Korean-American singer AleXa has spoken out on the hate she has received has a half-Korean K-pop idol.
In a recent livestream, as archived by fans on TikTok, AleXa opened up about being called the “White girl idol”. The singer also touched on how she feels she is treated differently from other half-Korean K-pop idols such as SEVENTEEN‘s Vernon, former MOMOLAND member Nancy and ex-I.O.I singer Jeon Somi.
“Is it because I’m American that people choose to treat me differently and that I didn’t grow up in Korea?” AleXa said during the livestream. “‘Cause ethnically, I’m just as Korean as the rest of them, and yet people love to bash on me and completely invalidate the fact that I’m half-Korean.”
“People are gonna say what people are gonna say, but the fact that you guys just want to dub me as the ‘White girl idol’ whenever there’s actual Caucasians in K-Pop now,” she continued. “Like, you’re taking away all the struggles that my mother went through as an immigrant in America.
@aitrooperofficial PSA!!!!!! Alex growing up in America doesn’t make her white nor does it take away from the fact she is half korean. It’s such a racist and and harmful rhetoric to dismiss such a major part of her identity. @AleXa #kpop #alexa #alexakpop #alexazb #alexazblabel #zblabel #zanybros #alexchristine #produce48 #알렉사 #aitrooper #aitroopers #alexalive #tiktoklive #tiktoklivealexa #alexatiktoklive #fypシ #kpopfyp #psa #aitrooperofficial
AleXa went on to thank those who “genuinely support” her music, while also talking about her hope to be recognised as a musician first. “Y’all realize I’m an artist, right? I create music, I write lyrics, I compose songs,” she said.
“I really wish that people would recognize me for more than just like that one English-speaking idol, you know, because there’s a lot more to me than my sarcasm and that fact I speak English,” she continued. “Which just leaves me back to, would you treat a Korean-Korean idol the same way, you know?”
@aitrooperofficial It’s disrespectful how underrated her music is. She is one of the most unique KPOP soloists there is. @AleXa #kpop #alexa #alexakpop #alexazb #alexazblabel #zblabel #zanybros #alexchristine #produce48 #알렉사 #aitrooper #aitroopers #backinvogue #backinvoguealexa #alexabackinvogue #girlsgonevogue #alexagirlsgonevogue #juliette #juliettealexa #alexalive #tiktoklive #alexatiktoklive #tiktoklivealexa #fypシ #kpopfyp
Earlier this month, AleXa dropped her new single ‘Juilet’. The song follows her 2022 November EP ‘Back in Vogue’, which she dropped song after signing with California-based United Talent Agency.
Earlier that year, The K-pop idol had also won the inaugural American Song Contest, a reality TV competition based on the Eurovision Song Contest that aired on American network NBC.