Has Awkwafina been cancelled? Inside the Shang-Chi star’s ‘blaccent’ controversy – from accusations of cultural appropriation in Crazy Rich Asians to leaving Twitter after an ‘insincere’ apology
- The rapper-turned-actress recently quit Twitter after receiving backlash on an apology post explaining her use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the past
- Critics claim Awkwafina has used black culture for her own career success, dropping her ‘blaccent” from Crazy Rich Asians whenever convenient – like at awards shows
Golden Globe winner and Marvel actor Awkwafina – born Nora Lum – recently quit Twitter after being called out for misappropriating a “blaccent”, or black accent, throughout her career.
However, this was not the first time fans and internet users alike have brought up the issue to The Farewell star. She was already getting criticised when she first launched her career with the hit NSFW parody rap song, My Vag. She then struggled to respond to a reporter’s question about the criticism during last year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings press event.
In an attempt to respond to the criticism, the rapper and comedian wrote a lengthy explanation on her Twitter account before quitting social media platform. She acknowledged that she has been misusing “African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in different contexts, including on social media and in music”, as quoted from CNN.
“But as a non-black POC [person of colour], I stand by the fact that I will always listen and work tirelessly to understand the history and context of AAVE, what is deemed appropriate or backwards toward the progress of any and every marginalised group,” she clarified, adding further: “But I must emphasise: to mock, belittle or to be unkind in any way possible at the expense of others is: simply. Not. My. Nature. It never has, and it never was.”
The 33-year-old then announced that she will leave the platform, but will still be available on other social media platforms that “don’t tell you to kill yourself!”.
So what exactly happened? Here’s the breakdown on the ongoing scandal surrounding Awkwafina.