#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021
March 30 (UPI) -- BTS spoke out against racial discrimination and the rise of hate crimes against Asians in a new statement on Twitter.
The South Korean boy band used the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate on the Twitter post on Monday and discussed being discriminated against.
The hashtags are used to speak out against anti-Asian American hate crimes, which have risen in the United States in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic as the virus was first observed in Wuhan, China.
"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," BTS said.
"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," the group continued.
BTS also mentioned how they waited before voicing their message.
"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," BTS concluded.
Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn, Daniel Dae Kim and more have also recently spoken out against the rise in Asian American hate crimes.
