Miss Finland's Social Media Controversy Ignites Racism Debate

Wed Dec 17 2025 13:21:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A photo posted by Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce, showing her mimicking slanted eyes during a dinner, has sparked outrage across East Asia, leading to her dethronement and widespread discussions on racism.

The recent social media activity of Sarah Dzafce, who represented Finland in the Miss Universe pageant, has incited a significant backlash following a viral photo where she pulled the corners of her eyes, captioned 'eating with a Chinese.' The incident led to her being dethroned, recommendations for a boycott of Finland, and strong condemnation from Finland's Prime Minister. Dzafce and Finnish officials have faced accusations of insensitivity regarding racism against Asian communities.

Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked a racism firestorm over a viral photo that showed her pulling the corners of her eyes.

Sarah Dzafce, who has been dethroned, uploaded the photo with the caption 'eating with a Chinese'. The slanted-eyes pose is often seen as disrespectful to East Asians.

The post drew backlash in Japan, South Korea, and China against the 22-year-old and even against her country's flag carrier, Finnair.

Back home in Finland, the prime minister said on Monday making such gestures was 'thoughtless and stupid' and that the controversy that ensued was 'damaging' to the country.

Ms Dzafce claimed the gesture was her reaction to a headache during dinner. She stated that a friend added the offensive caption to the post without her consent, according to local tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.

Ms Dzafce has since apologized for the photo, acknowledging it has 'caused ill will in many people'. She expressed her intentions of respect for others and their differences on her Instagram. However, the apology still drew criticism, with some calling it 'insincere' due to its Finnish wording.

Two right-wing Finnish MPs attempted to show support by mimicking her gesture, but faced backlash, leading to a removal of their posts. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned their actions, while the Finns Party considered sanctions.

Finland's flag carrier Finnair expressed that the incident affected the company, with calls for tourism boycotts. They clarified that personal opinions of some politicians do not reflect their values.

The controversy garnered international attention, highlighting ongoing challenges of racism in Finnish society. A petition launched by a Japanese resident in Finland, calling for an investigation into anti-Asian discrimination, has gathered more than 7,000 signatures.

Facing significant backlash and the loss of her title, the Miss Finland Organisation stated that Dzafce's actions did not uphold the values associated with being a pageant role model, apologizing for the harm caused, particularly to the Asian community.