Awkwafina was born on June 2, 1988 in New York City, New York, USA as Nora Lum. She is an actress, known for Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) and Ocean's Eight (2018).

Her mother was a Korean immigrant, and her father is of Chinese descent. Her great-grandfather opened the restaurant Lum's in New York.
Her mother, Tia, died when she was 4. She was raised by her father, Wally, and her grandmother Powah, who moved to Queens to help take care of her.