It was already the kindest, most educational street on the block, and now Sesame Street is trying to get more inclusive as well with its introduction of TJ, the first-ever Filipino-American muppet. He was introduced in a video released Sunday on Sesame Street's YouTube channel.

In the clip, actor/activist Kal Penn is with muppets TJ, longtime Sesame Street resident Grover and Ji-Young — an Asian American muppet who first premiered in a Thanksgiving episode in 2021. Penn is teaching them all the meaning of the word “confidence”. TJ explains he feels confident as he learns the language of Tagalog, which his Filipino family speaks. He then adds, “And I am confident because I can always ask my Lola for help when I don't know a word” (Lola in Tagalog means grandmother).

The muppet was designed by Bobby Pontillas, a Filipino American artist and animator, who excitedly took to Instagram to share some early sketches of the character. In the post, Pontillas explains “I had the amazing opportunity to work with the geniuses at the Sesame Workshop to create a Filipino muppet for @sesamestreet! Meet TJ!”

Pontillas added that for TJ's look, “I based him off of my lifelong friends’ kids, Max and Mateo, thank you for the inspiration lads. I was blessed to collaborate with master puppeteer Louis Mitchell, the loveliest human on earth.”

Director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development for Sesame Street, Rosemary Espina Palacios, also took to Instagram to express her pride about adding TJ to the cast. “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 Palacios. “His first segment with @kalpenn and Ji-Young is all about confidence, something I personally feel can help unravel the model minority stereotype.”

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which highlights the diverse cultures and accomplishments of Asian Americans across the United States.

It's looking like even sunnier days ahead for Sesame Street with the introduction of their first Filipino-American muppet TJ.