The iconic children’s show “Sesame Street” is set to introduce and Asian American Muppet ... for the first time! Sesame Street has been on the air since 1969! The new Muppet’s name JI-Young ...she’s supposed to be Korean American ... and she’ll make her big debut ... on Thanksgiving Day ... Myriam Alcala has the story ...
That’s Ji-Young… a supposedly seven year old.. guitar-playing, skateboarding Korean American ….Muppet! It’s about time Sesame Street has an Asian American Muppet says Mary Murphy.. She’s a USC professor specializing in pop culture…
I think it’s so long for Hollywood, for entertainment, for pop culture, to introduce asain characters. I think it took sesame street a long time because it took everyone a long time. And finally, they are realizing that they have to evolve. So this, for me, is a moment that sesame street, like the rest of hollywood, is pivoting. It’s a pivotal moment in pop culture at the moment.
Sesame Workshop.. which produces the show.. says Ji-Young will play a role in countering the increasing amount of anti-Asian bias and harassment in the US. This new character is part of Sesame Street’s initiative called “Coming Together.” This move against racial injustice began in 2020.. after the murder of George Floyd.. .and an increased awareness in America.. of racism. May Lee is a Korean American broadcast journalist and host who has worked in Asia…,
I think this goes to show that sometimes it takes a crisis in our society for people to wake up about things that maybe they never paid attention to before, and even something like sesame street that has always tried to be educational, I think it took something like the anti-asain hate, you know, crisis that started in 2020 for even sesame street to realize that this was an invisible community that needed a spokesperson. And so it’s great that they’re finally able to see that and know that this is an important identity to pay attention to.
Lee believes the media can be.. and should be… a powerful tool to shape our society’s values:
It has to start with educating young people about the world and about different communities and people who are different and unique and bring something different to the table. And so through education, we can raise awareness, better understanding, and of course, eventually empathy. If children grow up knowing this at a young age, they can grow up and be shaped to move through the world with a more open perspective.
USC Professor Mary Murphy says she’s not surprised that the Sesame Workshop made their first “Muppet of Asian descent”.. Korean American
Across the pop culture media product is popular, you have BTS, you have squid games, you have parasite that won. This is the moment. Sesame street has captured the moment, which I think is very smart.
Diversity is smart…. But Asia… is a vast territory.. comprising many cultures… Ji-Young is a good start… to making children’s television more representative… more inclusive… one Muppet at a time….
Her name Ji-Young means smart and wise … brave and courageous …