Dr. Seuss Books Like 'Horton Hears a Who!' Branded Racist and Problematic in New Study

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AsDr. Seuss’birthday approaches on March 2, a new study argues that many of the author’s classic children’s books are racist and problematic — and only two percent of his characters represent people of color.

“[This study reveals] how racism spans across the entire Seuss collection, while debunking myths about how books likeHorton Hears a Who!andThe Sneetchescan be used to promote tolerance, anti-bias, or anti-racism,” Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens write in their February 2019 report, “The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, AntiBlackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss’ s Children’s Books,” as part of St. Catherine University’sResearch on Diversity in Youth Literature.

They continue: “Findings from this study promote awareness of the racist narratives and images in Dr. Seuss’ children’s books and implications to the formation and reinforcement of racial biases in children.”

“Notably, every character of color is male. Males of color are only presented in subservient, exotified, or dehumanized roles,” the authors write as part of their findings. “This also remains true in their relation to White characters. Most startling is the complete invisibility and absence of women and girls of color across Seuss’ entire children’s book collection.”

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For the researchers, these types of portrayals are deeply troubling. And they aren’t the only ones saying so.

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In September 2017, Cambridgeport Elementary School’s librarian, Liz Phipps Soeiro, made a political statement that quickly went viral whenshe turned down a shipment of Dr. Seuss booksfrom First LadyMelania Trump.

“You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature. As First Lady of the United States, you have an incredible platform with world-class resources at your fingertips,” the librarian wrote in an editorial for The Horn Book’sreading blog,later adding. “Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”

The books had been delivered as part of the National Education Association’s Read Across America program, which first began in 1997 and coincides with the author’s birthday.

The NEA has also received criticism for associating with Dr. Seuss, since he has such a complicated history. So in 2018, for the first time in twenty years, the organization “removed all Dr. Seuss books from their annual Read Across America Resource Calendar, and featured all diverse books and authors at their RAA events,” according to the study.

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“I think there will always be a place for Seuss books — they are in every classroom and library in America — and in some cases, they’re effective for younger readers,” Steven Grant, a manager of Read Across America,told Education Week in October 2017. “That said, it’s not to the exclusion of all the other great books that are out there.”

While there has been a wave of criticism against Dr. Seuss and other children’s books (likeCharlie and the Chocolate FactoryandThe Chronicles of Narnia)for being racist, many readers continue to support these longtime favorites.

Domenic Sarno, the mayor of Dr. Seuss’ hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, fired back at Soeiro after learning about her rejection of the books.

“I don’t think nostalgia is a defense. Affection is not a defense,” Philip Nel, a professor of English as Kansas State University, told Education Week. “What you have to do is take a deep breath, step back, and realize that the culture in which these books live and in which these books were written is a racist culture and a sexist culture.”

source: people.com