BTS fans are demanding a Dominican radio show apologize after its hosts made racist remarks about the septet on air.
If there is anything BTS fans are tired of, it is facing racism under the guise of criticism. Apparently, there seems to be no end to the same. A Dominican radio show, Esto No Es Radio, has come under fire after its hosts made racist remarks about BTS on air.
While on air, the hosts not only made remarks about BTS being ‘Chinese grafts’, but also played on stereotypes around K-pop and plastic surgery procedures.
Describing BTS as a ‘religion’ that young girls were practicing, the hosts also labelled the septet “The Chinese version of the Backstreet Boys.”
“They are like, of that part of the world, but they make surgery on themselves to look like North American but mixed with Asian”, claimed the show’s host Ariel Santana.
BTS fans are now demanding an apology for the xenophobic remarks made on the show, using the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #XenophobiaIsNotHumor.
https://twitter.com/Berry_Yngi/status/1427570760046968835
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As of now, the radio show or station have yet to address the remarks or make a statement.
This isn’t the first time BTS have found themselves on the receiving end of racist statements. In March, German radio host Matthias Matuschik faced flak after comparing BTS to COVID-19 on air, saying that they were “some crappy virus that hopefully there will be a vaccine for soon as well.”
In the wake of his statement, Matuschik also defended himself by claiming that he could not be racist because he had a car from South Korea. Yeah.
In April, Chilean TV Show Mi Barrio also faced criticism for their racist portrayal of the members and the Korean language, with the segment mocking their names as ‘Kim Jong Uno’ and ‘Kim Jong Dos’.
While BTS have never addressed individual incidents like this, they did call out anti-Asian racism in a statement supporting the #StopAsianHate movement back in March.
“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. We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason.” the statement read.
“We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.” the group said.
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