【Author: Han Xiaopeng, Observer Net Columnist】
As the "squinting eyes" incident involving a Finnish Miss continues to escalate and becomes impossible to cover up, on December 17, Finnish Prime Minister Orpo finally made a response.
"I have said that this has harmed our national image. It is indeed so." He also added, "I personally do not accept any form of racism."
The cause of the incident was not complicated: a Finnish Miss named Sara, who posted a video on social media making the "squinting eyes" gesture and mocking Chinese people, had her beauty pageant title revoked.
Sara posted a photo on social media showing her fingers pulling her eyelids, making the internationally recognized discriminatory "squinting eyes" gesture, with a caption saying "Eating with Chinese people".
This was a normal act by the Miss Universe organizers to maintain basic dignity, but it ended up provoking the Finnish political arena. Members of the far-right party "True Finns" in Finland began posting photos of themselves pulling their eyelids and making funny faces on social media, in "support" of the model who had been disqualified, calling it "resisting political correctness".
That night, member of the "True Finns" party Juho Erola changed his profile picture on the social platform "Facebook" to a self-portrait of himself pulling his eyelids and making a funny face. Erola even wrote in French, "I am Sara" - a phrase imitating the slogan of the solidarity movement after the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, "I am Charlie".
Additionally, former vice-chairman of the "True Finns" party Sebastian Tinkni, MP Kesha Garedu, also published photos of themselves pulling their eyelids on social platforms. Deputy Chairman of the "True Finns" party Akim Veygulius also claimed on the social platform X that the punishment for Sara was "overdone and lacking humor".
Seeing these politicians making funny faces, one can't help but laugh. Where is the defense of free speech? This is clearly a group of ignorant politicians staging a collective naked performance on the international stage.
These Finnish right-wing politicians probably think they are very humorous and brave, declaring war against the moral hegemony of the "leftists". But the truth is often cruel, because if we rewind a hundred years, these Finns would be exactly the "Mongolian-looking" people being mocked at that time by the so-called "superior Aryan" people in Western Europe.
"Self-hatred and the Oath of Loyalty of 'Finnish Mongolians'
Now, Finns consider themselves pure Western whites, but in the European racial anthropology from the 19th century to early 20th century, the position of Finns was actually awkward. At that time, humanists from Sweden, Germany, and other so-called "superior Aryans" measured skulls and nose bridges, and finally came to a conclusion: Finns were not pure Europeans, they were "Mongolians living in Europe".
There is a word called "Fingolia", which is a combination of "Finland" and "Mongolia". In that era when Western powers were obsessed with racial superiority, Finns were seen as second-class citizens in white society because of their language belonging to the Uralic family and some having high cheekbones. The Swedes long regarded Finns as uncivilized barbarians, believing they were intellectually inferior and only fit for hard labor.
This history is a sore in the memory of the Finnish nation.
The typical Fingolian image is a yellow-skinned person wearing a straw hat and a Fu Manchu mustache, combining all elements of European prejudice against East Asia. Its meaning is clear when applied to Finland.
It wasn't until the 21st century that Finland, through Nokia, high welfare, and educational exports, finally packaged itself as a model of a civilized world. However, the deep-seated sense of inferiority of being considered a "second-class white" did not completely disappear. Psychologically, there's a phenomenon called "zealotry". An edge person who just managed to enter the so-called upper class often shows more enthusiasm for discriminating against more marginalized groups to wash away the "peasant" smell and submit that paper of loyalty to join the "superior race".
These "True Finns" MPs are now wildly making the "squinting eyes" gesture, not only insulting Asians but also resembling a black comedy full of historical irony. They try to cut off their connection with the historical label "Fingolia" by mocking Asian "squinting eyes", implying: "Look, we are the ones who discriminate, so we are definitely not the ones being discriminated against. We are the pure white masters!"
The Korean media Chosun Ilbo pointed out incisively: "The Finns, who were once discriminated by Westerners, are now mocking Asians. Is this a ritual to honor their Mongolian ancestors?"
This twisted psychology of "the servant becoming the master" is the deepest sadness behind this farce.
