Sesame Street Has Announced Their First Asian-American Muppet
Sesame Street has introduced their newest muppet, seven-year-old Ji-Young. The new muppet is a Korean American character who enjoys playing her guitar, soccer, and skateboarding. She will bring conversations about racism to the children’s show.
Ji-Young was introduced on Thanksgiving on “See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special.” The special had special guest stars such as Naomi Osaka, Simu Liu, and Padma Lakshmi.
“So, in Korean, traditionally, the two syllables, they each mean something different, and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong,” explained the newest Muppet.
I cannot imagine if I saw an Asian American on Sesame Street growing up, I feel like it would’ve had a huge difference with my self esteem.
— Alicia (@imnotsophancy) December 2, 2021
The addition of the new muppet is part of the Sesame Workshop racial justice initiative, which is meant to teach children about race, identity, and culture.
The initiative was introduced in the summer of 2020, as racism and violence increased targeting Asians and Asian Americans during the pandemic.
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit that produces Sesame Street. “Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Today, we uphold that mission by empowering children and families of all races, ethnicities, and cultures to value their unique identities,” Kay Wilson Stallings, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President of Creative and Production, said in a statement.
Although Sesame Street has been on the air for more than 50 years, Ji-Young is the first Asian American Muppet.
Sesame Street posted on Instagram a video of how Ji-Young came to be and the process of developing the personality of the character.
Korean American Kathleen Kim, 41, is Ji-Young’s puppeteer. Most of Ji-Young’s personality comes from her. In 2014, Kim was accepted into a Sesame Street workshop that later evolved into her becoming a part of the team a year later.
“I feel like I have a lot of weight that maybe I’m putting on myself to teach these lessons and to be this representative that I did not have as a kid,” Kim said.
Kayden is so excited to meet Ji-Young, @sesamestreet‘s first Asian American muppet!
— Jocelyn Yow #StopAAPIHate (@Jocelyn_Yow) November 26, 2021
(And I 👀 you @SimuLiu 🙌🏼) pic.twitter.com/UHUauROcEg
The special can be viewed on HBO Max, Sesame Street‘s social media platforms, and on local PBS stations.
