The popular children’s program Sesame Street announced Monday it would debut a new character, Ji-Young, as the program’s first Asian American Muppet. In addition to being surprised Muppets now have ethnicities — Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Elmo, and Cookie Monster are from what ethnic group? — the justification for doing this now is almost equally as baffling.

Apparently, the executive at Sesame Street felt the need to create Ji-Young after the events of 2020 and the rise in anti-Asian American hate crimes.