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.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.

Celebration of Diwali is gaining support and recognition in US

THE WHITE HOUSE

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris host a Diwali celebration at the White House.

The White House celebrated Diwali, a South Asian celebration Monday. Kamala Harris, the nation's first Indian American Vice President, along with President Biden lit candles to celebrate the Festival of Light.

Vice President Harris recalled how her family celebrated Diwali as they were growing up in California. She said the holiday represents hope to her. “Diwali reminds us to see the light in our world, in each other and in ourselves.”

Celebrated across South Asia  by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, the multi-day festival is gaining in popularity in the United states as the Festival of Light s gaining in popularity in the United States and observed  by Americans of all ethnicities. 

The celebration of Diwali by the President and Vice President along with 200 White House staff and South Asian celebrities and leaders is another step of America  being America, a nation of immigrants. President Obama was the first President to observe the festival in 2016 at the White House.

The South Asian festival will also become a new holiday for New York City public schools starting in 2023. New York State Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar announced the news last week that New York City will be making Diwali a holiday for city schools. 

In Rajkuma's Instagram video, whe says, “Today, I am proud to say the time has come. The time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights.”

The caption of her video read, “In a historic move, the New York City Mayor announced on Thursday that Diwali would be a public school holiday from next year. The Big Apple city is home to nearly two lakh South Asians and, for years, scores of them have been demanding Diwali to be declared a school holiday.”

Upon viewing the video, Indian American actress Priyanka Chopra reposted Rajkumar's video in which Chopra wrote on her own Instagram account, “After all these years! My teenage self living in Queens is crying tears of joy. #representationmatters.”

Chopra spent part of her teenage years in NYC before moving back to India after experiencing bullying in her Queens high school.

The dates of Diwali fluctuate, and this year, the 5-day festival started on Monday,  October 24.

Rajkumar, who sponsored the bill making the Indian celebration part of New York City's holiday schedule, represents the 38th District in Queens and also chairs the sub-committee on diversity in law. New York City.

According to New York State education laws, 180 days of school education are required in a year. However, in order to meet this criteria, no more school holidays could be declared.

Hence, Rajkumar brought forth the legislation for Diwali to replace 'Anniversary Day' as a public school holiday, calling the latter "an obscure and antiquated day" compared to the festival of lights.

Over the weekend South Indian markets and stores in Queens and California's Silicon Valley were packed with customers buying sweets and gifts for their family celebrations. In the weeks leading up Monday, South Asians observed Diwali with  outdoor celebrations. Celebrations are slated into November.

Diwali is good for business too as US merchants learn more about the celebration. With the food, greeting cards and gifts, the festival is attracting merchants who are discovering consumers who are a marketer's dream. The Indian American household income of $119,000  is the highest among all American ethnic groups, surpassing even White Americans.

South Asian celebrities, business leaders and influencers gathered in New York Oct. 23 in Manhattan adding fashion glitz and glamor to the holiday party hosted by Paramount Pictures and Vogue Magazine. Some of the guests to the formal event, included Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, fashion designer Prabal  Gurung, Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika Jones, actors Sarita Choudhury and Kal Penn.

Many of the New York City celebrities were guests at the White House celebration two days later to join Biden and Harris.

"As we celebrate this gathering of light, we know—as this community has experienced too often—that there is always darkness lurking," Biden said in a statement. 

"American history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh reality that that we have never fully lived up to it. By marking the victory of light over darkness, Diwali is a reminder that each of us has the power to bring light to the world, whether here in America or around the world."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Holiday movies to cheer up the AAPI audience weary from the hate and pandemic

Filipina American Vanessa Hudgens stars, and stars, and stars in the Princess Switch movies
on Netflix. In case you're wondering, only the smiling one on the right is Filipina American.

It’s that time of year and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders  need Christmas movies more than ever as relief from the hate and pandemic.

