Awkwafina has addressed longstanding criticism of her use of 'blaccent' - but a lot of people aren't impressed by what she had to say.
The actor - real name Nora Lum - has come under fire on numerous occasions for appropriating and profiting from black vernacular, and in a lengthy statement she discussed her use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
After some preamble about 'sociopolitical context', the 33-year-old - who won a Golden Globe for her performance in The Farewell - said: "As a non-Black POC [person of colour], 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.
Advert
"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."
She went on to elaborate on how her own identity was forged and said she is 'still learning'.
The Ocean's 8 actor continued: "My immigrant background allowed me 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."
Shortly afterwards, she announced she was 'retiring from the ingrown toenail that is Twitter' on the advise of her therapist.
Advert
She also thanked her fans for their continuing love and support, but many people were not supportive of her statement.
On social media, many argued her response was overdue and a 'non-apology':
Explaining why the use of blaccent can be harmful and offensive, Cheryl Bedford, the founder of Women of Color Unite - an organization fighting for fair access and treatment for women of colour in Hollywood - told BuzzFeed News: "Putting on any marginalized person's identity in comedy equates a person's voice and culture to not being taken seriously.
Advert
"It's making fun of, and it upholds white supremacy by turning the voices of a community into a joke."
Jake Massey