Miss Finland's viral 'slanted-eyes' photo stirs racism firestorm

Ex- Miss Universe contestant Sarah Dzafce has drawn backlash in East Asia and in her own country.

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Sarah Dzafce, who has been stripped of her Miss Finland crown, uploaded the photo with the caption "eating with a Chinese". The slanted-eyes pose is often seen as disrespectful to East Asians.

The post drew backlash in Japan, South Korea and China against the 22-year-old and even against her country's flag carrier, Finnair.

Finland's prime minister weighed in on Monday, saying that making such gestures was "thoughtless and stupid" and that the controversy that ensued was "damaging" to the country.

Ms Dzafce claimed the gesture was her reaction to a headache during dinner. She said a friend added the offensive caption to the 11 December post without her consent, according to local tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.