Sesame Street Introduces First Asian American Muppet Amid Rising Anti-Asian Sentiments in US
After over 50 years of being on the air, the legendary children’s show Sesame Street is introducing its first ever Asian American muppet to its cast.
Named Ji-Young, the 7-year old character will be helmed by puppeteer Kathleen Kim, herself a Korean American and a 7-year veteran at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind the show.
“I feel like I have a lot of weight that I’m maybe putting on myself to teach these lessons and to be this representative that I did not have as a kid,” Kim was quoted as saying.
The character’s introduction comes amidst nationwide conversations about race in the USA. With anti-Asian sentiment on the rise in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sesame Workshop introduced the ‘Coming Together’ initiative, which seeks to address how we ought to talk to children about race, ethnicity, and…
