Milan, 18 December (LaPresse) – Sarah Dzafce, who represented Finland in the latest edition of Miss Universe, has had her Miss Finland crown removed following accusations of racism levelled at her over a photo posted on social media on 11 December in which she is seen pulling her eyes into a slant to imitate almond-shaped eyes. The photo was accompanied by a caption that read: ‘Let's eat Chinese.’ The post sparked negative reactions, especially in Japan, South Korea and China. The 22-year-old was also criticised by her country's flag carrier, Finnair. Dzafce justified herself by saying that she was trying to relieve a headache by rubbing her temples and stretching her eyes, and that a friend photographed her and posted the image on social media, also writing the caption. In a social media post and then at a press conference, Dzafce apologised to everyone she had offended, particularly the Asian community. ‘With this action, I want to show how seriously I take the situation and that racism is in no way acceptable,’ she said. The Miss Finland crown has been passed on to Tara Lehtonen, according to Finnish media reports. The beauty contest organisers said they were deeply sorry for what had happened. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo intervened, saying that such ‘childish’ gestures were ‘reckless and stupid’ and that the ensuing controversy was ‘damaging’ to the country.
© Copyright LaPresse
