Dr. Seuss Books: This school district in Virginia says it is not banning its books. At the annual Read Across America Day, he just doesn’t emphasize them anymore

Dr. Seuss Books: This school district in Virginia says it is not banning its books. At the annual Read Across America Day, he just doesn’t emphasize them anymore

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But Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), located in Ashburn, said they are not banning books by the famous children’s author. It is just to discourage a connection between “Read Across America Day”, which was created to get children excited about reading, and Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Both fall on March 2 and have often been “historically connected” to each other, the district said in a statement.
“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial overtones in many books written / illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” said LCPS in its statement, which links to a 2018 School Library Journal article about the National Education Association focusing on its Read Across efforts America “in Diversity, not Dr. Seuss.”

Examples of racial connotations in the books include “anti-Japanese American political cartoons and cartoons depicting African Americans for sale subtitled in an offensive language,” wrote the LCPS.

“Given this research, and LCPS ‘focus on equity and culturally responsive instruction, LCPS has provided this guidance to schools during the past two years not to connect Read Across America Day exclusively with Dr. Seuss’ birthday.”

Dr. Seuss had a long history of publishing racist and anti-Semitic works, since the 1920s, when he was a student at Dartmouth College. There, Dr. Seuss once called black boxers gorillas, in addition to perpetuating Jewish stereotypes as being financially petty, according to a study published in the journal “Research on Diversity in Youth Literature”.

That study, published in 2019, examined 50 books by Dr. Seuss and found that 43 of the 45 colored characters have “characteristics aligned with the definition of Orientalism”. The two “African” characters, the study says, have anti-black characteristics.

Two specific examples, according to the study, are found in the books “The Cat’s Quizzer: ARE YOU Smarter than the Cat in the Hat?” and “If I ran the zoo”.

“In (” The Cat’s Quizzer “), the Japanese character is referred to as ‘a Japanese’, has a bright yellow face and is standing on what appears to be Mount Fuji,” the authors wrote.

Regarding “If I ran the zoo”, the study points to another example of Orientalism and white supremacy.

“The three (and only three) Asian characters who are not wearing conical hats carry a white man on their heads in ‘If I Ran the Zoo’. The white man is not only on top and being carried by these Asian characters, but he is also holding a gun, illustrating dominance. The text below the Asian characters describes them as “helpers who all use their slanted eyes” from ‘countries that no one knows how to spell’. “

The study also argues that since most of the human characters in Dr. Seuss’ books are white, his works – inadvertently or not – center on whiteness and thus perpetuate white supremacy.

LCPS said Dr. Seuss’ books are still available in the libraries and classrooms of his schools, “however, Dr. Seuss and his books are no longer the focus of America’s Reading Day at County Public Schools. of Loudoun “.

“We continue to encourage our young readers to read all kinds of books that are inclusive, diverse and reflect our student community, not just celebrating Dr. Seuss,” said LCPS.

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