BTS attends 61st Annual Grammy Awards.Photo: John Shearer/GettyBTSis speaking out against the rise in violence against Asian Americans across the U.S. while also sharing their own experiences with racism that they have faced over the years.In astatementposted to Twitter Monday in both Korean and English, the Grammy-nominated supergroup offered their “deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” likely a reference to thedeadly March 16 shootingin Atlanta, Georgia, in which eight people — six of whom were Asian women — were killed at three local spas.“We feel grief and anger,” BTS said, going on to detail some of the racist attacks they’ve experienced as Asian men. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English,” the statement said. “We cannot put into words the pain of becoming a 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,” BTS added. “But these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away at our self-esteem. What is happening right now cannot be disassociated from our identity as Asian. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message.“The statement continued: “But what our voice must convey is clear. We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.“The beloved boy band previously spoke out about racial issues last year in support of the Black Lives Matter movement after international racial injustice protests erupted following the death of George Floyd. The group alsodonated $1 million to the movement.“We stand against racial discrimination,” theysaid in a public statementon social media back in June. “We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.“BTS.Steve Granitz/WireImageThe eight victims of the Atlanta shooting have since been identified as Soon Chung Park, 74, Hyun Jung Grant, 51, Suncha Kim, 69, Yong Ae Yue, 63, Delaina Ashley Yuan, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Yan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44. The suspect,Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of assault in connection with the shooting.Since the deadly incident,stars like Olivia Munn, Daniel Dae Kim and Jamie Chunghave used their platforms and large social media following to speak out against the rising violence against Asian Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic, showing support for the AAPI community.Many celebrities have also financially contributed to support different AAPI organizations.The Masked SingerjudgeKen Jeongdonated at least $50,000to the families of the shooting victims on their GoFundMe pages, whileMegan Thee Stallion, in partnership with Fashion Nova and journalist/activist May Lee,donated $50,000toAdvancing Justice Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to the rights of Asian Americans in Georgia and the Southeast.Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.Sandra Oh.CBS Pittsburgh/YouTubeProtests have also sparked across the globein support of the AAPI community in the aftermath of the shooting.Grey’s AnatomyalumSandra Ohrecently spoke to a crowd of masked people at a “Stop Asian Hate” protest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.“I am proud to be Asian,” Oh told the crowd, receiving loud cheers.As attacks on Asian Americans havecontinued to rise in recent months, according to a recent Harris poll, 75 percent of Asian Americans are fearful of increased hate and discrimination toward them.To learn more and to report crimes, go to:Asian Americans Advancing Justice,Stop the AAPI Hate,National Council of Asian Pacific Americans,Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, andAsian Pacific Policy & Planning Council.
BTS attends 61st Annual Grammy Awards.Photo: John Shearer/Getty
BTSis speaking out against the rise in violence against Asian Americans across the U.S. while also sharing their own experiences with racism that they have faced over the years.In astatementposted to Twitter Monday in both Korean and English, the Grammy-nominated supergroup offered their “deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” likely a reference to thedeadly March 16 shootingin Atlanta, Georgia, in which eight people — six of whom were Asian women — were killed at three local spas.“We feel grief and anger,” BTS said, going on to detail some of the racist attacks they’ve experienced as Asian men. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English,” the statement said. “We cannot put into words the pain of becoming a 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,” BTS added. “But these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away at our self-esteem. What is happening right now cannot be disassociated from our identity as Asian. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message.“The statement continued: “But what our voice must convey is clear. We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.“The beloved boy band previously spoke out about racial issues last year in support of the Black Lives Matter movement after international racial injustice protests erupted following the death of George Floyd. The group alsodonated $1 million to the movement.“We stand against racial discrimination,” theysaid in a public statementon social media back in June. “We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.