What is Aaliyah Kikumoto’s ethnicity? The origin of her Asian name

Aaliyah Kikumoto went viral during the recently concluded Masters tournament due to her radiant smile. By chance, the cameraman focused on Aaliyah as she stood behind eventual winner Jon Rahm. Viewers captivated by Aaliyah’s beauty shared her photo online, leading to a moment of unlikely fame. Aaliyah has capitalized on her moment in the sun, landing a modeling partnership with BSX Media. 

Aaliyah is white, and it’s unclear why she has a Japanese last name

Aaliyah was born to white parents, AJ and Charles Kikumoto. However, Charles likely has some Japanese ancestry, which would explain his last name. Consequently, it’s also likely that Aaliyah has Japanese ethnicity. 

AJ met Charles after working for a year as a dancer for the Denver Nuggets. The pair met at a church youth activity and got married. They raise five daughters and one son on a ranch in Colorado. AJ is an author of children’s books, and Charles is an executive in an insurance company. 

Charles tweeted that the Kikumoto family has attended the masters for nearly two decades: “The 16th hole is a family favorite. We’ve seen a lot of amazing things at that hole. It all began though in 2005 during our first ever visit to 16 when …Oh My Goodness…IN YOUR LIFE Have You Seen Anything Like That??”