By Associated Press
WASHINGTON: Ok-Pop sensation BTS visited the White House on Tuesday to speak with President Joe Biden about combating the rise in hate crimes focusing on Asian Americans — bringing famous person sizzle to an in any other case unhappy and scary subject.
Band members J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jin and Jimin joined White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at her briefing with reporters on the ultimate day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Jimin mentioned the band had been “devastated by the recent surge” of crime and intolerance towards Asian Americans that has persevered for the reason that begin of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s not unsuitable to be completely different,” Suga said through an interpreter. “Equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences.” V said that “everyone has their own history.”
“We hope today is one step forward to understanding and respecting each and everyone as a valuable person,” V added.
The band members wore black fits and ties and took turns briefly stepping to the rostrum. They obtained a tour of the White House earlier than the briefing and held a closed-door assembly with the president within the Oval Office afterwards. Biden administration officers have spent current weeks holding roundtable discussions and different conferences with Asian American leaders to debate the violence.
Since its debut in 2013, BTS has garnered international recognition for the members’ self-produced music and activism, together with an look on the United Nations. The band topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart 3 times in 2020, and was nominated for outstanding music awards just like the Grammys, Billboard Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
The usually cramped White House briefing room was much more jammed than common, as journalists on-hand to cowl BTS packed the aisles alongside the rows of seats assigned to shops who often attend. The White House livestream — not identified for big, middle-of-the-afternoon audiences — attracted greater than 230,000 viewers earlier than the occasion even started.
After the band members spoke and had their feedback translated, reporters started to ask them questions, however Jean-Pierre — who had mentioned beforehand that members would not take questions — intervened, saying, “We’re gonna go.” That prompted BTS members to supply, “We’re sorry” as they filed away from the rostrum.
Following the band was Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, who was there to handle reporters after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s assembly with Biden earlier within the day.
“I get to go home and tell my kids that BTS opened for me,” Deese joked, including that he was positive the room was “as excited” to speak about inflation’s influence on the U.S. financial system as they’d been for the band.
The scene was enjoyable however the situation that introduced the group to the White House was not. The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination since 2020 has included the March 2021 killing of eight folks at Atlanta-area therapeutic massage companies, together with six ladies of Asian descent.
Following these shootings, Asian American organizations throughout the U.S. staged unity occasions and took to social media to name for an finish to racist assaults. Within days, BTS tweeted, “We stand against racial discrimination” and included the hashtags #CeaseAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate.
“We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected,” BTS wrote then. “We will stand together.”
On Tuesday, the band thanked its followers, with Jungkook saying, “We still feel surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches so many people around the world, transcending language and cultural barriers.”
“We believe music is always an amazing and wonderful unifier of all things,” he added.
Jean-Pierre mentioned BTS is hoping “to combat racism, xenophobia, intolerance” that Asian communities have confronted. She famous that Biden signed laws combating COVID-19 hate crimes and issued an govt order reestablishing the White House initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders, whereas serving to to advertise analysis to stop racism towards such communities.
