K-pop superstars and Grammy nominee BTS finally spoke about the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate campaign aiming to stop violence against Asians that has been going on in the US.
BTS have joined other K-pop stars, celebrities and leaders in denouncing hate and violence against Asians.
“It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message,” said BTS in a statement they posted online.
According to the Stop AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Hate National Report, 3,795 hate incidents were reported to the group’s center from March 19, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021, which are “only a fraction of the number of hate incidents that actually occur, but it does show how vulnerable Asian Americans are to discrimination, and the types of discrimination they face.”
The report added that “Chinese are the largest ethnic group (42.2%) that report experiencing hate, followed by Koreans (14.8%), Vietnamese (8.5%), and Filipinos (7.9%).”
“We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger,” said BTS, adding that they, too, experienced discrimination.
BTS said, “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,” the group said.
They said, “What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians.”
“But what our voice must convey is clear. We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, l and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together,” according to BTS.
Last March 16, eight people including six Asians were killed in shootings in three Atlanta spas.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “The Korean government expresses deep sadness over the death of four Koreans, including one Korean national, in the series of deadly shootings that occurred in Atlanta, the US, on March 16, local time, as well as sincere condolence to their bereaved families.” Among those killed were Soon Chung Park, Hyun Grant, Suncha Kim and Yong Ae Yue.
Last Feb. 3, Filipino-American Noel Quintana was attacked on a New York City subway when a man slashed his face.
In June last year, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the US., according to Yonhap News, following the death of African American George Floyd on May 25.