E-Paper
Who is Sarah Dzafce? Miss Finland at the center of ‘eating with Chinese’ racist photo row
Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce lost her crown after posting a racist Instagram photo mocking East Asians. The post drew criticism from Finland’s PM, among others.
Sarah Dzafce, a 22-year-old Finnish model who was recently crowned Miss Finland and took part in the Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Thailand, has landed in hot water for posting a photo that has been widely viewed as racist towards East Asians. She has been stripped of the Miss Finland title over the photo.
The photo, shared as an Instagram story on December 11, Thursday, showed her pulling the corners of her eyes to make them slanted. She shared it with the caption, 'eating with a Chinese.' The racist gesture has drawn backlash from the East Asian community. Finland's Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, called it "thoughtless and stupid."
"That was not my intention in any way... One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences," Sarah Dzface wrote in her statement of apology after the incident.
Here's the viral photo:
So, who is 22-year-old Sarah Dzface? Let's explore.
Who Is Sarah Dzface?
Sarah Dzafce is of Finnish-Kosovan heritage who rose to fame after winning the Miss International Queen 2018, a major pageant for transgender women held in Pattaya, Thailand. She was born in Oulu and raised in Kuopio. Dzafce first gained prominence as a former competitive artistic gymnast before transitioning to modelling and pageantry.
In September 2025, she was crowned Miss Suomi 2025 (Miss Universe Finland) at age 22. At Miss Universe 2025, she competed in preliminary swimsuit and national costume competitions but did not advance to the top 30. Her national costume performance portrayed her as the "Goddess of the Living Roots."
