BTS Heading to White House for Meeting With Biden About Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and More
BTS are set to meet with President Joe Biden at The White House.
On Thursday (May 26), The White House announced the "Butter" hit-makers will meet with the president next Tuesday (May 31) to discuss Asian inclusion and representation, as well as to address the uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes in recent years. The meeting will come at the end of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, or AANHPI Month.
“President Biden has previously spoken about his commitment to combating the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in May 2021 to provide law enforcement with resources to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes and ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible to AA and NHPI communities,” the White House said in a statement about the upcoming meeting. “President Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world.”
It is unclear if the meeting will be live-streamed or broadcast, or if BTS will speak publicly at the White House or privately with Biden.
Biden recently returned from a trip to Asia where he met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. This marked his first visit there since becoming president in 2021.
BTS previously launched their Love Myself anti-violence campaign alongside UNICEF. They also performed at the United Nations General Assembly. In March 2021, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook tweeted a statement regarding the growing anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S.
"We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians. We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look," they wrote. "We were even 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."