It's not exactly a secret that, before becoming the famous children's author known as Dr. Suess, Theodor Geisel eked out a living by drawing seemingly racist political cartoons. From the 1920s through the 1940s, Geisel drew cartoons depicting blacks as jungle savages and Asians with buck teeth and squinted eyes. As schools across the country celebrated National Read Across America Day (which coincided with Dr. Suess' birthday on March 2), two children took it upon themselves to "educate" their fellow classmates about the author's racist past by distributing flyers around their elementary school.
According to the Angry Asian Man blog, Rockett Wong, 11, and Zoe Wong, 10, attempted to distribute flyers which read: "Dr. Suess was very racist. He insulted people of different color and religion by drawing racist cartoons." The flyers also included reproductions of Geisel's offensive cartoons.
Flyers confiscated by teachers
The teachers confiscated the flyers and reported the incident to the school's principal, who emailed the children's parents stating that school is not the appropriate place for young children to pass out political propaganda.
Steve Wong immediately fired back an email of his own, defending Zoe and Rockett's decision to "educate people about Geisel's past racism." Mr. Wong insisted that "America's educational intuitions should pride themselves as space for critical thought" and took umbrage with the teachers for depicting Dr.
Suess as a "one dimensional subject" rather than a subject with "differing intersectional layers."
Is it necessary to bring up Geisel's past mistakes?
Wong, however, did point out in his lengthy rebuttal that Geisel had a change of heart toward minorities later in life, thus raising questions as to the true motivations behind the Wong children's anti-Suess crusade.
While the Wong children presented information about Dr. Suess that was indeed true, one can't help but wonder why the Wongs took it upon themselves to draw attention to the darkest chapter in the life of an otherwise commendable and beloved figure. Some may argue that the students merely wanted to set the record straight about Dr.
Suess, but many would also argue that ten-year-olds should have the right to read "The Cat in the Hat" without being subjected to a lecture on social justice -- the same way ten-year-old children should be allowed to learn about Thomas Jefferson without a lecture about his sexual relations with Sally Hemings.
