Miss Finland's Viral Photo Ignites Racism Controversy

Thu Dec 18 2025 17:42:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A provocative photo posted by Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, has led to widespread backlash and her removal from the title following accusations of racial insensitivity.

Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, faces scrutiny after a viral photo of her mimicking a slanted-eyed gesture emerged online. The backlash included calls for boycotts of Finland from East Asian communities, leading to her dethronement by the Miss Finland Organisation. Following the incident, Dzafce issued an apology, which many deemed insincere, as Finnish politicians defended her actions. This controversy underscores ongoing challenges regarding racism and cultural sensitivity in Finnish society.

Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked controversy and outrage after a photo of her pulling the corners of her eyes went viral.

Sarah Dzafce, who has been stripped of her Miss Finland crown, 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.

Finland's prime minister weighed in on Monday, saying that 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 said a friend added the offensive caption to the 11 December post without her consent.

Ms Dzafce has apologised for the photo, noting it has caused ill will in many people. 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 an Instagram post.

The apology still drew criticism, with some calling it insincere given it was written in Finnish.

One person commented: That was uncalled for, Asian people didn't do anything to you... We [are] still disappointed in you.

Two right-wing MPs in Finland, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos of themselves mimicking Ms Dzafce's gesture to show their support for the beauty queen. The posts were taken down after backlash, with Eerola apologising, adding he felt Ms Dzafce was given disproportionately harsh punishment.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned the MPs' actions as childish, stating that lawmakers should set an example of proper conduct.

The Finns Party is deliberating whether the MPs should face any sanctions for their actions, local media reported.

Finnair told public broadcaster Yle that the controversy had affected the company, and there had been calls for tourists to boycott Finland. The statements or posts mentioned by some Finnish members of parliament do not represent the values of Finnair, the airline wrote on its Japanese X account.

The debacle has also drawn attention in Japan, South Korea, and China, among other East Asian countries. A Japanese man living in Finland launched a petition calling for an investigation into anti-Asian discrimination, which had gathered more than 7,000 signatures as of Sunday evening.

The Finnish embassy in Japan noted receiving numerous opinions and questions concerning Finland's efforts to address racism. Racism remains a challenge in Finnish society, and its resolution requires continuous and resolute efforts, it acknowledged in an X post earlier this week.

The controversy surrounding Ms Dzafce is a postscript to a chaotic Miss Universe pageant that had been beset by walkouts and allegations of rigging.

The Miss Finland Organisation stated that dethroning Ms Dzafce was a difficult but necessary move, emphasizing Miss Finland's position as a role model.

They added, We are deeply sorry for the harm these events have caused, especially to the Asian community, but also to everyone affected. Racism is never acceptable in any form.