Korean pop band BTS has called to stop Asian Hate in a letter addressed to their fans and followers in America after a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans.
The band’s official Twitter account posted a letter on behalf of the seven band-members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook on March 30 that detailed their own experiences with racism.
“We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger,” read the note, addressing the deadly shooting in Atlanta on March 16 that left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women.
“We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians. We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look,” they opened up, also sharing that at one point, they were even asked why Asians speak English.
The seven-member band then went on to point out that their own experiences seem inconsequential in the light of recent events, but that “these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.”
It took them considerable time to figure out how to communicate their feelings and message, BTS further shared before closing their note on a unifying note.
“We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”
The note propelled the Stop Asian Hate to the top of Twitter trends once again, and the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAPPIHate currently boast 1.6 million and 1.38 million tweets respectively.
Read BTS’s message here:
#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021
