BTS will discuss anti-Asian hate crimes with Joe Biden at the White House
BTS is going to the White House to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes in light of AANHPI month. The Korean pop band – made up of Jungkook, V, J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, RM and Suga – will be meeting with United States President Joe Biden in light of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.
In a statement, the White House said: “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 statement went on to explain that the ‘Butter’ hitmakers will also be discussing the “importance of diversity and inclusion” with the President as well as their relevance in today’s youth culture.
The White House continued: “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.”
The announcement comes a week after pop star and former Disney actress Selena Gomez, 29, appeared at the White House to meet First Lady Jill Biden at an event to bring awareness to mental health.
Speaking on a panel, she said: “Just to throw in a little bit of my journey, I felt like once I found out what was going on mentally… there was more freedom for me to be OK with what I had, because I was learning about it… It sets the example that it’s a topic that can and should be discussed freely and without shame.”
Selena urged the importance of ensuring everyone in society has “access” to support.
She added: “When it comes to talking about and destigmatizing mental health, I want to ensure that everyone, no matter their age, their race, religion, or sexual orientation, has access to services that support their mental health.”
Prior to that, reality star and heiress Paris Hilton had paid a visit to the White House to talk to administration officials about her advocacy for the protection of youth in residential programs following her claims that she was left “traumatized” by her time in boarding school.
