“We find this caricature of ‘the Chinaman’ deeply hurtful and have concerns about children’s exposure to it"
A Dr Seuss museum that showcased ‘racist’ murals has replaced its controversial artwork.
In October 2017, a Massachusetts museum’s 80-year-old Seuss illustration of an Asian man was condemned for racism.
Taken from Seuss’s first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, the illustration shows an Asian man dressed in a silk robe holding a bowl of rice and chopsticks. The 1937 story follows a boy’s description of what he saw on the walk.
Illustrators Mo Willems, Lisa Yee and Mike Curato said of the artwork, “we find this caricature of ‘the Chinaman’ deeply hurtful and have concerns about children’s exposure to it.”
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno advocated to keep the original mural. “Dr. Seuss Enterprises holds all the cards and it’s not worth winning the battle only to lose the war,” Sarno said in a statement. “I believe people will be pleased with the new mural, which proudly continues to depict our beloved Dr. Seuss and our beloved Springfield.”
Three months later, the mural has been replaced, according to W Top. In a statement, the museum wrote, “Dr. Seuss Enterprises, in conjunction with the Springfield Museums, is thrilled to honor Theodor Seuss Geisel’s legacy as a proud citizen of Springfield and as a children’s book author who has delighted and educated children for generations.”
“The new mural is a celebration of Dr. Seuss’s wonderful journey starting on Mulberry Street and ending with Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”