BTS is among the most influential groups of the global music community, and now the band's members have issued a strongly worded statement condemning the recent wave of anti-Asian hate and violence in the U.S.
"We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence," the K-pop superstars wrote. "You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together."
The group also detailed their own experiences as victims of racism.
MORE: BTS performs 'Life Goes On' on 'GMA,' talks quarantining together and missing fans"We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians. We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look," they said. "We were even asked why Asians spoke in English."
#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021
"We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason," they continue.d
However, they added: "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."
"What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians," they wrote. "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."
MORE: Grammys 2021: BTS loses out on award, still makes history with 'Dynamite' performanceThey added the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate.
Last year, BTS publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement, and they and their label donated a million dollars to groups connected to BLM.
우리는 인종차별에 반대합니다.
— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) June 4, 2020
우리는 폭력에 반대합니다.
나, 당신, 우리 모두는 존중받을 권리가 있습니다. 함께 하겠습니다.
We stand against racial discrimination.
We condemn violence.
You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.#BlackLivesMatter
Their donation motivated their supporters to give back as well, and their fan base, known as the ARMY, reportedly matched the group's million dollar donation.
