After years of being accused of using African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) in her roles, the actress finally gave her lengthy statement on the matter.

On February 5, the rapper-turned-comedian and actress tweeted:

Awkwafina added:

Awkwafina responds to critics after being called out over the usage of ‘Blaccent’

Following her breakthrough roles in 2018 with films like Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians, the actress, whose real name is Nora Lum, faced many controversies with “cultural appropriation” and the use of AAVE.

Even before the release of Crazy Rich Asians, Lum had been called out for acting with characteristics that are are present in the Black community, for her role as Peik Lin Goh. In one of her dialogues, the character said:

Two years later, Bettina Makalintal, in her piece for Vice, wrote:

The 33-year-old actress has faced similar criticism going back to her past as a rapper, for which she was also accused of appropriating African-American culture.

Awkwafina clarified that she acknowledged the “sociopolitical context” and the “historical context” of AAVE. The actress also stated that dominant groups have often stolen the African-American culture for monetary gains without any respect towards its origin.

The Shang-Chi star elaborated that her “American identity” is based on movies and TV shows, as well as her interaction with people since her childhood. She said:

Following her response to these criticisms, Awkwafina posted another tweet, where she announced her retirement from the platform. In the tweet, she referred to Twitter as an “ingrown toenail.”

Twitter enraged over Awkwafina’s “apology” for using Blaccent

Several tweets insinuated that the actress did not apologize for allegedly appropriating Black culture in her career. While others claimed that she represented “all Asians” as a group to avoid accountability from her side.

Awkwafina showcased the imitation or appropriation of African-American accent and mannerisms in several of her projects, including her comedy and rap songs. However, her recent movies like MCU’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings did not feature her portrayal in this manner.

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