‘Sesame Street’ Showcases Its First-Ever Filipino Muppet, TJ
Video screenshot via Sesame Street
It’s a sunny day indeed. Continuing efforts to make children of all backgrounds feel seen and heard, Sesame Street has introduced its first Filipino-American puppet.
In his big debut, TJ appears in a segment about gaining confidence, a meaningful start for minority viewers who have grappled with finding their place. The inclusive character shares his moment with actor Kal Penn and Ji-Young, Sesame Street’s first Asian-American muppet.
TJ was dreamed up by animator Bobby Pontillas, who’s also Filipino-American. Pontillas says the friendly muppet’s appearance is drawn from two real-life sources, his close friends’ kids, Max and Mateo.
The character is portrayed by Yinan Shentu, who is seen posing with the puppet below.
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In the episode, the puppet divulges that the support from his family helps keep him confident.
“I’m learning Tagalog,” he tells his new friends. “It’s a language my Filipino family speaks.”
“I have confidence because I can always ask my lola [grandmother] for help when I don’t know a word,” the character elaborates.
TJ resonates with his young audience just as well as with his creators. “Welcome to Sesame Street, TJ!” Sesame Workshop’s director of talent outreach, inclusion, and content development Rosemary Espina Palacios, who is of Filipino descent, rejoices on Instagram. “I’m so proud to help bring some Filipino representation to the neighborhood, and just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora.”
Introducing TJ in a conversation about confidence is a notable move, says Palacios. “[It’s] something I personally feel can help unravel the model minority stereotype.”
