Awkwafina Addresses Cultural Appropriation Controversy
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Awkwafina took to social media, where she addressed criticism over the ongoing belief that she has appropriated Black culture in her work. The actress, real name Nora Lum, rose to Hollywood prominence after her 2018 role in Crazy Rich Asians and was born to a Chinese-American father and a Korean mother. She was raised in Queens, New York, and at age 15, adopted the stage name Awkwafina.
Awkwafina has appeared in popular franchise titles such as Jumanji: The Next Level starring Dwayne Johnson, and Ocean's Eight with Sandra Bullock. For her role in the 2019 film The Farewell, she earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. Meanwhile, Awkwafina has also been challenged on her use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and «blaccents» in some of her roles by online communities. But until now, the actress has never before discussed the concerns in public.
Related: The Perfect Awkwafina Movie To Watch After Shang-Chi
Now, in a lengthy statement, Awkwafina has used her official Twitter page as a platform to formally address the long-standing controversy and openly comment on the matter. This comes after a two-year absence from making any posts on the social media platform. Before acknowledging the concerns directly, the actress prefaced her statement by describing «the African American community» as being one that is «disproportionately affected by institutionalized policies and law enforcement policies.» She then expanded on these thoughts by describing the correlation between these issues, and the arts. Later in the statement, the actress claimed that it is not in her nature to mock or belittle others.
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