Miss Finland condemned after photo shows alleged racist gesture toward Asians

Reigning Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce faced intense backlash after a photo surfaced online showing her pulling back the corners of her eyes, a gesture widely recognized as mocking people of East Asian descent. The image went viral after appearing on Finnish social media with the caption “Kiinalaisen kaa syomas,” translated as “Eating with a Chinese person,” and drew swift criticism from Asian communities in Finland and abroad.

Finnish media reported that the photo first circulated on local platforms where it immediately angered users who identified the gesture as a slur targeting Asians. Voice.fi highlighted how Dzafce appeared to be at a restaurant when the image was taken and that the explicit reference to a Chinese person in the caption intensified the reaction. As the photo spread to TikTok and other major platforms, public calls for accountability grew, with many users questioning whether she could continue representing Finland in international pageantry.

Dzafce addressed the controversy in an interview with Seiska, offering an apology and denying that the gesture was intended to target Asian people. She said, “I leaned against the table, rubbed my temples and stretched my eyes because it relieved the pressure,” describing the moment as a response to a headache. She told the outlet that a friend took the photo, found the expression amusing and wrote the caption without her input. “That text is not written by me and is not related to my purpose in any way,” Dzafce said in Finnish.

Miss Finland national director Sunneva Sjögren has since addressed the incident, stating the organization regretted the “bad will and inappropriate behavior” caused by the winner while explaining they planned to monitor developments. Sjögren did not announce disciplinary action and indicated that Dzafce would keep her title for the time being.