What's in a name? For Ji-Young, the newest
muppet
on "Sesame Street," her name is a sign she was meant to live there.
Ji-Young explained what her name means during a recent interview. She was joined by fellow muppet Ernie. "So, in Korean traditionally the two syllables each mean something different and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong," she said. "But we were looking it up and guess what? Ji also means sesame."
At only 7 years old, Ji-Young is making history as the first Asian American muppet in the "Sesame Street" cast. She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding. The 52-year-old children's TV program introduced its adorable new muppet on November 15.
Ji-Young was introduced formally in "See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special." The show aired on November 25 on HBO Max, "Sesame Street" social media platforms and local PBS stations.
Some of Ji-Young's personality comes from her
puppeteer
. Kathleen Kim, 41 and Korean American, got into puppetry in her 30s and became part of the “Sesame Street” team in 2015. Being a puppeteer on a show she watched growing up was a dream come true. Helping to shape a new muppet is a whole other feat.
How Ji-Young Came To Be
"I feel like I have a lot of weight that maybe I'm putting on myself,” Kim said. She wants to be the
representative
that she did not have as a kid.
Ji-Young's existence is the culmination of a lot of discussions after the events of 2020. In that year, George Floyd — a Black man — was killed by a white police officer. Also, the number of anti-Asian hate crimes increased dramatically. A hate crime is a violent crime against a person based on their race, religion or other grounds.
Like a lot of companies, "Sesame Street" reflected on “how we might help," said Kay Wilson Stallings. She works for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind "Sesame Street."
Sesame Workshop set up two task forces. One looked at its content and the other looked at its own diversity. What developed was Coming Together, a multi-year program addressing how to talk to children about race, ethnicity and culture.
For Kim, it was important that Ji-Young be identified as Korean American. She says most Asian Americans are lumped into one giant group.
close up image of muppetZoom out
Ji-Young is the first Asian American muppet to appear on "Sesame Street." Ji-Young is Korean American and loves playing electric guitar and skateboarding. Photo: Noreen Nasir/AP
Teaching Children About Differences
Ji-Young will help teach children how to be a good "
upstander
." Being an upstander means you point out the negative things people do to others because of their skin color, language or religion, Stallings explained. “We want our audience to understand they can be upstanders,” she said.
The fact that Ji-Young was created to counter anti-Asian feelings makes her even more special to Kim. Kim remembers the Atlanta shootings earlier this year and “how terrifying that was for me.” Eight people were killed and six were Asian women. Kim hopes to teach kids about racism, how to recognize it and how to speak our against it. Her other hope for Ji-Young is that she just makes it normal to see different-looking kids on TV.
As the new kid on the street, Ji-Young looks forward to teaching her friends about Korean culture such as the food. She loves cooking dishes with her halmoni (grandmother) like tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes). Ji-Young already has one "Sesame Street" friend who wants a sample.
"I would love to try it," said the muppet Ernie. "You know, I've tried bulgogi. I really like bulgogi."
Ji-Young has already made several famous friends on “Sesame Street,” so is there anyone else she wants to meet?
"The Linda Lindas because they're so cool," Ji-Young said, referring to the teenage punk rock band. "They rock out and they're cool girls and most of them are Asian.” She would love to show them around Sesame Street.
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Which sentence from the article supports the MAIN idea of the article?
A
She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding.
B
The show aired on November 25 on HBO Max, "Sesame Street" social media platforms and local PBS stations.
C
She would love to show them around Sesame Street.
D
She works for the nonprofit organization behind "Sesame Street."
A
She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding.