Sesame Street Introduces Asian-American Muppet This Thanksgiving in the US
Ji-Young, a 7-year-old Korean American muppet, will debut in the TV special ‘See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special’
Sesame Street introduces an Asian-American muppet on television. Sesame Workshops announced on Monday, November 15, that the new muppet, Ji-Young, a seven-year-old Korean-American, will make her debut on the Thanksgiving special See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special on November 25.
See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special celebrates the diversity and contribution of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. This is part of the show’s commitment to tackling racial justice initiatives.
Sesame Street Celebrates Inclusion and Diversity
The Thanksgiving special will also have celebrity guests joining the gang! The list includes tennis star Naomi Osaka, Shang-Chi star Simu Lu, and TV personality Padma Lakshmi.
Ji-Young is a Korean-American who loves skateboarding and playing the electric guitar. Her introduction comes in the wake of rising Asian-American hate incidents and unfortunate deaths such as George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in 2020, and 17-year-old Asian-American, Maggie Long.
Additionally, Kay Wilson Stallings, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President of Creative and Production, said that the TV special is in line with Sesame’s mission of teaching children.
Moreover, cast member Alan Muraoka, who also co-directs the episode, is indeed excited for everyone to meet Ji-Young.
“It’s a powerful thing when kids see people like themselves represented on screen and in stories. It supports them as they figure out who they are and who they want to be,” Muraoka said. “We can’t wait for families to get to know Ji-Young—in this special and in future seasons of Sesame Street—and celebrate some of the Asian and Pacific Islander people in our neighborhood!”
As Sesame Street introduces an Asian-American muppet, they gave a sneak peek of Ji-Young in a short music video. She joined Elmo, Tamir, and Abby Cadabby in a performance posted on the Sesame Street YouTube account.
At last—See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special will air on Cartoonito, HBO Max, and PBS KIDS.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for more children-related stories, here are some:
Keeping Traditions Alive: How This Fil-American Family Celebrates Thanksgiving
6 Sesame Street Videos Kids Can Watch on the Meaning of Kindness
