Awkwafina is the subject of major criticism on social media after a scene from one of his past films went viral.
The actress, real name Nora Lum, specifically receives backlash for her previous use of a blaccent (a black English accent imitated by non-whites, according to Dictionary.com) in her musical and film roles.
Criticism erupted when a Twitter user recently shared a clip from the 2018 movie Ocean’s 8, in which Awkwafina stars as a pickpocket named Constance. The scene shows her character running a scam on a street corner, where someone has to follow a certain playing card while she shuffles it to make money.
Responses to the tweet called out Awkwafina for putting a blaccent in her character, as well as for using African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in general. Many also called her a hypocrite for previously claiming that she refused to use an Asian accent on screen.
In an interview with VICE in January 2020, the Shang-Chi star and legend of the Ten Rings spoke about cultural appropriation and his take on the use of accents in roles.
“I refuse to do accents,” she said at the time. “I disagree with someone who writes the Asian experience for an Asian character. I say it very clearly, I never go out for auditions where I feel like I make our people a minstrel. . “
“Awkwafina is so strange to say this,” one user tweeted. “In one case, you don’t want Asian people to be stereotypical in a movie, which is great, but you keep laughing at what you describe as a blaccent despite having a normal voice?
Another added: “Non-black women like Awkwafina are not ‘changing the code’ with their stereotypical forced Bl accents. Their stereotypical forced Bl accents are a form of minstrel. their family and friends? “
See more reactions on social media below.
