Finland’s delegate to the Miss Universe pageant has been dethroned and ignited a global controversy after a viral photo showed her pulling the corners of her eyes in a gesture widely considered racist toward East Asians.
The image, posted by Sarah Dzafce on December 11 with the caption “eating with a Chinese,” drew immediate backlash across Japan, South Korea, and China. Criticism also extended to Finland’s national airline, Finnair.
Dzafce, 22, has since apologized, stating the gesture was an unconscious reaction to a headache during dinner and claiming a friend added the offensive caption without her consent. “That was not my intention in any way… One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences,” she wrote on Instagram. However, the apology—written in Finnish—was criticized by many as insincere and inaccessible to the international audiences it was meant for.
The controversy escalated domestically when two right-wing Finnish MPs, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos mimicking Dzafce’s gesture in support of her. The posts were later deleted following public outcry. Eerola apologized, saying he believed Dzafce had received “disproportionately harsh punishment.”
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned the MPs’ actions as “childish” and stressed that lawmakers should exemplify proper conduct. He had earlier described Dzafce’s original gesture as “thoughtless and stupid” and acknowledged the damage the incident caused to Finland’s reputation.
The Finns Party is now deliberating whether the two MPs should face sanctions for their posts.
By James Kisoo
