BTS to meet with Biden at the White House
BTS will be joining President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday, May 31, to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month.
The global K-pop sensation plans to address Asian inclusion, representation and anti-Asian discrimination amid a wave of anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S.
Between March 2020 and Dec. 31, 2021, the Asian advocacy organization Stop AAPI Hate has recorded more than 10,000 reports of hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons across the U.S.
This is much higher than the total of reported hate crimes, which advocates say are undercounted.
To combat this surge in hate crimes, Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law 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."
Biden and BTS also plan to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and how the group can be role models for youth nationwide.
In 2021, BTS was granted the role of "special presidential envoys for future generations and culture" by the United Nations to promote global diplomacy.
The group's members told ABC News in September 2021 they constantly communicate with fans and enjoy speaking freely about the issues they are facing.
They use hashtags like #youthtoday and #yourstories on social media when they were preparing a speech for the U.N.
"Through this, we continue talking and we find out what the future generation and the young people are thinking about and as it goes on, things will improve," member J-Hope said.
BTS has amassed an international fanbase, selling out stadiums worldwide and winning awards from the MTV Video Music Awards, American Music Awards and more.
