Is Awkwafina Problematic?

Her “Blaccent” needs to go, but should I cancel her?

When I watched Awkwafina, aka Nora Lum, in the film Crazy Rich Asians, I laughed and thought the outlandish character she played using a New York-style “Blaccent” was a lot of fun as long as it was for that character alone.

Surely, she wouldn’t continue playing roles as an Asian talking with a stereotypically Black accent. Man, was I wrong?

She played a similar role as Constance in the movie Ocean’s 8. She’s a rapper who dresses up in hip-hop clothing and jumps around in her videos on YouTube, caricaturing Black rappers.

Her upcoming role in the Marvel action flick, Shang-Chi, looks to be more of the same. In fact, she said playing Asian stereotypes is not her thing, but she’ll gladly play a character with a blaccent?

Courtesy of Twitter.

As an African-American man married to a Japanese woman, I’m divided.

Proud to see an Asian woman rising the ranks in Hollywood going about it her own way. Disappointed, however, about Awkwafina’s decisions when it comes to performing what feels like Asian Blackface in her movie roles.

I read she’s from Queens, New York, which I imagined meant she went to school with Hispanic and Black students as friends. Possibly even developing her blaccent as a way to fit in and feel accepted.

It turns out she lived in Forest Hills, Queens, which is mainly a middle-class white and Asian area. How much interaction with Black folks did she have?

Yes, New York is one of the most culturally diverse cities globally, so one would hope she had a few black friends growing up. If so, though, what are those friends saying about her performances now?

She’s funny, but…

If Awkwafina were my friend, as a Black guy, I would have to tell her she can’t keep using a fake Black accent. It’s disrespectful to my people, and to top it off, she’s profiting off of it.

Go in a different direction.

Awkwafina has good comedic timing and plenty of charisma and personality. Her raspy voice and delivery are distinctive and help her stand out. She doesn’t need the fake blackness sprinkled on top.

Why not?

She’s not black, so it’s not cool.

But Awkwafina’s a rapper, you might say. Sure, I’ll take that. Rapping is different. It’s so mainstream nowadays. Hip-hop and rap are for everyone. I’m good, as long as she’s not throwing out the “N-word” all over her lyrics—she can rap all she wants.

We watched Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon animated film, and I recognized her voice as the dragon, Sisu. Her performance stood out and helped ground the fantasy world they created. It worked.

She didn’t need her blaccent.

I know she’s benefitting from cultural appropriation, but why not look at that as what helped get her foot in the door. There’s no doubt Hollywood producers are chasing after her to play more “Asian Black” roles, but she can turn them down. Just like she turns down the stereotypical Asian roles she boasts about.

Suppose you’re going to steer clear of stereotypes, fine, but take a turn and use a different road. Black people deserve respect.

I think the people get that I’m just kind of an anomaly in a certain way. -Awkwafina

Awkwafina is problematic

Let’s admit it. If she were a white woman acting in roles where she uses a Black accent or behaves like a “Wigger,” everyone would be outraged. For some reason, the majority in this country feel fine with an Asian woman using Black stereotypes.

Once again, if she played a character in one role, I wouldn’t be upset. It’s one movie. I could look at it as a character she played that worked well for the film she was in.

Apparently, she created her character of Awkwafina in High School inspired by the bottled water company Aquafina as a joke. It helped her step out into the limelight as she moved through her young life and started performing on stage.

College was like prison reform where I learned to be quiet and more passive — so when Awkwafina comes out on stage, she’s that crazy high school kid that doesn’t really care about anything.

It also means she has a persona to hide behind when the world gets fed up with her caricatures. Pretty convenient.

Find another way

If she wasn’t as multi-talented as she is, I could cancel her without hesitation. The issue is, she’s good, funny, creative, and I want to see more of what she does. I feel angry and a bit guilty inside for liking her work. Mainly because I know she won’t stop robbing Black folk's stereotypical behavior to get attention and pay her bills.

If you’re Awkwafina’s best friend and reading this article, please stop her.

When you have talent, acting experience, a Golden Globe award, and success in film, TV, and music, you don’t need to rely on lampooning minorities.

Say no to all stereotypes. Not just the ones that are Asian. Focus on creating your own brand of comedy character acting style.

I’ll be sitting front and center, with popcorn, when she does.