BTS, the K-pop sensation, paid a visit to the White House on Tuesday to speak with President Joe Biden about the surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans, adding celebrity flair to an otherwise somber and alarming issue.
On the final day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, band members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook attended White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for news conference. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Jimin claimed the band has been "devastated" by a "recent rise" of crime and hatred towards Asian Americans.
Suga stated via an interpreter, "It's not wrong to be different." "Everyone has their own story," V remarked, "and equality begins when we open up and welcome all of our diversity."
BTS Visits the White House
The members of the band wore black suits and ties and took turns walking to the podium. BTS was scheduled to meet with Biden in the Oval Office behind closed doors later Tuesday, The Washington Post reported.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has gained international acclaim for their self-produced music and activism, including a UN visit. In 2020, the band topped the Billboard Hot 100 list three times and received nominations for Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards.
Journalists covering BTS crammed the aisles beside the rows of seats allotted to outlets that routinely attend, making the already crowded White House briefing room considerably more crowded than usual. The White House broadcast garnered more than 230,000 people before the event had started, which is unusual for a mid-afternoon event.
Although the atmosphere was entertaining, the subject that brought the South Korean delegation to the White House was not. Since 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes and prejudice have increased, with eight individuals killed in Atlanta-area massage parlors in March 2021, including six Asian women.
BTS to Meet US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden and the performing band will meet privately in the Oval Office to address Asian representation, inclusivity, and anti-Asian prejudice in the United States. Stop AAPI Hate, an Asian advocacy organization, reported almost 10,000 reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Peoples in the United States between March 2020 and December 31, 2021, as per ABC News.
All seven members of the K-pop sensation walked to the White House briefing room podium, briefly addressing reporters gathered for Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's daily back-and-forth.
According to the White House, Biden sent the invitation to emphasize the importance of coming together in solidarity, Asian inclusion and representation, and combating anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination, which have become increasingly prevalent concerns in recent years.
Anti-Asian sentiments and violence have increased in the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, and an urge many attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic's aftermath. Donald Trump, Biden's Republican predecessor, referred to the pandemic, which began with an outbreak in Wuhan, China, as "the China virus" and derided it as "Kung flu." The uptick stands out within an overall increase in violent crime, with the most heinous occurrence being in the Atlanta region.
The members of the band, who are all in their twenties and regularly wear accessories, have given a voice to a generation that is comfortable with gender diversity. Despite doing fewer performances during the pandemic, BTS is credited with earning billions for the South Korean economy, and their label saw a boom in revenues.
Biden, who is the oldest ever to be elected president at the age of 79, has frequently enlisted the help of youthful celebrities and social media influencers to add glitz to his team's discourse on social and health concerns. Per SBS, in efforts to convince young Americans to obtain their COVID-19 vaccinations, these featured pop singer Olivia Rodrigo and the Jonas Brothers.
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