What with all the negativity that could affect the mental health of Asian Americans: anti-Asian hate incidents occurring around the nation, a mutating pandemic that keeps thwarting our scientists' best efforts (no thanks to the anti-vaxxers), a stubborn U.S. Senate who can't seem to overcome its partisanship depriving Americans of President's Biden's historic Build Back Better plan that could transform our society by helping the middle-class survive decades of corporate America's greed.

Who can blame anybody for wanting a little escapism? We can use some light fare offered by the seasonal holiday-themed movies that flood our entertainment platforms this time of year to take our minds off the events that could dampen our spirits.

Most of the offerings are romantic comedies, except for Harold and Kumar, which I included because of the stereotype-busting nature of its lead characters played by John Cho and Kai Penn.

Maybe you're a student home for the holidays or you're visiting family. It's cold outside and there's a fire in the fireplace and its time to curl up on the couch. You've earned it. So we've listed some of the movies that might appeal to Asian Americans and Pacific Islander audience who want to see casts that look like them.

Princess Switch, Princess Switch: Switch Again, Princess Switch: Romancing the Star:

It's Christmas so its time for Vanessa Hudgens appearing on Netflix. The three Princess Switch movies start as a variation of the "Prince and the Pauper" but throw in mistaken identities and love interests and its all harmless but enjoyable fun.  During the course of the trilogy, one of the three reveals her Philippines heritage. In the third film of the franchise, a third look-alike appears giving us more Vanessa.  The Princess Switch trilogy offers a healthy dose of charming, light-hearted, twin-swap fun and is delightful viewing for any hopeless romantic. The three movies are Available for streaming on Netflix.

Love Hard

Love Hard is a modern-day take on the Cyrano de Bergerac story, but instead of whispering sweet nothings to the would-be Lothario, it's a case of online catfishing. The film's outcome is predictable after the first five minutes but you can't help but root for the character played by Jimmy Yang (Crazy Rich Asians, Silicon Valley). The rom-com stars Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries) as Natalie, Jimmy O. Yang as Josh, the guy who catfished her, and Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever) as Tag, who Natalie thinks is her dream match. Also features Harry Shum Jr. and Charles Melton. The 2021 film can be streamed on Netflix. 

Nina Dobrev must choose between two Asian American guys in 'Love Hard.'

Last Christmas

the movie debuted in 2019 after Henry Golding shattered the Asian male stereotype in Crazy Rich Asians with his sexy, charming, leading-man handsome portrayal of the film's Nick Young. After that movie, it was easy for casting agents to cast him in similar roles. In Last Christmas, he plays the handsome, equally-charming leading man again in this romantic boy-meets-girl film inspired by George Michael's hit "Last Christmas." Playing opposite Golden is Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke, who portrays Kate, a frustrated Londoner who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. It also stars Michelle Yeoh. The chemistry between the two attractive actors definitely works. Golden's role is not race-specific, but ... hell, his Asian features are clear to see.

The Christmas Bow 

The Hallmark film debuted in 2020 and stars Lucia Macarelli. The Korean American is a professional violinist who acts, not an actress who plays the instrument. She plays Kate, a promising musician whose lifelong dream of playing in the Rocky Mountain Philharmonic is put on hold by an accident. Reconnecting with Patrick, an old family friend, and his young cousin Gavin (Kenneth Cummins, “The Road Home for Christmas”), while recovering at home during the Christmas holiday, she finds love in someone who believes in her.

A Sugar & Spice Holiday

The predominantly Asian cast includes Jacky Lai, who plays Suzie, a rising young architect, returns to her small hometown in Maine for Christmas, where her Chinese American family runs the local lobster bar. Following the death of her grandmother, who was a star baker in their community, Suzie is guilted into following in her footsteps by entering the local gingerbread house competition. Everybody's favorite AAPI father Tzi Ma plays Suzie's dad and Lillian Lim plays the mother. Love interest is Billy, played by Tony Giroux, whose grandparents are from China. Lots of culturally specific references and moments in the Lifetime production.

