Meet new Sesame Street resident Ji-Young

There is a new resident on Sesame Street. Ji-Young, a Korean-American Muppet, makes him Street debut in the show’s Thanksgiving special, See us bring us together. With guests like Simu Liu, Padma Lakshmi, Naomi Osaka and Anna Cathcart, See us bring us together celebrates the Asian and Pacific Islander community, something that is especially significant with the rise in anti-Asian racial violence in recent years.

But Ji-Young isn’t limited to his background. She is too a guitarist, a pin collector, an aspiring skateboarder and a super fun girl. That’s why she won the respect and friendship of another man Sesame Street resident, Ernie, who joins her for a little “get to know” conversation in the video below.

Here’s what Ji-Young had to say about his new hood:

The AV Club: So when did you move to Sesame Street and what do you think of the neighborhood?

Ji-Young: Oh, I just moved to Sesame Street. I’m fairly new, but I have to say it’s been great. Everyone has been so welcoming. There are so many different types of people and monsters, and everyone has been so nice. I really like it here.

Ernie: She is a great addition to the neighborhood. She just moved in a little while ago, but she fits in perfectly. She really belongs.

JY: I feel in my place here.

AVC: Ernie, how did you meet Ji-Young?

E: Oh, well, I knew she and her family had moved in, and so we have a tradition, Bert and I, where we go by and say, “welcome to the neighborhood”. We tell people where to find groceries at the Hooper store. And if it’s birds, where can you find the best birdseed milkshakes.

JY: But I am not a bird.

E: No, it’s not a bird, so I didn’t mention that part. In fact, Cookie Monster bakes every newcomer to the neighborhood a large tray of cookies.

JY: Yes, it was really delicious.

E: Do you actually have one? Usually he eats them all before he can deliver them.

JY: I slid it quickly and then ate it under the table. I chewed slowly and quietly. But yes, I got it.

E: And finally, Oscar has this wonderful tradition where he tells new neighbors to hurry up so they know they really belong to the neighborhood.

JY: Look, when Oscar first told me to hurry up, I really felt like ‘ah, I’m really on Sesame Street’.