Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Ramy Youssef Teaches Arabic on Sesame Street, Sparks Backlash

4/22/2026

50 12 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ramy Youssef, actor and comedian, appeared on Sesame Street for Arab American Heritage Month.
He taught Elmo Arabic words, including habibi and salamu alaykum.
The segment drew over 150,000 likes on Instagram and sparked backlash from conservatives.
Youssef said he was surprised by the reaction and noted broader language backlash differences.

1 of 1

Story summary

Ramy Youssef, actor and comedian, appeared on Sesame Street for Arab American Heritage Month.
He taught Elmo Arabic words, including habibi and salamu alaykum.
The segment drew over 150,000 likes on Instagram and sparked backlash from conservatives.
Youssef said he was surprised by the reaction and noted broader language backlash differences.