K-pop superstars BTS have been invited to the White House next week to discuss the recent spate of hate crimes targeting Asians and Asian Americans with President Biden.
The announcement about BTS was made on May 26 and the agenda for the May 31st visit includes discussing Asian inclusion and representation.
The meeting comes as May’s recognition of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) month comes to a close with a sharp upswing in hate crimes. Attacks against Asian people have been on the rise as some factions encourage Americans to blame China for Covid-19.
In March 2021, the South Korean group had tweeted “#StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate,” along with a lengthy statement.
“We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians,” they wrote in Korean and English. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English.”
We stand against racial discrimination,” the group added. “We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respect. We will stand together.”
According to Twitter the post was the most retweeted post of December 2021.
The Biden White House is no stranger to visits from celebrities and social media influencers.
Of late Selena Gomez attended the inaugural Conversation on Youth Mental Health led by the Department of Health and Human Services and MTV Entertainment. Gomez herself has advocated mental health awareness for a long time having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2020.
In addition reality TV star Paris Hilton also met with administration officials to discuss child abuse laws.
The Biden administration has come under fire for using celebrities to promote Covid-19 vaccines, one of them being Pentatonix who sang about getting a booster shot. Biden also made a cringe-worthy Tik Tok video with the Jonas Brothers promoting the same.