BTS have taken to social media to speak out against anti-Asian racism.
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On Tuesday (March 30), the K-pop supergroup released a statement on Twitter in support of the ongoing #StopAsianHate movement, condemning the uptick of anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States. “We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger,” they wrote.
The group also recalled their own experience with racism, which have made them feel “powerless” at times. “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 reason. Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events that have occurred over the past few weeks. But these experiences are enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.”
“What is happening right now cannot be disassociated from our identity as Asians,” BTS continued, ending their message with a call to end racial discrimination. “You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together,” they added.
#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021
BTS are the latest K-pop act to voice their support for the Asian community. Earlier this month, artists such as Eric Nam, CL, Tablo of Epik High and Jay Park also condemned the deadly Atlanta shootings whereby eight people were killed. Six of the eight victims were Asians, while four of them were of Korean descent, according to reports.
BTS’ statement also comes after Trading card company Topps removed its Garbage Pail Kids sticker card that depicts the K-pop boyband with bruised and battered faces. The company received backlash online over the card, which fans deemed insensitive.
Later, Topps released a statement on social media saying it has removed the card of BTS from its deck, adding that it has “not printed any of the sticker card and it will not be available”.
“We hear and understand our consumers who are upset about the portrayal of BTS in our GPK Shammy Awards product and we apologise for including it,” Topps wrote.