BTS strongly condemn the rise in anti-Asian violence, share their experiences with racism

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Global popstars and Grammy-nominated artist BTS has strongly condemned the rise in anti-Asian violence in a lengthy statement. Their statement comes in a few days after the recent tragic Atlanta spa shootings that led to the death of several Asians. BTS further elaborated on their own experience with racism.

The statement was released on Tuesday morning in both Korean and English with the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate. "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.

#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021

"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.

BTS' statement also comes in few weeks after they were once again subjected to racism after their MTV Unplugged performance when a German host used racist remarks towards the popular group.

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."

ALSO READ: BTS release free e-book celebrating one year of  ‘Connect, BTS’ global art project 

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