"Blood and Tears Behind 'Squinting Eyes': Not Aesthetics, But A Torture Tool"
Now that we've mentioned "squinting eyes", we must once again clarify the essence of this symbol in this noisy public opinion field.
Whenever such incidents occur, some "rational middle ground" people or some already-kneeling "high-status Chinese" keep喋喋不休: Asians naturally have small eyes, the Dan Feng eye is Eastern beauty, opposing squinting eyes means being unconfident, and it's discrimination against your own appearance.
We need to make it clear that equating the "pulling eyelid" gesture with the physiological characteristic of "small eyes" is a typical case of concept substitution, either stupid or malicious.
What we oppose is never the naturally occurring Dan Feng eyes or narrow eyes. Look at the flying celestial figures in Dunhuang, look at the beautiful women in the portraits of the ladies, their eyes sparkle with how much charm! That is the beauty grown in our culture, natural and open.
But where does the Western "pulling eyelid" gesture (Slant-eye gesture) come from?
In the 19th century, a large number of Chinese laborers, known as "pig slaves", were sold to America and Australia. They drifted in the dark ship holds for months, starving, and when they arrived, they were often pale and swollen-eyed. Due to long-term work under alternating darkness and strong light, they found it difficult to open their eyes. More brutally, the Westerners would pull the braids of the Chinese laborers upwards to amuse or punish them. When the scalp was violently pulled, the corners of the eyes were forced upward, presenting a painful, distorted, and terrified expression.
A 1869 American cartoon depicting Western attitudes towards Chinese people and the image of Chinese people in the West; from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, September 25, 1869.
This is the true prototype of the "squinting eyes" gesture!
It is not an imitation of an eye shape, but an imitation of a torture, a fixed expression of a group in a state of subjugation and abuse. Later, in Hollywood movies, characters like "Fu Manchu" and "Charlie Chan" constantly reinforced the meaning of this symbol: sinister, dirty, inhuman, deserving of death.
In the context of Western culture, this gesture is equivalent to giving the middle finger, equivalent to using the N-word for blacks. It is a conventional insult contract.
Now, Finnish politicians openly perform this gesture and tell you: "Oh, I'm just imitating a facial feature, I'm joking." This is like someone slapping you in the street and then smiling, saying: "I just want to see if your face turns red. Why are you so lacking in humor?"
When facing this kind of face-shooting insult, the reflection should not be whether we have a "glass heart," but why these perpetrators are so arrogant and ignorant.
"Anti-Political Correctness" Becomes a Cover for Thugs
This incident also sent another very dangerous signal: the far-right forces in the West are packaging "racism" as a "just struggle against political correctness".
In today's Europe, with economic recession and refugee crises, "anti-political correctness" has become a banner. Originally, opposing excessive sensitivity of political correctness was to return to common sense and prevent social suffocation. But now, these far-right politicians use it as a name to dismantle the most basic consensus on racial equality established over hundreds of years of human civilization.
Finnish MPs claim they are defending "freedom of speech". What freedom is that? You have the freedom to praise Finland, you have the freedom to criticize the government, but you don't have the freedom to deprive others of their humanity. When "freedom" becomes a tool of bullying by the strong against the weak, this freedom is the breeding ground for fascism.
They dare to do this because they have calculated it carefully: insulting Asians costs the least.
In the Western discrimination chain, Jews are untouchable, that's a red line; blacks are untouchable, that could trigger riots; Muslims are untouchable, that might involve religious conflicts. Only Asians, especially East Asians, are hardworking, quiet, and tolerant, and there are always some "self-reflection weirdos" inside to undermine themselves. Therefore, these Finnish politicians dare to use Asians as sacrificial victims for their political performances to show their voters: "Look, I dare to challenge taboos, how cool I am!"
But they miscalculated.
This time, it's not just the Chinese who are angry. Japanese netizens launched a petition, South Korean public opinion exploded, and the entire East Asian society showed an unprecedented consensus at this moment. Because everyone understood that in the eyes of these arrogant whites (or self-proclaimed whites), whether it's Chinese, Japanese, or Koreans, they are all "Chinks" and "Chinamen" that can be mocked at will. In the racist vision, there are no Asians in the "Western camp," only Asians with yellow skin.
