WATCH: Sesame Street fights anti-Asian bullying with song, segment on ‘slanty’ eyes | The Post Millennial
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WATCH: Sesame Street fights anti-Asian bullying with song, segment on ‘slanty’ eyes
Earlier this week, Sesame Street tackled anti-Asian bullying with the release of a music video called “Proud of Your Eyes,” the latest in a series of the educational children’s program dubbed, “Coming Together: The ABCs of Racial Literacy.”
Earlier this week, Sesame Street tackled anti-Asian bullying with the release of a music video called "Proud of Your Eyes," the latest in a series of the educational children's program dubbed, "Coming Together: The ABCs of Racial Literacy."
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In the video, an Asian girl named Analyn was bullied for having "slanty" eyes, an offensive insult that she says hurt her feelings. Segment co-hosts Alan and Wes console Analyn by assuring her she's beautiful. The three then break out into a song about how Analyn should be proud of her eyes and the story they tell.
“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," Alan sings in the music video.
"Maybe your eyes look different from mine. They're part of who we are," Wes adds to the tune. "But when we both smile our eyes both shine as bright as any star. Your eyes are beautiful and when you look at me I see someone wonderful."
"When you look at us we see someone wonderful," Alan and Wes sing in unison.
“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," the trio belts. At the end of the video, Analyn says she "felt better" after singing with Alan and Wes.
According to Sesame Workshop, which oversees Sesame Street, the goal of the campaign is to drive children to be champions of racial justice.
"Coming Together is Sesame Workshop's commitment to racial justice. We believe in a world where all children can reach their full potential and humanity—and do so in celebration of their races, ethnicities, and cultures," the organization's website states. "Together with experts, we've designed developmentally appropriate resources to help you guide your child to be smarter, stronger, and kinder—and an upstander to racism."
The organization indicated the videos are designed to be "resources" for parents looking to "develop children's understanding, curiosity, resilience, and empathy—and to prepare for the task of building a better world by standing up, standing tall, and standing together."
"All kids need a strong individual and group identity, but racism hurts the healthy development of both. Racism hurts our entire society," another section of the website states. "Whether you and the children in your care are directly affected by racism or you’re allies of those who are, engaging honestly and directly with little ones is the beginning of building racial literacy (the skills needed to talk thoughtfully about race and to identify and respond to racism)."
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