Controversy Over Racist Gesture in Social Media Post
Miss Finland Committee Revokes Title
The Miss Finland who competed in the Miss Universe pageant has been stripped of her crown following a controversy over anti-Asian remarks.
Sara Zafche (22) was stripped of her Miss Finland title due to controversy over anti-Asian remarks. Zafche Instagram
According to Finland's public broadcaster Yle, the Miss Finland Organization held a press conference on December 11 (local time) and officially announced the revocation of Sara Zafche's (22) title.
Zafche reportedly relinquished her crown by mutual agreement with the Miss Finland Organization. Her title was transferred to the first runner-up, Tara Lehtonen (25), who was officially crowned as the new Miss Finland at the press conference that day.
Recently, Zafche posted a photo on her social media account in which she was seen pulling the corners of her eyes sideways with her fingers. The photo was captioned, "Having a meal with a Chinese person."
The gesture of pulling one's eyes sideways with one's fingers is an anti-Asian gesture that mocks the eye shape of East Asians. This led to criticism that Zafche was ridiculing Asians and sparked a controversy over racial discrimination.
After giving up her crown, Zafche stated that this incident had been an extremely difficult time for her. According to the local media outlet Iltalehti, Zafche said, "I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt and pained by my actions on social media."
Previously, Zafche had also posted an apology on social media. In her statement, she said, "I apologize to everyone who was affected by this incident," adding, "I realize my actions were wrong, and I will suspend all social media activity to take responsibility."
However, she did not specifically address the gesture in question, leading to criticism that her apology lacked sincerity.
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