Sesame Street debuts first Asian American muppet as show ‘meets the moment’

The landmark children's television program introduces Ji-Young, its first Korean American puppet, inspired by a desire to counteract race hate

What's in a name? For Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of Sesame Street, her name is a sign that she was meant to live there.

So, in Korean traditionally the two syllables they each mean something different and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong," Ji-Young explained during a recent interview. But we were looking it up and guess what? Ji also means sesame."