Ji-Young to make history as first Asian-American muppet on ‘Sesame Street’
This Thanksgiving Day, Sesame Street will make history as Ji-Young, the first Asian-American muppet, debuts as part of a special titled “See Us Coming Together”. It is important that, especially from a young age, children see themselves represented on screen and this is a huge step in the right direction.
Kimmy Yam, from NBC News, said, “Research shows that media has a powerful influence on how children perceive themselves, as well as those from other races. A 2012 study published in academic journal Communication Research examined the effect of long-term television watching in 400 white and Black preadolescent boys and girls.
It found that television exposure significantly impacted their self-esteem, with white and Black girls and Black boys experiencing a decrease in self-esteem. White boys were the only group that experienced an increase after watching television. Another study showed, however, Black children who identified with popular characters of color had a higher self-esteem.” Read the NBC News article here.