'Sugar and Spice' could allude to the Asian touches to this movie like this
Chinese American holiday feast.

Holly & Ivy

Holly & Ivy follows Nina, a woman who finds out her fatal illness has returned, and she won’t be able to care for her adoptive kids. Her neighbor, Janel Parrish plays her neighbor Melody and offers to take the kids – Holly (Sadie Coleman) and Ivy (Piper Rubio) – to stay at her home. Handsome contractor Adam, played by Jeremy Jordan is the love interest but it is the strong performances by Chinese American actress Parrish and Nichols help convey the close friendship between the two women. Add the engaging portrayals by the two kids and before you know it, you'll find yourself emotionally invested in the character-driven Hallmark movie. Available on Apple TV or Amazon Prime.

Chinese American actress Janel Parrish stars in 'Holly & Ivy'

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 

Tired of rom-coms and want a little zaniness for the holidays? A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas is a 2011 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), it is the third installment Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film follows estranged friends Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) as they reunite to hunt for a Christmas tree. The characters created by Cho and Penn shatter the Asian nerd model minority stereotype, which I applaud heartily. The Harold and Kumar franchise launched the careers of  three actors  (including Neil Patrick Harris) who eventually become big stars. Join the irreverence on HBO Max and Prime.

John Cho, center and Kal Penn, right, are the central figures in this zany Christmas film.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Star-studded AAPI Inaugural Ball celebrates Kamala Harris' history-making inauguration

On the eve of the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President, a host of Asian American and Pacific Islanders held the AAPI Inaugural Ball online.

The virtual event was organized by IMPACT and Run AAPI in coordination with the Presidential Inaugural Committee. It honored and recognized Biden and Harris, the first woman, first Indian American and first African American ever to be elected Vice President of the U.S.

Near the end of the virtual event Harris appeared and told her now-familiar story of being raised by a single mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from India.

Kamala Harris celebrated with the AAPI community the night before her inauguration Wednesday.

“My mother Shyamala Gopalan arrived in the United States from India,” Harris said. “She raised my sister Maya and me to know that though we may be the first, we should not be the last. And I have carried that lesson with me throughout my career.”

The hour-long Zoom celebration featured remarks from a wide array of AAPI political leaders, organizers and artists including OMB Director-designate Neera Tanden; Reps. Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Andy Kim, and Raja Krishnamoorthi; former Olympian Michelle Kwan; actors Kal Penn, John Cho, Kumail Nanjiani, and Chloe Bennet; and performances by Japanese Breakfast, Ari Afsar, and Raja Kumari. 

The celebration should be viewed on Youtube which allows the viewer to see the live reactions of those who tuned into the event. Link Here.

The virtual AAPI Inaugural Ball on Youtube includes responses from scores of viewers, right.

Twitter's #MyNameIs trend morphs into a campaign ad against Georgia's Senator Perdue

It is no longer any doubt that Georgia's Asian American voters are going to vote for the two Democratic candidates for Senate Jan. 5 next year. The only remaining question is: will enough AAPI voters turn out to make a difference.

Besides the huge question about the Republican incumbents' refusal to address accusations of insider trading from which both of the Georgia senators benefitted from, one of the reasons the AAPI vote is so overwhelmingly committed to the challengers may hinge on the perceived racial insensitivity of Perdue.

The Insider Advantage/Fox 5 Atlanta poll has Warnock, senior pastor at a civil rights landmark, the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, is ahead of Republican Kelly Loeffler by a 2% margin at 49%-47%. Incumbent Loeffler was appointed to the Senate when Senator Johnny Isakson resigned a year ago.

The same survey had GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue ahead of Democratic rival Jon Ossoff, a media executive, by a razor-thin 1% margin,

The polls have both races within the margin of error so every vote will count in two races that could determine the ability of Joe Biden, the President-elect, to implement all his campaign promises and return the country to the realm of sanity.

