BTS Use Their Voice To Share Their Experiences To Support #StopAsianHate
Recently, a mass shooting in Atlanta led to the deaths of eight people, six of whom were Asian women.
This event has brought outrage to the Asian American community as hate crimes towards Asians have increased drastically since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Celebrities have started to use their platforms to raise awareness of the surge in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
Most recently, global K-Pop group BTS has used their Twitter platform to speak up and bring awareness to the issue.
We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger.
We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians. We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English.
We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason. Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events that have occurred over the past few weeks. But these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.
What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians. It required considerable time for use to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message.
But what our voice must convey is clear.
We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.
— BTS
This is not the first time BTS has spoken up about racial discrimination and equality. Last summer, they also used their platform to show support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
