South Asian representation in American kids entertainment — Arthur’s first day
Arthur has been known for creating characters based on animals. It has portrayed nuclear families, single-parent families, same-sex marriages, and many other eye-opening topics. This is the first time the show will include a delicate character that would represent “Sikhs.”
The character “Samir” will make his debut in "Arthur's First Day," an upcoming special scheduled to premiere on PBS on Sept. 6. The hourlong episode was created as part of season 25 before it was announced that the series would be ending.
Aardvark is entering his fourth grade and his gang will be getting a new friend: a Sikh boy named Samir. In the trailer, Samir can be seen wearing a patka (head covering worn by Sikh boys) and a kara (steel bangle that signifies an unbreakable commitment to god in the Sikh faith).
Get ready to see Arthur’s first day of fourth grade in a new special “Arthur’s First Day”, premiering in 2 weeks on @PBSKIDS and the PBS KIDS Video App. pic.twitter.com/Ycv1781GK6
— Arthur Read (@arthurpbs) August 24, 2021
“We did what we typically do — create a multidimensional character who Buster and other kids would be interested in hanging out with,” executive producer Carol Greenwald told CNN.