“Sesame Street” delighted fans by featuring its first-ever Filipino-American Muppet, TJ!

Photo: Sesame Workshop
On the Sesame Workshop Facebook page, TJ was introduced to the public, revealing that he’s learning to speak Tagalog with his grandparents.
He was described as a proud kuya (older brother) to his baby sister. TJ also embraces his Filipino roots by helping his mother make lumpia, playing basketball, and having dance-offs with his cousins. Very Filipino coded, indeed!
“Meet TJ! TJ is a second-generation Filipino-American boy,” the post read. “He’s learning to speak Tagalog with his grandparents, and he is so proud when he gets to put it to use when his family comes to visit from California, where his parents are from.”
In the comments section, netizens praised “Sesame Street” for its inclusivity and representation. Meanwhile, some Filipino viewers expressed joy at seeing Filipino culture featured on American television.
Created by Bobby Pontillas and Louis Mitchell, TJ was first introduced in May 2023 in a two-minute video posted on the Sesame Street YouTube channel. He appeared alongside Kal Penn and another Asian puppet, and together they discussed the word of the day: confidence.ย
We’re excited to get to know more TJ on “Sesame Street”!
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