However, while the entire East Asia is united against the enemy, the island of Taiwan, across the strait, has heard some ridiculous noises. Some netizens on the island, seeing white racists insulting "Asians," first reaction was not anger, but hurriedly started "racial segmentation." They earnestly claimed on social media: "We Taiwanese are Austronesian speakers, we are different, our eyes are bigger, we have double eyelids, so the squinting eyes gesture has nothing to do with us." But what they need to be informed of now is: multi-disciplinary origin research has already proven that even the "Austronesian speakers" originated from the southeast coast of mainland China.
More pitifully, even if you successfully cut yourself off, can you gain respect?
Shirly Karvinen, the 2016 Miss Finland, whose mother is Chinese and father is Finnish, is considered an elite in Finnish society. But she openly stated on social media: "I have also been looked down upon, cursed, and belittled because of my Chinese heritage... People often told me directly that Miss Finland should be 'a real Finn'. Even today, I still often receive racist insults in private messages."
This is the blood and gore reality: in the Western racist system, your mixed-race elite identity, your "Miss Finland" title, cannot become your protective suit.
This gives those Chinese people who constantly spread false information about China a harsh truth: the more you defame China, the higher the probability of being discriminated and humiliated abroad. Westerners won't consider you a "friend" because you denounce your own country. Instead, they will see you as a traitor and a tool without roots, and you will have to bear both external racial discrimination and the contempt of your own "self-stigmatization." The more you strive to prove you don't belong to that "inferior" group, the more you prove your own inferiority and pitifulness.
Don't be a "spiritual Finn," even if they sit in business class
After the Finnish Miss had her title revoked, she posted a photo showing herself sitting in the business class of Finnair, with the caption: "Others hate me, but I am enjoying it."
This photo is highly symbolic. It starkly displays the mindset of some people in the West: I have money, I have privileges, I sit in business class, so I can look down on you from this height and mock you. Your anger hurts me not a bit.
This arrogance is more disgusting than the gesture itself.
Even more disgusting is the comment section filled with "tolerant" people who leave comments in Chinese. They say, "They didn't mean it," "Why take it so seriously," "Chinese people are too self-deprecating." I want to ask these people: When someone has already put a bucket of excrement on your head, should you analyze the material of the bucket to see if it's environmentally friendly?
What is a "glass heart"? If the other party unintentionally offended you, and you don't let go, that's a glass heart. But when the other party intentionally insults you, and it's a collective and political insult, anger is the most normal response. Anger is a display of strength. If you lose the ability to be angry, and only have the A-Q spirit of wiping your face with your own spit, that is the saddest thing.
We don't need Finns to define what beauty is, nor do we need the Western fashion industry to tell us what eyes are "high-end." What we need to do is completely cut off the link between "squinting eyes" and "Eastern aesthetics" that was forcibly established by colonial culture.
These years, from D&G's "picking up chopsticks" to Dior's "ghost-like" advertisement, and then to the collective funny faces of Finnish MPs, similar incidents have emerged frequently. What does this indicate? It indicates that as the rise of East Asian power, the Western-centric ideology is experiencing a painful collapse. The more anxious they are, the more they need to degrade the East in symbols to maintain that pitiful psychological advantage.
In 2018, Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana shot three promotional videos themed "picking up chopsticks" in China, causing controversy.
In 2021, French luxury brand Dior released a promotional photo in China, sparking controversy over "disfiguring Asian appearances".
For us, this is not bad. It is like a slap, waking up those still dreaming of the "light of Western civilization." It lets us see that beneath the formal tailcoats and the "happiest country" aura, there is still a tail named "racism".
Since they have exposed it, we will help them grab it, expose it, and cut it off.
As for those Finnish MPs, let them continue making funny faces. History will remember their looks - a group of clowns trying to scare the dragon with funny faces, eventually ending up living in jokes. After all, when they laughed at the "Mongolian race", their ancestors' coffin lids, eight generations back, might not even hold up.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7585071945805218339/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.