BTS has come out and spoken about the ongoing movement, #StopAsianHate, wrote a letter where the South Korean band got emotional as they addressed their experience and stated that they stand against hate and violence.
With the hate towards the Asian community and Pacific Islanders, the Grammy nominated group talked about how they condemn such hate crimes against a particular community. BTS also sent their deepest condolences to people who’ve lost their loved ones, while feeling grief and anger too.
Recalling the hate they received, BTS stated how people would look at them ask about why Asian spoke English and the band members cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of such hate. Continuing, they labelled their experience as ‘inconsequential’ and this was enough to make them feel powerless and hamper their self-esteem.
Signing off the note from Jin, Suga, V, RM, J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook, BTS told ARMY about how it took them some time and thoughtful discussion on how to voice their message. They went on to say that ongoing hate cannot be “disassociated from our identity as Asians”.
Standing in solidarity with their Asian community, BTS is against racial discrimination and condemns violence, ending the note with “You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”
Here is BTS letter against #StopAsianHate, shared on Twitter, read:
#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021
For reference, #StopAsianHate started when eight people were killed during a series of shootings at USA Atlanta’s spas or massage parlours, out of which six were Asian women. This incident led to people all over the world coming forward to address the hate through social media which was supported by celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Chrissy Teigen, Daniel Dae Kim and many others.