In November, Finnish Miss Sarah Zafes attended the Miss Universe competition in Thailand and was stripped of her crown after making a discriminatory 'eye-pulling' gesture towards the Asian community. The controversy started when a provocative photo surfaced on social media; even though she claimed the gesture was merely to relieve a headache, her explanation failed to calm public criticism. The incident not only cost her the crown, but also ignited a debate on racial issues in Finland.
According to Central News Agency, 23-year-old Sarah Zafes won the crown in September this year and went to Thailand for the Miss Universe competition in November. Several days after the contest, a photo emerged on the social platform Jodel, showing her using her fingers to pull the corners of her eyes upwards, accompanied by a Finnish caption: “Having dinner with Chinese people.”
This controversial 'eye-pulling' gesture is widely viewed in the international community as a stereotypical mockery of Asians and often sparks controversy related to racial discrimination or cultural insensitivity.
Zafes initially argued that the photo was taken by a friend and that the caption was posted without her consent. After the photo was exposed, it drew public criticism. Not only did she fail to apologize immediately, but instead posted a video of herself flying business class on Finnair on social media, with the caption “Others throw hate, I’m flying Finnair business,” which was interpreted as arrogance and contempt, fueling further controversy. It was not until December 8 that she apologized on Instagram, but by then the damage was done.
The pageant organization’s CEO, Sugren, held a press conference in Helsinki to announce that after several days of discussion, the decision was made to revoke Zafes’ title. Sugren stated, “We apologize to the Asian community for this. Miss Finland must be a role model and demonstrate respect for everyone.”
Zafes admitted her mistake at the press conference, stating that she would temporarily leave social media and that she would think more carefully before posting in the future, and that she needs time to adjust mentally and physically. Zafes’ father is from Kosovo and her mother is Finnish, and ironically, she had previously revealed to the media that she herself had also experienced discrimination.