Perdue's deliberate mispronouncing of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' name at an October rally for Donald Trump could very well may be the deciding factor for many AAPI people who have been humiliated or bullied because of their names.

"Ka-MAL-a, Ka-MAL-a or Kamala, Kamala, Ka-mala, -mala, -mala, I don't know, whatever," mocked Perdue drawing laughter from the partisan crowd.

For the record, Harris' first name is pronounced "comma-LA," which means "Lotus Flower" in Sanskrit.

Most Asian Americans who have a name that has been mispronounced, mocked or bullied in school can recall the sting of of humiliation or shame that arose when they were kids.

But when an adult of Perdue's stature does it, it is because  -- not having anything weightier to say -- he has to resort to the playground taunt. It is a tactic meant to "otherize" or underline the "foreigness" of the Vice President-elect and -- Ossoff, by association.

In a race as close as Perdue vs. Ossoff, a little incident like the mocking incident, could spell the difference between victory or looking for a new job.

A video clip of the incident went viral, drawing angry social media responses from the AAPI community carrying the #MyNameIs hashtag. Celebrities and politicians such as Daniel Dae Kim, Ilhan Omar, Michelle Kwan, Ken Jeong and more joined in sharing the origins of their names in solidarity with Harris.

The viral #MyNameIs social media response has been revived by Harris' niece Meena Harris and her Phenomenal Productions and the Indian American Impact Fund (IMPACT) for a series of pro-Democrat  videos launched last week. The videos will air online ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff election and during Georgia's early, mail-in  and absentee voting period.

"South Asian Americans helped build this country even though at times we've been pushed aside and put down or made into a punchline," Nanjiani says at the top of the video. "In 2020, when our leaders insulted and disrespected us, they know exactly what they're doing. And so do we," referring to castsing their vote for Ossoff.

Perdue's mockery of Indian American Harris comes on top of the racist rhetoric coming from the White House in referring tot he cornavirus as the Wuhan Flue or Kung Fu.

According to a report by United Nations officials, hate crimes against Asian Americans have reached an “alarming level” across the United States since 2016 due to the weaponizing of words by the Trump administration and his supporters like Perdue. These words negatively impact the AAPI community and were emboldened during the pandemic when the former host of The Celebrity Apprentice referred to the coronavirus as the “Kung Flu” and the “China Virus”.

IMPACT, an Indian American advocacy and political action committee, has donated a historic $2.5 million to the campaign.

The joke -- as it turns out -- may be on Perdue.

"South Asian and Asian American voters played a pivotal role in delivering Georgia to President-elect Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris. An additional 42,000 AAPI voters voted in 2020 over 2016, and more than 30,000 AAPI voters voted for the first time ever. Biden won Georgia by just over 14,000 votes. But the work isn’t finished yet," IMPACT said in statement. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate Livestream tackles a legacy of hate and what needs to change

From top right, clockwise, taking part in United We Stand's online gathering: Lisa Ling, Michelle Lee and Bing Chen with Malik Pancholy

By Amy-Xiaoshi DePaola

ASAM NEWS

Jeannie Mai remembers this: her aunt’s beat-up car, spray-painted with the racial slur “g*ok.” “I was looking at it like…’huh? What’s that mean?'” she said.
She recalled that her aunt then pushed her aside, proceeded to rub the paint off with a bucket of water and sponge, saying, “Move, I got to get to work.”

Mai was less calmer with injustices in her own life, “getting into fistfights” and expelled from high school.

“I just pushed on through it like my aunt, and it wasn’t healthy for me,” she said. “It made me completely bypass the pain that it caused me… all of this hate built up to a place where I was a side of Jeannie where I’m not proud of today.”

Mai was one of the Asian Americans sharing their personal stories about bullying and hate at Act to Change’s webinar, held on Monday, what would have been Vincent Chin’s 65th birthday.

