Finland’s Miss Universe delegate has been stripped of her Miss Finland title after a photo of her making a ‘slanted-eyes’ gesture sparked widespread accusations of racism and triggered an international backlash.
Sarah Dzafce, 22, who represented Finland at last month’s Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, shared the image on December 11 with the caption: “Eating with a Chinese”. The gesture is widely regarded as offensive to East Asians, and the post quickly went viral, drawing condemnation in Japan, South Korea and China.
The controversy escalated beyond the pageant world, with criticism extending to Finland itself and even to the country’s national airline, Finnair. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighed in on Monday, calling the gesture thoughtless and stupid, warning that the incident was damaging to Finland’s image.
Dzafce has denied racist intent, claiming the gesture was a reaction to a headache during dinner and that a friend added the caption without her consent, according to Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. She later issued a public apology on Instagram, saying the photo had “caused ill will in many people” and stressing that respect for others was important to her.
The apology, written in Finnish, was criticised by some as insincere, with several commentators expressing disappointment and anger. The situation worsened after two right-wing Finnish MPs, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos mimicking the gesture in apparent support of Dzafce. Both later deleted the posts following backlash, with Eerola apologising while saying Dzafce had faced disproportionately harsh punishment.
Prime Minister Orpo condemned the MPs’ actions as childish and said lawmakers should set an example. Local media reported that the Finns Party is considering whether disciplinary action should be taken against them.
Finnair said the controversy had affected the airline, including calls for boycotts from Asian travellers. In a statement posted on its Japanese X account, the airline said the comments by some Finnish politicians did not reflect its values and reaffirmed its commitment to welcoming all customers with respect.
The incident has also prompted wider discussion about racism in Finland. A Japanese resident in the country launched a petition calling for an investigation into anti-Asian discrimination, which had gathered more than 7,000 signatures by Sunday, according to Asahi Shimbun.
The Finnish embassy in Japan said it had received numerous queries on the issue and acknowledged that racism remains a challenge in Finnish society.
The Miss Finland Organisation said removing Dzafce’s title was a difficult but necessary decision. In a statement, it said the role of Miss Finland required respect for all people regardless of background or appearance, adding that racism is never acceptable in any form.
