Sesame Street shares response to rise in anti-Asian bullying with new song, “Proud of Your Eyes”

Sesame Street has long been a treasured resource for teaching children about the world and its problems in a way that is easy for them to understand. The latest example from Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, is a powerful new song in response to the rise in Asian hate crimes in the United States in recent months.

In “Proud of Your Eyes,” Alan, who is Japanese-American, is making a family scrapbook, along with his friend Wes. Their friend Analyn, who is Filipino-American, stops by, and they can immediately tell that she is sad. Analyn shares that she has been teased about the shape of her eyes. They sing a song together about how their eyes are beautiful and how eyes can tell the story of their family.

The video focuses on the experiences of Asian American children and is part of an ongoing initiative called “The ABCs of Racial Literacy,” which provides an educational curriculum on racial justice for children and encourages families to have honest conversations about race.

Watch Sesame Street’s “Proud of Your Eyes” song below:

Some of the inspiring lyrics include, “Your eyes tell the story of your family. They show where you came from, and how you came to be. The color, the shape and the size should always make you proud of your eyes.”

I hope this song will be beneficial in many ways―uplifting and hopeful for Asian-American children who may have experienced anti-Asian bullying, and for all children, a reminder that our differences are part of what makes everyone special and unique.