The 1982 deadly baseball bat beating of Chin “echoes” the rash of xenophobic hate crimes amid COVID-19 today, said Maulik Pancholy, co-founder of the nonprofit hoping to end bullying for all youth.

Act to Change’s event, United We Stand, commemorated the second annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Day Against Bullying and Hate, with a star-studded guest list of Asian American public figures. The non-profit, an offshoot of the White House Initiative on AAPIs during the Obama administration, produced the event with the support of 200 AAPI organizations and groups including AsAmNews.

Celebrities such as Fresh off the Boat‘s Hudson Yang, Queer Eye‘s Tan France, Never Have I Ever‘s Poorna Jagannathan, and other media influencers shared their experiences and offered advice to an audience that reached nearly over 600 at its peak.

“It’s important to speak out” about racism, said Mai, now the co-host of The Real. “Just the thought can turn to hate — and as we’re seeing today — death.”

The topic of COVID-19 related hate crimes hung over the webcast, with the first guest, actor Daniel Dae Kim, describing his reaction as “heartbroken, angry, frustrated.”

Kim was hospitalized in March for coronavirus, declaring himself “100%” better during the livestream. But the anti-Asian — particularly Chinese-centered — vitriol from social media and news reports has been far from cured.

“It was a stark moment to me, that we as Asian Americans have been asked to prove our Americanness,” he said. “We are taken to task about events happening a continent away.”

Event host Pancholy agreed. “We are American enough just by being American.”

But as Asian American celebrities shared their stories, not much has seemed to change. Many — from all generations — spoke about their peers and even adults verbally and physically harassing them, while mocking their language, physical features, and the food they ate — something commonly invoked in false statements that accuse Chinese of spreading the coronavirus by eating bats.

Michelle Lee, Allure Magazine‘s editor-in-chief, expressed particular shock that “the crazy old stereotypes” were back.

The backlash was also a surprise for CNN’s Lisa Ling of This is Life and media entrepreneur Bing Chen, who discussed how Asian American-led productions seemed to be soaring recently, with the climate being “good to Asians.”

“Now, it’s a totally different world,” Ling said. “In an instant, things can change.”

“My hope is that it doesn’t get worse for people like us,” she continued, alluding to this year’s Presidential election.

But racial profiling occurred long before the 2016 election, with actor John Cho retelling a story where his co-star Kal Penn kept getting frisked by airport security during their press tour in 2004 for Harold & Kumar, a movie series starring two Asian American leads, a “socio-political breakthrough.”

“We try to rationalize things over time, and maybe tell ourselves that it wasn’t what it was — but it definitely was,” Penn recalled.

A Harvard study confirmed that memory loss and PTSD are symptoms of trauma — and may be reflective of how Asian Americans are raised.

“I think for Asian communities, for immigrants, there’s a sense that everything’s okay,” said Padma Lakshmi, author and host of Top Chef. “Don’t complain, don’t make waves… just pretend that it didn’t happen. But it did.”

She herself endured the societal pressure to be silent about injustices, not only in the greater community, but hers as well, speaking candidly about her experiences with colorism and sexual assault.

Never Have I Ever star Poorna Jagannathan and actress Punam Patel agreed, speaking of a major gang rape and murder case in India, relating it to why diversity in media needs to include all stories, no matter how upsetting.

“We’re usually the punchline and never the plot line,” Jagannathan said. “Our struggles and pain are not represented.”

But when they are, she added, it “creates empathy and acceptance,” especially for those whose stories remain untold, such as immigrants.

Open dialogue and communication are also essential to breaking barriers and upending stereotypes — and not just against Asian Americans, Mai said.

“Chinese versus Filipino, Japanese versus Korean, which race was better?” the Vietnamese-Chinese American said, describing the hierarchical tensions that exist within the community. “Which skin color makes you more richer, the more affluent type?”

“That’s how racism starts,” she added. “You hear it somewhere and it’s taught… You need to address that or stop it if you hear it in your household today.”

