South Korean juggernaut and Grammy-nominated musical group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan or "Beyond the Scene") will join President Biden to discuss Asian inclusion and representation, and to address anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination which have become more prominent issues in recent years.
President Biden has previously spoken about his commitment to combating the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in May 2021 to provide law enforcement with resources to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes and ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible to AA and NHPI communities. President Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS' platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world.
Back in March 2021, BTS strongly condemned Anti-Asian hate and even talked about facing racism. "We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger," the statement read. "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," BTS further spoke about facing racism and being subjected to the discrimination they've faced over the years."
"What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message. But what our voice must convey is clear," the message further read.
Standing in solidarity with their Asian community and condemning the violence, BTS concluded their statement by saying, "We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together."
#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021
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