Ariana Miyamoto was recently crowned Miss Japan, but instead of enjoying her win, she is facing immense backlash from critics and social media users who feel she should not win because she is only half-Japanese, E! News reports.

Miyamoto is the 20-year-old daughter of a Japanese woman and a black man from the United States. And though she is Japanese by legal definition and speaks the language fluently, many Japanese citizens are using her African-American side to slam her.

According to Japanese website, Mainichi News, via Kotaku, many citizens are calling her a hafu, the name given to half-Japansese people, and claim she is not authentic enough to represent Japan as a contestant in the Miss Universe pageant.

Other Japanese websites such as Byokan Sunday and Naver Matome gathered various Twitter comments from social media users that have written messages like, "Is it okay to select a hafu to represent Japan?" and, "Because this is Miss Universe Japan, don't you think hafu are a no-no?"

Another commentator wrote, "It makes me uncomfortable to say she's representing Japan."

The New York Daily News also gathered hateful comments made about Miyamoto including, "She has too much black blood in her to be Japanese," and, "Even though she's Miss Universe Japan, her face is foreign no matter how you look at it!"

But despite the backlash, Miyamoto insists that she is "Japanese enough" to be chosen as a winner.

E! News reports Miyamoto has told various media outlets that there are many things that are Japanese about her even if she does not look like the traditional Japanese woman.

Still, Miyamoto recognizes that the journey to become Miss Universe given the backlash she's received will be difficult.

"The world competition is going to be tough," she told Rocket News 24. "But I'll believe in myself and continue doing my best."