In a recent promotional video celebrating Arab-American Heritage Month, “Sesame Street” featured comedian Ramy Youssef and the character Elmo to introduce children to Arabic culture.
The video shows Youssef explaining that the greeting “salam alaykum” translates to peace and is commonly used as a way to say hello in Arabic. After teaching this phrase, Elmo repeats it to viewers: “Salam alaykum everybody.” Youssef, whose parents are Egyptian, expressed pride in his Arab heritage during the segment: “I’m so proud of my Arab heritage, and I’m so happy to share this month with my fellow Arabs and Elmo.”
The video also highlights the Arabic term “habibi,” which Youssef described as a word for “a special friend.” Elmo concludes by saying, “Happy Arab-American Heritage Month, habibi. We love you.” The segment has garnered over 1.2 million views on TikTok.
