AAPI Heritage Month Celebration

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Upper School ESEA and South Asian Affinity groups hosted an assembly featuring Hannah Yang, an AAPI educator and advocate, and Kathleen Kim, an NYC-based actress, producer, puppeteer, and voice-over artist best known for her work on Sesame Street as Ji-Young, the first Asian American muppet character. Kim’s other puppetry credits include SNL, Helpsters on Apple TV+, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, as well as many commercial campaigns. 

During her engaging presentation, Kim shared how puppeteering began as a hobby alongside her career in reality TV, before she took a chance, applied, and was accepted into a program at Sesame Workshop. Kim offered students a behind-the-scenes look into the art of puppetry, describing how performers use monitors to bring characters to life on screen.

Beyond the mechanics of puppetry, Kim reflected on the broader impact of her work. In response to the rise in anti-Asian hate, Sesame Street aired an AAPI special, “See Us Coming Together,” which was nominated for an Emmy. Kim spoke about the significance of bringing an Asian American character to Sesame Street, noting that the “Muppets are an American institution,” and that seeing a specific Asian identity and culture represented on the show has been both meaningful and validating. She explained that Ji-Young’s name was carefully chosen: “Ji” means “smart” and “sesame” (as in Sesame Street), while “Young” means “strong” or “brave,” referring back to the show’s mission statement to make kids smarter, stronger, and kinder. 

Kim concluded her presentation by encouraging students to overcome imposter syndrome, embrace creativity, and cultivate community.