Awkwafina addresses ‘blaccent’ criticism, announces Twitter exit

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Awkwafina announced Saturday she’s quitting Twitter, following ongoing criticism of cultural appropriation.

The Golden Globe-winning actress and comedian took to social media to address her controversial use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) — often referred to as a “blaccent” — in some of her performances.

In a lengthy, multi-image post, the 33-year-old star of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Nora from Queens” acknowledged that “there is a historical context to everything, especially the African American community in this country.”

That community, she continued, is “disproportionately affected by institutionalized policies,” but at the same has “historically and routinely seen their culture stolen, exploited and appropriated by the *dominant* culture for monetary gain without acknowledgment nor respect.”

That’s a problem that still exists today, she wrote, citing the “internet TikTok slang generation” and its use of AAVE.

“And in life, linguistic acculturation, immigrant acculturation, and the inevitable passage of globalized internet slang all play a factor in the fine line between offense and pop culture,” she added.

The actress, whose real name is Nora Lum, was born in New York to a Chinese-American father and a Korean mother.

“As a non-Black POC, 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 marginalized group,” she wrote. “But I must emphasize: 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.”

Awkwafina, who rose to prominence in 2012 as a rapper, continued saying that her immigrant background allowed her “to carve an American identity off the movies and TV shows I watched, the children I went to public school with, and my undying love and respect for hip-hop.”

“I think as a group, Asian Americans are still trying to figure out what that journey means for them — what is correct and where they don’t belong. And though I’m still learning and doing that personal work, I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my career doing nothing but uplifting our communities. We do this first by failing, learning, acknowledging, hearing and empathizing… And I will continue, tirelessly, to do just that,” she added.

A few hours later, Awkwafina shared another tweet saying that she was taking a break from the microblogging network.

“Well, I’ll see you in a few years, Twitter — per my therapist. To my fans, thank you for continuing to love and support someone who wishes they could be a better person for you. I apologize if I ever fell short, in anything I did. You’re in my heart always,” she wrote, adding a red heart emoji.

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