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Image source: StarsUnfolded

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Awkwafina Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 2 min read

Quick Info

Date of birthJune 2, 1989

Age29 (as in 2018)

BirthplaceForest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York

ProfessionRapper, Television personality, Actress

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyChinese–American father; South Korean immigrant mother; raised by grandmother

Net worth$4 million

Awkwafina Biography

Awkwafina (Nora Lum Ying) is an American rapper, television personality and actress from Forest Hills, Queens. She gained attention with her music and has.

Early life and background
Nora Lum Ying, known professionally as Awkwafina, was born on June 2, 1989, in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City. She is American and grew up in New York. Her family background includes a Chinese–American father and a South Korean immigrant mother. Her maternal great-grandfather emigrated from China in the 1940s and established a Cantonese restaurant in Flushing, Queens.

Awkwafina’s mother died when she was four years old, and she was raised by her grandmother. She attended LaGuardia High School in New York and went on to study at the University at Albany in New York. She also studied at Beijing Language and Culture University, where she earned a degree in Mandarin. Before pursuing entertainment full-time, she worked as a trainee at local New York publications including Gotham Gazette and Times Union.

Career
Awkwafina began rapping as a teenager, starting around age 13. She first drew wide attention with music, and one of the songs associated with her early fame was titled "My Vag," created as a response to another artist’s work. Her debut album, Yellow Ranger, was released in 2014.

Transitioning into acting and television, Awkwafina made her feature film debut in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016). She has appeared on television as well, including six episodes of MTV’s Girl Code. In addition to her on-screen work, she wrote a travel book titled Awkwafina’s NYC.

Her story and rise in entertainment were also featured in the documentary Bad Rap, which was selected for the 2016 TriBeCa Film Festival.

Public profile
Physically, Awkwafina is listed at approximately 155 cm (about 5 feet 2 inches) tall and around 55 kg (about 121 pounds). Her eye and hair color are both described as black. Personal details reported about her interests include singing, dancing, listening to music, watching movies, traveling, and reading. She has a tattoo near her left elbow.

She has cited writers and artists she admires, including Charles Bukowski, Anais Nin, Joan Didion, Tom Waits, and Chet Baker. Publicly noted lifestyle habits in the available information indicate that she smokes and drinks alcohol.

Latest updates
As of the information provided, Awkwafina was unmarried and no publicly listed romantic partners were named. Her career spans music, television and film, and she continues to be recognized for both her recordings and on-screen performances.

Overall, Awkwafina’s background combines a multicultural family history with formal study in journalism and Mandarin, and a creative career that moved from music into books, television and film.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Awkwafina, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Yellow Ranger

Debut album released in 2014.

2014
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Feature film debut.

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. Began rapping at age 13
  2. Released debut album Yellow Ranger (2014)
  3. Feature film debut in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)
  4. Appeared in six episodes of MTV's Girl Code
  5. Profiled in the documentary Bad Rap, selected for the 2016 TriBeCa Film Festival
  6. Authored travel book Awkwafina’s NYC
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Net Worth

$4 million

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Awkwafina born?

Awkwafina was born on June 2, 1989.

What is Awkwafina known for?

Awkwafina is known for rapper, Television personality, Actress.

What is Awkwafina’s marital status?

Awkwafina's marital status is listed as Unmarried.

What is Awkwafina’s net worth?

Awkwafina's net worth is commonly listed as $4 million, based on available public profile information.