The Friends in Your Neighborhood

Explain that Ji-Young is a new neighbor who lives on Sesame Street with her family. She loves to play guitar with her friends, Elmo, Abby, and Tamir. Ji-Young is Korean-American. In Korean, Ji means smart and Young means brave. And Ji also has another special meaning: Sesame!

Tell children that Ji-Young belongs to the Sesame Street community, but she also belongs to the Asian-American community. If children are not already aware, explain that there can be many different communities within one large community. This video shows the rich diversity across many Asian and Pacific Islander cultures and identities, as the friends come to understand the power of coming together as a neighborhood. It also celebrates each child’s unique identity and sense of belonging to a caring community and diverse world.

Watch the video together with children. You might also:

• Learn the words to the chorus of the song together: “Oh, who are the friends in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood? Say, who are the friends in your neighborhood—the people that you see each day?”
• Sing and dance along with the Sesame Street friends. Add new friends to the song by singing about people in your own neighborhood!