Paulik agreed, saying that it is a “big responsibility” to stand in solidarity with all communities — especially in the “recent, horrific murder of Ahmed Arbery,” who was shot and killed while jogging, allegedly, by two White men.

“We all stand united to decry all hate, violence, and racism,” he declared.

Other methods to make Asian American community fully represented were discussed, such as financially supporting Asian American small businesses and creators.

Sometimes, stepping into the spotlight is “intimidating,” but that opens the door for others, said Tan France, fashion designer and one of the stars of Netflix’s Queer Eye.

“Nobody wants to be the first,” he said. “But now, I refuse to not be myself. I’m not going to hide that I’m Pakistani… raised Muslim… that I’m gay — I’m finally a person that’s allowed to be in this industry.

“It’s getting better. It really is.”

'Mira, Royal Detective' premieres March 20

From left, Aparna Nancheria, Aasif Mandvi, Leela Ladnier and Kal Penn got a sneak peek of the animated series.

ASAAM NEWS & VIEWS FROM THE EDGE

The cast of the upcoming Disney Channel and Disney Jr series Mira, Royal Detective attended a New York screening last weekend.

The Indo-American Arts Council hosted the screening at the Cinépolis Chelsea Theater in New York City on Saturday.

Cast members including Kal Penn, Leela Ladnier, Aasif Mandvi and Aparna Nancherla were in attendance. Freida Pinto, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aasif Mandvi, Karan Soni, Maulik Pancholy, Sarayu Blue and Sarita Choudhury are also set to star in the animated series.

Sixteen-year old newcomer Leela Ladnier will voice the lead character.

Mira, Royal Detective takes place in the magical Indian-inspired land of Jalpur, and focuses around Mira, a commoner who the queen appoints to be the royal detective.

A music video has been released in advance of the series.

Disney Junior has given an early season 2 renewal to Mira, Royal Detective, ahead of its  debut this Spring. The news was announced in by Joe D’Ambrosia, SVP Original Programming and general manager, Disney Junior.

“Mira, Royal Detective hasn’t even premiered yet and we have already seen the excitement building for this series featuring a brave and empowered young girl who will stop at nothing to solve a case,” D’Ambrosia told Deadline. “To ensure that we have plenty of new mysteries ahead for Mira, we are thrilled to begin production on a second season and can’t wait to introduce her to the world in 2020.” 

Mira, Royal Detective will premiere in the US on Friday, March 20 (11 a.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel and 7 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Junior).

New Disney animated series features a South Asian cast

Leela Ladnier will voice Mira in the new Disney animated series. 

Wow! if you put the voice actors who worked in the new animated series, Mira, Royal Detective, and put them in a live-action movie, it would be promoted as a star-studded blockbuster.

Disney is so confident of the success of the new series of 11-minute episodes that the studio has already ordered a second season before the first season premieres in March of this year.

"Mira, Royal Detective hasn't even premiered yet and we have already seen the excitement building for this series featuring a brave and empowered young girl who will stop at nothing to solve a case,” said Joe D'Ambrosia, senior vice president, original programming, and general manager, Disney Junior. “To ensure that we have plenty of new mysteries ahead for Mira, we are thrilled to begin production on a second season and can't wait to introduce her to the world in 2020."

In an exclusive by EW, the cast for the animated series reflects Disney's goal to introduce more racial diversity in its productions.

The new mystery-adventure animated series is inspired by the cultures and customs of India. Set in the fictional land of Jalpur, it follows Mira, a commoner who is appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen herself.

Newcomer 16-year-old newcomer Leela Ladnier will do the voicee of Mira. The cast surrounding her are well-known Indian American actors.

Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) wil provide the voice of Queen Shanti.

Jameela Jamil of 'The Good Place' will voice Auntie Pushpa.

Kal Penn of 'House' and 'Designated Survivor' voices Mikka the mongoose sidekick.

Utkarsh Ambudkar of 'The Mindy Project' voices Chikku, a fellow mongoose.

