From @masslive: “The artwork appeared in Theodor Geisel's first Dr. Seuss book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," which was published in 1937. Authors Mo Willems, Mike Curato and Lisa Yee of Northampton, who signed the letter and posted it on social media , said they found part of the mural "deeply hurtful" and would not attend the Oct. 14 event. (The festival has since been canceled.) "... we recently learned that a key component of this institution honoring Dr. Seuss features a mural depicting a scene from his first book, 'And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street,' and within the selected arts is a jarring racial stereotype of a Chinese man, who is depicted with chopsticks, a pointed hat, and slanted slit eyes. We find this caricature of 'the Chinaman' deeply hurtful, and have concerns about children's exposure to it."” #drseussracist #drseuss #racism #racist #picturebook #illustration #kidlit #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #momsofinstagram #librarians @springfieldmuseums “While this image may have been considered amusing to some when it was published 80 years ago, it is obviously offensive in 2017 (the year the mural was painted),” they wrote. “For some children who visit the museum, their only interaction with Asian representation might be that painting. For others, seeing themselves represented in such a stereotypical way may feed into internalized, even subconscious shame and humiliation. It is incumbent on our public institutions to present all races in a fair manner.”
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