I had imagined.
Becoming a face and a voice to mixed ethnicity.
I think at some point in our lives, we want to discover our roots,
our unique identity and our own individuality.
We are all individuals.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all a mix.
But being a mix does not mean we are lesser than a whole.
We can be so much more.
My name is Priyanka Yoshikawa, and I am a "hafu" [half].
I was born to a Japanese mother and an Indian father.
As a "hafu," I knew I was not fully Japanese or Indian.
I was both, and quite simply, I was just me.
Even though I am of Japanese nationality and I was born in Japan,
if I told people in Japan that I was Japanese,
they would not believe me.
And when I am outside of Japan, they would often say,
"Wow, your Japanese is really good."
(Laughter)
Or, "Do you eat curry every day?"
(Laughter)
And when I am outside of Japan and I say I am Japanese,
they wouldn't still see me as a Japanese.
They will have a confused look on their face
and wait until I explain why I don't quite look Japanese.
And trust me, these interactions can get very tiring
when you get asked this every day multiple times.
Sometimes, it makes me wish for a separate nationality for mixed ethnicity.
So, yes, I was an outsider in my own native country and abroad,
but I was comfortable being one.
Being raised in three different countries, the US, Japan and India,
and parents who come from two different countries,
I have had the privilege to develop a global mind
and indulge in other privileges, such as enjoy a sashimi
as much as I relish Kolkata Phuchkas.
Travel from Mount Fuji to Eastern Himalayas,
enjoy diverse cultures and communities,
adapt more easily to changes in my environment
and accept me being different.
But it was not so from the beginning.
Being of mixed race in Japanese society can sometimes bring harsh experiences.
In school, my classmates treated me like I was some kind of a germ.
In the hallway, if they accidentally touched me,
they would wipe clean that part of their body against the wall.
They would isolate me and not include me in their conversations
or their social circles.
I tried to fit in, but it wasn't easy, and I lost my confidence.
I don't have a single memory of being happy at school in Japan.
I was always concerned what others were thinking
even though I acted like everything was OK.
I just waited for time to pass
and didn't stand up for myself or fight for my happiness.
And I regret this still to this day.
Because no matter what age you are,
you deserve to be loved and to be happy in the now.
In my heart, I told myself I might not be the most popular girl in school,
but I will become the most popular girl in Japan.
I have not cleared that yet, but if I could tell 13-year-old Priyanka
that she would become Miss World Japan
and also be placed in an International Pageant,
I think she would be proud of me.
Going into high school where no one knew me,
I felt I could start over and fit in.
But I was trying so hard to be someone who I was not,
I finally realized I need to embrace myself
and celebrate my unique identity,
rather than changing my personality or allowing myself to be bullied for it.
My mother taught me about balance.
To listen to my heart
and to enjoy the best of both worlds.
To love and respect both cultures.
The interconnectedness and the independentness.
And to be empathic, not just towards people around me,
but most importantly, towards myself.
I was an average student, and I had terrible grades in junior high,
and I had no special skills.
But my mother would tell me that I was smart and talented,
and she would encourage me to pursue my dreams and passion.
And what I learned was,
at times, you need to adapt yourself and blend into the place you are at,
but you don't want to lose your personality.
You need to celebrate your cultural diversity,
being who you are and look at the way you want others to see you.
So, I believed in this message,
and through an honest exploration of who I was,
I discovered I wanted a bigger stage from which to further my desires
to make the world a better place.
Before winning my Miss World Japan title,
I had someone very close to me
telling me that I wouldn't be selected for Miss Japan, because I was a "hafu."
But that did not stop me.
I was willing to push myself, work on my inner confidence
and to be anyone that I chose to be.
I was more than ready
to put all of my energy into turning my dreams into reality.
With this determination,
I was the first "hafu" to win Miss World Japan
and build my own successful enterprise because of it.
Today, in the incredible world that we live,
there are many more "hafu" like me.
I have realized that we are bound by stereotypes and prejudices
which can limit us and mask our true selves.
And as someone who has a key influence in shaping perceptions,
I feel that it is my responsibility
to encourage rising above these forces,
to recognize each and one of us for who we are,
human beings.
If someone is telling you who you are not,
don't be afraid and hide yourself.
You define yourself. Others do not.
No one should tell us what our happiness is or who we are.
Your identity is not always about where your come from
or where you are born.
I am a Japanese-Indian, but that is not my identity.
Identity is much more than a country or blood.
Identity is who you are.
In life, we face many obstacles,
but only the ones who will challenge themselves to overcome
will be able to move forward.
Your journey might not be the one you wanted,
but you will grow in the process
and gain many things you have never imagined.
You don't have to be a Miss World to have your own place in this world.
You are born free to be who you want to be,
and the sky is your limit.
Thank you.
(Applause).