A social media post by a beauty queen, followed by predictable outrage, has somehow metastasized into a reputational crisis for Finland’s flag carrier.
As flagged by PYOK, the controversy began when the 2025 Miss Finland winner, Sarah Dzafce, posted a photo of herself making a gesture widely viewed as “racist” toward East Asians. In the image, she pulled the corners of her eyes back in a manner commonly associated with mocking Asian facial features, accompanied by a caption referencing eating with a Chinese person. The photo quickly went viral across Asian social media platforms.
Public reaction was swift and severe. Many users in Japan, China, and South Korea condemned the image as racially insensitive and offensive. The Miss Finland organization subsequently stripped her of the title, stating that the role requires respect for people of all backgrounds. Attempts by the former titleholder to explain the image did little to calm criticism.
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