TJ is pictured in a provided image. (Courtesy of Sesame Workshop. Photographer: Zach Hyman.) "Sesame Street" recently debuted its first Filipino-American muppet named TJ, joining Ji-Young who made history in 2021 as the show’s first Asian American muppet.TJ, 4, is described by the show creators as "a second generation Filipino-American boy, and a proud kuya (older brother) to his baby sister.""He's a natural entertainer for her, and always makes her laugh with a funny voice, song, or dance," a description about TJ reads. RELATED: ‘This is real’: Sesame Street’s first Black woman puppeteer fills ‘impactful’ roleTJ was depicted in a recent "Sesame Street" segment with Ji-Young, Grover and guest star Kal Penn.
The group discusses the meaning of confidence as Grover shows off his ability to jump over the Sesame Street sign while riding a unicycle and balancing a stack of books."Confidence is when you believe in yourself and your abilities, or in the abilities of others," Penn explains, noting how he feels confident when speaking in public and acting.TJ shares how he is learning to speak Tagalog with his grandparents, who live on the ground floor of his family’s building. "I have confidence because I can always ask my Lola for help when I don’t know a word," TJ shares.