Charles Melton says he will “no longer be silent” about his experience as a Korean.
On Friday March 19, Melton wrote a column for Variety about how he’s “re-examined my roots” over the past few months. The Riverdale star said he grew up “suppressing” his Asian identity – and “everything is changing today”.
He wrote: “With the continued increase in horrific hate crimes against my community, I have been in deep introspection, recalling my own experiences, unpacking my past, and trying to understand everything.”
The actor continued, “This has made me realize that I have never stood up for my Korean heritage. I have purposely ignored the racism and micro-aggression directed against me and my people. I don’t have my heritage for fear of retaliation defended. And now I wonder what I have done to contribute to the violence against Asian Americans. ”
First, he stated that his Korean mother married his father while he was stationed abroad as a soldier. He and his sisters were later born in Alaska.
