It is no secret that the influence of BTS stretches far beyond just the world of music. The septet – Jungkook, Jin, Jimin, J-Hope, Suga, RM and V – and its global fanbase called the ARMY has managed to engage its followers in important social issues like racism, and self-love. This year, BTS’ appeal to Stop Asian Hate topped Twitter’s list as the most retweeted post on the platform.
The statement posted by the South Korean band in March 2021, shared their views against the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement was retweeted more than one million times, and liked by more than 2.5 million Twitter users since it was shared on March 30. BTS’ statement came at a time when incidents of violent attacks against Asian diaspora emerged in the US and other countries. Earlier in March, eight people were also killed at a gunfire incident at Atlanta, Georgia, after a man targeted the Asian workers in the area. Former US President Donald Trump was accused of stigmatising the Asian diaspora after he termed coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” in a statement.
Reacting to the rise of hate crimes against people of Asian descent, BTS mentioned in their statement, “We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians. We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English.” BTS expressed their own reaction as they were attacked for their roots and said that they cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason. The statement put forth a united voice of the septet as they said, “We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will Stand Together.”
Twitter revealed in its statement, “The most Retweeted Tweet of 2021 takes a more serious tone and brings us back to the social movements that dominated the conversation and brought people across the globe together in support of a mutual cause.” Twitter applauded BTS and mentioned, “During a period in which we saw a rise in hate crimes against Asians, BTS put their influence and massive following to good use, sharing a powerful message in an effort to Stop Asian Hate.” Besides this, #BTS also emerged as the top hashtag of 2021.
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