‘The pop sensations and globetrotting K-pop boy band BTS met President Joe Biden on the occasion of the AANHPI Heritage Month. In April, the boys visited the United States for the concert Permission To Dance On Stage in Las Vegas.
During the last night of their performance, The Bangtan Boys announced their next album ‘Proof’ slated to release on June 10, 2022. BTS is back on the United States soil to meet Joe Biden for a cause of anti-Asian racism.
BTS Member Suga Hoped For Tolerance During The Press Meeting
The South-Korean and the now global sensation BTS met President Biden to address the hate crimes hurled at the Asian American community in the States. All the boys donned black suits and met the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the press briefing.
In recent times, especially during the cataclysmic times of the COVID-19, the South-East Asian communities had to pay huge prices. To dissipate awareness about the rising hate crimes, BTS visited the White House for a meeting with the POTUS.
During the press briefing, Park Ji-min popularly known as Jimin said, “devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes across the US.” The FBI reported that the hate crimes rate against Asians rose to a whopping percentage of 70% in 2020.
The quadrupled number of cases coincided with the increasing number of hate crimes due to the “Chinese Virus” narrative. However, another member hoped for a silver-lining saying, “It’s not wrong to be different. I think equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences.”
The Band Is Happy That Music Is Transcending Borders
The popularity of the band is unprecedented. The ‘Butter’ and ‘Dynamite’ artists have said during the address: “Surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches so many people around the world, transcending languages and cultural barriers.”
They continued, “We believe music is always an amazing unifier of all things.” In April 2021, President Biden signed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, which had the objective to address the surging rate of hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic.
Both BTS and Joe Biden took to Twitter to thank each other. In a tweet, Biden wrote, “It was great to meet you, @bts_bighit. Thanks for all you’re doing to raise awareness around the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination. I look forward to sharing our conversation soon.”
It was great to meet with you, @bts_bighit. Thanks for all you’re doing to raise awareness around the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination.
I look forward to sharing more of our conversation soon. pic.twitter.com/LnczTpT2aL
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 1, 2022
The band also extended their gratitude and wrote, “Thanks for having us at the White House! It was a huge honor to discuss important issues with @POTUS today. We’re very grateful for #BTSARMY who made it possible.”
Thanks for having us at the White House! It was a huge honor to discuss important issues with @POTUS today. We're very grateful for #BTSARMY who made it all possible.🫰💜
#BTS #방탄소년단 #BTSatTheWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/PZd8Ox2Kea— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) June 1, 2022
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