Filipino American muppet welcomed to 'Sesame Street'

Puppeteer Yinan Shentu with TJ, the Filipino American muppet.

Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and Grover? Meet TJ, Sesame Street's first Filipino American muppet.

Like the United States, the world-famous children's program Sesame Street has become more diverse and that means Asian Americans are moving into the neighborhood. 

"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," said Rosemary Espina Palacios, Sesame Workshop's director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development.

After filming TJ's debut, Palacios posted her thanks "to @kafode (Kathleen Kim, puppeteer for Sesame Street's Ji-Young, the first Asian American muppet) for letting me ugly cry with you on set."

"His first segment with @kalpenn and Ji-Young is all about confidence, something I personally feel can help unravel the model minority stereotype, the Filipino American continued on Instagram.

In that segment, TJ spends time with fellow muppets Grover and Ji-Young, and actor Kal Penn, who discusses the word of the day: confidence. "Confidence is when you believe in yourself and your abilities, or in the abilities of others," Penn explains.

TJ then talks about his growing confidence while learning Tagalog, one of the main languages spoken in the Philippines. “I’m learning Tagalog. It’s a language my Filipino family speaks. And I’m confident because I can always ask my lola for help when I don’t know a word,” he says, using the Tagalog term for grandmother.

Filipino American animator Bobby Pontillas, worked with puppeteer Louis Mitchell to create TJ. On Instagram, Pontillas shared concept artwork for the character, who he said was inspired by Max and Mateo, the children of lifelong friends. TJ is played by voice actor and puppeteer Yinan Shentu.

Animator Bobby Pontillas' drawings led to TJ's creation.

TJ is 4-years old and a second generation Filipino American, a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop told CNN. He enjoys entertaining his little sister, gardening with his grandparents and spending time with his other family members when they visit from California.

"He loves it when they all get together so he can help his mom make lumpia with all the veggies he picked, and so he can play basketball and have a dance off with his cousins," Sesame Workshop said.

Child rearing experts and psychologists tell us the importance of diversity in the toys and media seen by young children.

When kids see media that depicts someone who looks like them as the main character, or the hero, it builds their confidence and self-image.

"Research around Sesame Street and other PBS programs found children pay more attention and more readily learn from characters who look like them," said Paul D. Hastings, PhD, a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology at UC Davis. "It contributes to forming a sense that this is personally relevant, this is something that speaks to me, that I can learn from.”

Child-rearing experts agree representation of historically marginalized people important for all children to see. It’s one way to help them visualize a more inclusive world so they can create the same in real life.

Seeing TJ and Ji Young on Sesame Street, or to see a Barbie doll in the image of Chinese American actress Anna May wong or to see people who look like you in a movie impacts the way a child sees the world and how they fit in, not just on Sesame Street but on Main Street as well.

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