Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty
Today (Feb. 5), Asian-American actress Awkwafina took to Twitter to reveal she would be quitting the social media app at the behest of her therapist. But before that, she offered up what’s widely considered a non-apology for her much-maligned use of a “blaccent,” before making her exit.
Most everybody except her fiercest fans are calling her out for her far too late mea culpa and dramatic exit.
Born Nora Lum, the Queens native copped pleas, years after the fact. After years of what many consider the mocking of Black culture via her liberal use of African-American vernacular English (AAVE), she offered up some quaint words of explanation, including her love of Hip-Hop and where she grew up.
— nora (@awkwafina) February 5, 2022
“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,” tweeted the Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings star in a lengthy statement.
She added, “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.”
Mind you, she never actually addresses or apologizes for her use of AAVE, a blaccent, or whatever you choose to called it. But later in her statement, she chalked up to where she grew up, and 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,” she continued, “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 lifting our communities. We do the first by failing, learning, acknowledging, hearing and empathizing and I will continue tirelessly to do just that.”
Yeah, okay. Mind you, Awkwafina has been getting called out for her action for years, even before the resurgence of the criticism while promoting Shang-Chi in 2021.
Just leaving this clip of her addressing the controversy of using a 'blaccent' in films herepic.twitter.com/910zb9QDHL
— Casey Ho (@CaseyHo) January 19, 2022
Instead of getting a fond farewell, Awkwafina is getting cooked, per usual. Peep some of the better reactions in the gallery.
To Clarify: I am retiring from the ingrown toenail that is Twitter. Not retiring from anything else, even if I wanted to, and I didn’t drunkenly hit someone with a shoehorn and now escaping as a fugitive. Also am avail on all other socials that don’t tell you to kill yourself!
— nora (@awkwafina) February 5, 2022
1. Not a one…
All these words and not one apology.
Awkwafina could have just said: "You were right. I did use a blaccent to make a name for myself and that was wrong. I wholeheartedly apologize, and I'll do better from now on." https://t.co/3CDsw962B7
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) February 5, 2022
2. The jig is crystal clear…
Not Awkwafina liking all the comments from white people & non Black people telling her she did nothing wrong.
It's giving "Those mean niggers shouldn't criticize a good person like you for being racist. You did nothing wrong to those monkeys."
Girl, fuck you. https://t.co/JRbzh2n9RZ pic.twitter.com/bCeIDGxC6J— XzavierJJ (@XzavierJJ) February 5, 2022
3.
Awkwafina had YEARS. I repeat YEARS to address this shit and come clean, face the music and apologize. YEARS.
We all knew this was coming. Her response? Half ass non apology, ducking real responsibility then quitting Twitter.
Cannot stress this one fact enough. SHE. HAD. YEARS.
— Dart_Adams (@Dart_Adams) February 5, 2022
4.
lmao and i doubt the timing of this Awkwafina “apology” is out of the blue. she probably got a major role and is trying to get ahead of the blaccent questions on her next press tour pic.twitter.com/cTg3kFA6b7
— misandry doll (@sadeotw) February 5, 2022
5.
specifically said that you would never make a caricature of an Asian/ Immigrant accent because it would be a "minstrelsy."
It's like, you **knew** this was a pending discussion for **years** and you only ever acknowledged it (barely) in that one Shang Chi interview where you
— Jonah Sahn (@jonahsahn) February 5, 2022
6. Should have kept scrolling…
And right on time, here comes a white male rapper giving an Asian woman a pass for using a Blaccent to make millions. The (bigotry) jokes write themselves.
— Nani (@lenubienne) February 5, 2022
7.
awkwafina really said mocking black culture is not in her nature when her career is quite literally built on the back of that practice like give me a break
— ً (@TELEAZE) February 5, 2022
8.
"Picking black" is a problem. It will always be a problem. We are not characters. How can you not comprehend this?
— Travon Free (@Travon) February 5, 2022
9. Bruh…
A white “rapper” telling an Asian woman she doesn’t have to apologize for appropriating black culture. And then she liked it. The jokes write themselves.
— Camilla Cabello’s Racism Therapist (@runmemymoneyplz) February 5, 2022
10.
anyways, in light of Awkwafina demonstrating yet again the wrong way to apologize, here's a couple suggestions for making better apologies that i find rly helpful and try to use as much as possible
pic.twitter.com/4EDL3XJeWY
— mars/riley ☭
scorpiophobe (@afrolesbo) February 5, 2022
11.
yeah so anyway pic.twitter.com/9jXvC8fcZv
— connor aka the black junie b jones (@connororconner) February 5, 2022

. You did nothing wrong to those monkeys."
scorpiophobe (@afrolesbo)