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BTS, the first K-pop group to ever receive a
Grammy Award nomination, made the appeal in a statement posted
on Twitter along with hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate.
In an apparent reference to the shootings in Georgia, Atlanta,
on March 16, where six out of eight victims were Asian, the
group wrote: "We send our deepest condolences to those who have
lost their loved one."
The shootings have stoked fears among those in the
Asian-American Pacific Islander community, which has reported a
spike in hate crimes since March 2020 when then-President Donald
Trump began referring to COVID-19 as the "China virus."
The seven-member BTS, which last year had three No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart, also said they had faced racist abuse,
including enduring expletives, being mocked for the way they
look, and being asked why Asians were speaking English.
"Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events
that have occurred over the past few weeks," the statement said.
"But these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and
chip away our self-esteem."
"What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our
identity as Asians," BTS wrote. The group also said it condemned
violence and stands against racial discrimination.
Last year BTS donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter (BLM) in
support of U.S. protests against police brutality, prompting
their fan base to raise enough to match that donation in just 25
hours.
(Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
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