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| Marie Nakagawa with the flags of Senegal & Japan |
Season 2 of Asia's Next Top Model featured blasian contestant, Marie Nakagawa, of Japan. Born to a Senegalese father and a Japanese mother, Marie has often been mistaken for a non-Japanese due to her mixed heritage. She was often bullied by her peers during her childhood in Tokyo. In her Intro video for AsNTM, Marie discusses the difficulties she experienced as a blasian child in Japan.
Filmed in Malaysia, Asia's Next Top Model (cycle 2) premiered on January 8, 2014 on STAR World Asia and Fox Asia. Sixteen women from across the Asia-Pacific region participated in the televised contest. prior to her elimination. Marie was in the bottom 3 in Episode 2 and was the first to be given a second chance. She was the first call out, selected for best photo in Episode 4, Episode 7, and Episode 8.
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| Episode 4: The Girl That Embraces Change |
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| Episode 7: The Girl Who is in the Spotlight |
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| Episode 8: The Girl Who Makes a Splash |
Marie posted the following on her Facebook page on January 22, 2014, discussing her desire to help Japan recognize the diversity of beauty.
"Japan really needs to realize that FASHION should be equal to any races and I'm hoping that Japanese fashion industry will be more open mind to those colored race as well. Trust me, I am giving my all to change Japan for all those young girls looking up to Japanese Fashion Industry Which They only Have Either white or light Skin tone Damn too skinny and cute Eyes Big Girls That says and Represent and Being told as the definition of World's Standard BEAUTY" Which IS Totally not. Their only to BE Admire.
We Live in Japan, but we ALSO Live in the World.
non of US in the World IS Same. We all Have Different skin color, we all have different eye color hair colors and everything and WE ALL DIFFERENT that's exactly why we should accept the beauty each other and we NEVER EVER have to set the definition of beauty by skin color or the size of the eyes or big teeth Small teeth skinny or Chubby or whatever the reason Stupid Which we should Never Compared to and by Judges.
DIFFERENT AND WE ALL BEAUTIFUL IN OUR OWN WAYS."
