BTS Visit The White House

Let's admit it, I too, was surprised to see BTS at The White House in Washington D.C. Well, surprised but not overly surprised because after all, they are known to speak out against many social issues at the global level. BTS has built a respectable reputation to speak out against various issues that address the need for change. BTS has accomplished the defeat to break down various cultural barriers that unite people through music from all kinds of cultures, nations, and languages. Therefore, it is no surprise President Biden welcomed BTS to The White House to discuss about the discrimination many Asian Americans have faced over these past few years.

Unfortunately, The Corona Virus not only brought death to millions around the world, but it also opened up the opportunity for hate crimes against the Asian community. Millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been targeted since the beginning of the pandemic. Therefore, it is no surprise that President Biden has taken action against these hate crimes that have been on the rise. Who would be better suited to campaign against these hate crimes than world wide influencers like BTS. Not only because of their ethnicity but also because they have been able to influence millions of people around the world. They are able to influence the world through their music lyrics and charisma, which has been relatable to millions of fans around the world.

Their speech at The White House may have been brief, but it will ring throughout history. Kim Tae-hyung, for example, delivered his message by stating, " Everyone has their own history. We hope today is one step forward to respecting and understanding each other and everyone as a valuable person". His speech highlighted the importance of being able to accept each and everyone in the world. As individuals, each person has their own background, history, culture, and individualism that needs to be respected. This being one of the biggest goals of ending Anti-Asian Racism in the US, to end the hate by embracing diversity. As each member of the BTS band made their short statement, they all showed humbleness of being able to represent the Asian Community on such an important month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month.

The briefing was short and no questions were allowed to be asked. However, they were able to make a historical impact in American history and empower millions of Asian Americans around the country. President Biden was able to discuss how hate crimes and discriminations has impacted the lives of many Asian Americans. The fear that has been cultivated into their lives has pushed many Asian Americans to the subject of verbal and physical abuse in the public. The rise of these crimes gave birth to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, signed by President Biden, to authorize grants for both state and local governments to implement reporting systems and to prevent, address, and as well as respond to hate crimes. BTS leader, Kim Nam-joon, expressed his gratitude to the US for trying to find various solutions such as the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to stop hate crimes.

Unfortunately, the public was not able to witness any media coverage on what was actually discussed to stop these crimes. Whatever was mentioned behind closed doors at the white house, will surely be impactful for the rest of Asian American history. As BTS was able to make a difference and speak out against this social issue, they are also able to proudly support, represent, and respectful provide their assistance in such a matter. Hopefully, in the time to come, we are able to see fruitful results from this historical meeting.