BTS Open Up About the Racial Discrimination They've Faced

On Monday, the K-pop superstars took to Twitter with a statement in which they extended their "deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones." Their post comes two weeks after the Atlanta spa shootings, which left eight people — six of whom were Asian women — dead.

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Alongside their "grief and anger" over this widespread violence, BTS also went on to recall the hurt they personally felt from the "moments when we faced discrimination as Asians," explaining that they've had to endure everything from "expletives without reason" to being "mocked for the way we look" to even being "asked why Asians spoke in English."

"We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason," BTS said. "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 band then concluded their note by pointing out that "what is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians," before issuing a clear call to action for all of their fans.

"We stand against racial discrimination," BTS said. "We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together."

Read their entire statement for yourself, below.

#StopAsianHate#StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/mOmttkOpOt

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021

Photo via BFA