Awkwafina Addresses Blaccent And AAVE Criticism; Leaves Twitter
deadline.comAwkwafina is leaving Twitter for now. The actress whose real name is Nora Lum Tweeted release a statement earlier today addressing the criticisms for her use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
She starts the apology by stating, “There is a sociopolitical context to everything, especially the historical context of the African American community in this country.”Awkwafina who started off as a rapper and comedian, who became a household name after her performance in the critically acclaimed Crazy Rich Asians, and heist film Ocean’s 8.
However, some viewers of the film were perturbed by her performance, which relied heavily on AAVE and said appropriation which is tantamount to mockery.
In response to this, writer Bettina Makalintal for Vice mentioned why Awkwafina’s character in the film should be considered problematic. “As she borrowed from Black culture in order to make a name for herself, the woman born Nora Lum performed a series of racial stereotypes for coolness and clout, and through that posturing, she made her way from viral internet rapper to critically acclaimed actress.” As time passed and Awkwafina shot to superstardom, many have noticed that the persona has disappeared, but also, there are still questions as to why all that was necessary in the first place.
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