Hannah Simone from 'New Girl' will give voice to Pinky, a commoner.

NBC cancels 'Sunnyside;' Kal Penn series moves to online

The cat of "Sunnyside"

ASAM NEWS

Things might not be looking so sunny for fans of the new comedy series Sunnyside. NBC has cancelled the show and will air the next seven episodes on digital platforms only, TV Line reports.

Sunnyside, co-created by Kal Penn, follows a councilman and a group of immigrants who are studying to become American citizens. The series premiered last month to the lowest ratings out of all big four broadcast network freshmen series this fall, according to TV Guide. 

The half-hour sitcom will be available on the NBC app. In addition, Hulu will also air the new episodes every Thursday, the same day it shows on NBC's app.

Starting on October 24, TV Guide reports that Sunnyside’s primetime 9:30 p.m. slot will be replaced with the final season of Will and Grace, originally set to debut early next year.

Sunnyside cast member Joel Kim Booster responded to getting the news on Columbus Day, writing that he felt the time slot had been “colonized.”

According to TV By The Numbers, the sitcom originally slated for 10 episodes will conclude with an extra 11th episode ordered by NBC.

Kal Penn, meanwhile, hasn’t yet ruled out the possibility of continuing with a second season elsewhere, possibly on Hulu. 

The streaming network similarly rescued the Mindy Project after it was cancelled by the Fox network. The Mindy Project, starring Mindy Kaling, continued to perform well enough for three more seasons.

In the Tweet, the co-creator praised Sunnyside’s “funny, heartwarming patriotic,” episodes for making up “the most diverse show on [TV].”

_________________________________________________________________________

Who is Gary Lee? Another MLK Day, another President

GARY LEE started his Twitter account, @whoisgarylee,  only three days ago and it was an instant hit.

Lee, who worked under President Barack Obama, left the White House in 2011 to pursue an advanced degree in South Korea. He recalls on his last day, he was summoned to the Oval Office to have the customary photo with the President.

Upon arrival, President Obama greeted him in Korean. It surprised Lee and all he could do was respond in delight. That exact moment was captured by White House photographer Pete Souza.

RELATED: Some thoughts on MLK Day 2018: Be not afraid

Lee was a low-level staffer yet Obama, the most powerful man in the world at the time and had bigger issues to tackle, had taken the time to practice the Korean pronunciation of "hello."

Contrast that with the current White House occupant who blusters, uses coarse language and proclaims, "I'm the least racist person." Yeah, right!

Now, I'm crying, too. That's how a REAL President is supposed to act!
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Kal Penn resigns from President's committee on the arts and humanities

Kal Penn

ASAM NEWS

ACTOR KAL PENN was among those who resigned Friday  from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. 

Penn and the other 17 committee members resigned en masse on Friday in response to President Donald Trump’s comments about the recent violence in Charlottesville, reports WRKO.

“All members have now resigned,” Penn wrote on twitter. “Per @politico, PCAH is an official agency, that makes this the 1st White House department to resign.”

The resignation letter, signed by all members, criticized Trump for attacking key values of the arts and humanities, such as inclusion and free press, according to Forbes.

“You released a budget which eliminates arts and culture agencies,” it says. “You have threatened nuclear war while gutting diplomacy funding.”

“You have subverted equal protections, and are committed to banning Muslims and refugee women & children from our great country,” the letter continues. “This does not unify the nation we all love.”

The first letter of each paragraph spells out “RESIST,” reports Vanity Fair.

The PCAH was formed in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan. Its primary purpose was to advise the White House on cultural issues.

Penn left his role on the TV series House in 2013 when he was appointed to serve on the committee by President Barack Obama.

In response to the resignation, the White House released a statement saying that it was planning to disband the committee at the end of the year anyway.

Penn responded on Twitter, ““Lol @realDonaldTrump you can’t break up with us after we broke up with you LMFAO.”

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