BLINKs angry as BLACKPINK star Rosé faces racist comment in New York City

The BLACKPINK star has been in NYC for the last few weeks (Image via YG Entertainment)
The BLACKPINK star has been in NYC for the last few weeks (Image via YG Entertainment)

BLACKPINK continue their global domination, with three out of four members currently in the USA. While Lisa and Jennie are living it up in LA, Rosé is busy taking New York City by storm.

Jennie charmed several international celebrities at Kendall Jenner's Halloween party, Lisa met up with collaborator DJ Snake, and Rosé has been taking fans along while she explores the city of New York.

While fans of the mega popular K-pop group are loving their US content, a certain racist interaction faced by Rosé has left BLINKs furious.


BLACKPINK's Rosé was attending an NBA game

On November 10, Rosé made an appearance at NBA‘s Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, where she had courtside seats.

The BLACKPINK idol grabbed a lot of attention as soon as she walked in, and soon enough a big crowd of the star's fans had gathered outside the stadium, waiting for a glimpse.

While an NBA game always sees a large congregation, Rosé's presence took the crowd a notch higher, with both fans and non-fans gathered outside. It was from this crowd that a certain racist comment slipped through, infuriating fans.

As the BLACKPINK idol was leaving the stadium on Wednesday, she was greeted with loud cheers and declarations of love from fans. A video shared by a BLINK captured the scene of Rosé leaving Madison Square Garden, amidst adulation. BLINKs could be heard talking amongst themselves after spotting the singer, saying

“She’s there! Oh, s*it! She is!”

Several in the crowd, though, were unfamiliar with the star. One of these people was a man who initially asked,

“Who is that? Who is that?”

While ignorance can be forgiven, his next statement has brought him under fire. He called out to Rosé,

“Ling Ling?”

This phrase, among other similar sounding words, are often used to mock Asians, stemming from the stereotype that they have 'funny sounding" names. Given the political climate and the Asian hate prevalent in the world, especially in the USA currently, fans were concerned after hearing those words directed at Rosé.

A TikTok video, recorded by ctrlchaennie, captured this event, and has accumulated over 304.2K views and over 1,000 comments so far.

Many non-BLACKPINK fans have also expressed anger at the incident. Many said that they hoped Rosé hadn't heard the hateful comment.

Several K-pop fans over the years have said that they don't like to see their favorite idols going overseas because of the racial comments and remarks made by the general public. Rosé's incident is just one in a series of subtle stereotypes and comments made by non-Asians.

Several Asian-American idols have also come out with tales of racism faced in America by them and their families. Eric Nam even chose to come to South Korea to pursue a career in music, citing a lack of opportunity and acceptance in Western entertainment as the reason.

The ongoing pandemic has only seen an increase in anti-Asian rhetoric and hate crimes in America.

While BLINKs are glad to see their favorites shine on a global platform, this incident has left many concerned for Rosé and BLACKPINK.