Awkwafina defends herself against ‘Blaccent’ criticism, quits Twitter

Awkwafina took to Twitter to explain her controversial use of “bad luck” Saturday. Then she quit social media.

Actor and rapper 33 years old tweeted that “to ridicule, belittle, or be unkind in any way that could be damaging to another is: Simple. Is not. Mine. Nature. It never has, and it never has. ”

Awkwafina, born Nora Lum, has faced consistent criticism for her use of African American Native English (AAVE) in her musical and film performances, especially especially in Crazy Rich Asians as Goh Peik Lin.

She promises to “always listen.”

“As a non-black POC, I assume that I will always listen and work tirelessly to understand the history and context of AAVE, what is deemed appropriate or otherwise for its advancement. ANY and ANY disadvantaged group,” she wrote.

Explaining where my choice of voice came from, Awkwafina writes, “My immigration background allows me to portray my American identity through the movies and TV shows I watched, kids I attended public school and my undying love for hip hop.” She was born on Long Island and raised in Queens.

“I think as a group, Asian Americans are still trying to figure out what that journey means to them — what exactly is and where they don’t belong,” she wrote. and added that she is “still learning and doing that personal thing. ”

The statement is a more direct response to criticism she has made in the past. In September, when interviewed about the promotional tour for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, she said she was “open in conversation” about whether she abused black slang. In a 2017 interview, she said, “I refuse to do accents.”

She followed up her lengthy statement with a witty quote about giving up on Twitter: “Well, I’ll see you in a few years, Twitter – according to my therapist… To clarify : I will give up on ingrown toenails on Twitter.” She said she would “take advantage of all the other social networks that don’t tell you to kill yourself!”