“BTS.Steve Granitz/WireImageThe eight victims of the Atlanta shooting have since been identified as Soon Chung Park, 74, Hyun Jung Grant, 51, Suncha Kim, 69, Yong Ae Yue, 63, Delaina Ashley Yuan, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Yan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44. The suspect,Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of assault in connection with the shooting.Since the deadly incident,stars like Olivia Munn, Daniel Dae Kim and Jamie Chunghave used their platforms and large social media following to speak out against the rising violence against Asian Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic, showing support for the AAPI community.Many celebrities have also financially contributed to support different AAPI organizations.The Masked SingerjudgeKen Jeongdonated at least $50,000to the families of the shooting victims on their GoFundMe pages, whileMegan Thee Stallion, in partnership with Fashion Nova and journalist/activist May Lee,donated $50,000toAdvancing Justice Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to the rights of Asian Americans in Georgia and the Southeast.Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.Sandra Oh.CBS Pittsburgh/YouTubeProtests have also sparked across the globein support of the AAPI community in the aftermath of the shooting.Grey’s AnatomyalumSandra Ohrecently spoke to a crowd of masked people at a “Stop Asian Hate” protest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.“I am proud to be Asian,” Oh told the crowd, receiving loud cheers.As attacks on Asian Americans havecontinued to rise in recent months, according to a recent Harris poll, 75 percent of Asian Americans are fearful of increased hate and discrimination toward them.To learn more and to report crimes, go to:Asian Americans Advancing Justice,Stop the AAPI Hate,National Council of Asian Pacific Americans,Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, andAsian Pacific Policy & Planning Council.
BTSis speaking out against the rise in violence against Asian Americans across the U.S. while also sharing their own experiences with racism that they have faced over the years.
In astatementposted to Twitter Monday in both Korean and English, the Grammy-nominated supergroup offered their “deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” likely a reference to thedeadly March 16 shootingin Atlanta, Georgia, in which eight people — six of whom were Asian women — were killed at three local spas.
“We feel grief and anger,” BTS said, going on to detail some of the racist attacks they’ve experienced as Asian men. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English,” the statement said. “We cannot put into words the pain of becoming a 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,” BTS added. “But these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away at our self-esteem. What is happening right now cannot be disassociated from our identity as Asian. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message.”
The statement continued: “But what our voice must convey is clear. We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”
The beloved boy band previously spoke out about racial issues last year in support of the Black Lives Matter movement after international racial injustice protests erupted following the death of George Floyd. The group alsodonated $1 million to the movement.
“We stand against racial discrimination,” theysaid in a public statementon social media back in June. “We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”
BTS.Steve Granitz/WireImage
The eight victims of the Atlanta shooting have since been identified as Soon Chung Park, 74, Hyun Jung Grant, 51, Suncha Kim, 69, Yong Ae Yue, 63, Delaina Ashley Yuan, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Yan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44. The suspect,Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of assault in connection with the shooting.
Since the deadly incident,stars like Olivia Munn, Daniel Dae Kim and Jamie Chunghave used their platforms and large social media following to speak out against the rising violence against Asian Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic, showing support for the AAPI community.
Many celebrities have also financially contributed to support different AAPI organizations.The Masked SingerjudgeKen Jeongdonated at least $50,000to the families of the shooting victims on their GoFundMe pages, whileMegan Thee Stallion, in partnership with Fashion Nova and journalist/activist May Lee,donated $50,000toAdvancing Justice Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to the rights of Asian Americans in Georgia and the Southeast.
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Sandra Oh.CBS Pittsburgh/YouTube
Protests have also sparked across the globein support of the AAPI community in the aftermath of the shooting.Grey’s AnatomyalumSandra Ohrecently spoke to a crowd of masked people at a “Stop Asian Hate” protest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“I am proud to be Asian,” Oh told the crowd, receiving loud cheers.
As attacks on Asian Americans havecontinued to rise in recent months, according to a recent Harris poll, 75 percent of Asian Americans are fearful of increased hate and discrimination toward them.
To learn more and to report crimes, go to:Asian Americans Advancing Justice,Stop the AAPI Hate,National Council of Asian Pacific Americans,Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, andAsian Pacific Policy & Planning Council.
source: people.com
