‘Sesame Street’ makes history as it introduces first Asian American muppet
Sunny Sesame Street welcomes a new muppet in the neighborhood—Ji-Young, a seven-year-old Korean American character, the show’s very first Asian American muppet.
The beloved children’s show—watched by millions of kids around the world since its creation in 1969—has stood for and promoted inclusion and representation over the years.
After 52 seasons, Sesame Street introduces Ji-Young through the See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special, which will air on Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Day.
The special celebrates the rich diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander communities as part of Sesame Workshop’s ongoing racial justice initiative. It also follows the Sesame Street friends through a “Neighbor Day” celebration with celebrity guests like actors Simu Liu, television personality Padma Lakshmi and athlete Naomi Osaka. Guests will share their passions, talents, and cultures throughout the show.
According to Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization of Sesame Street, Ji-Young is a “spunky seven-year-old who loves to play her electric guitar and is always willing to play a song with her friends on Sesame Street.”
Ji-Young, performed by puppeteer Kathleen Kim, loves playing soccer and gliding the streets on her skateboard, and is also “extremely close with her family and is proud of her Korean heritage.” She loves playing music with her grandma and cooking he favorite food—tteokbokki or spicy rice cakes.
“Her family eats dinner together at the kitchen table every night, chatting in both Korean and English,” according to the Sesame Workshop.
The special will culminate with a new original show, also titled See Us Coming Together, performed by Ji-Young and the full cast.
Sesame Street—which some Pinoy millennials and Gen Xers credit as where they first learned the English language when they were just kids—has embraced diversity and inclusion throughout the years.
To mark this year’s Pride Month, the show introduced a family with two gay dads. It has also discussed sensitive topics like death, racism, HIV, even breastfeeding.
In 2017, Sesame Street introduced Julia, its first Muppet character with autism. According to its creators, the character, which first appeared in the show’s digital storybook series in 2015, was made to help kids understand their playmates who may have autism, and for children with autism to have a character that they can identify with.
In March 2021, the show launched two African American Muppets in line with its “Coming Together” initiative that openly discusses racial differences.