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Category: Controversial

The Racist Side of Dr. Seuss You Didn't Know About

The Racist Side of Dr. Seuss You Didn’t Know About

Posted on April 20, 2016May 12, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Before Dr. Seuss was famous, he drew racist political cartoons during the 1920s through the 1940s. Was Dr. Seuss himself a racist, or did he just draw these cartoon for a paycheck? He was a racist. Geisel himself was vocally anti-Japanese during the war and had no trouble with rounding up an entire population of…

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Seal Beach California pier

Where Am I From? A loaded question!

Posted on May 13, 2014May 16, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

After the brouhaha from Thoroughly Modern Millie, I feel like I am way more sensitive to racism so when I get asked “Where am I from?”, this video immediately comes to mind. So where am I from? Or where am I from … from?! I was born in Anaheim, California, not far from Disneyland. I grew…

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racist Thorough Modern Millie

Today I am on the Front Page of The Boston Globe

Posted on March 18, 2014May 17, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Today I am on the front page of The Boston Globe for the past week of posts that I wrote on my microblog, I Love Newton, about the anti-Asian racism in the local high school musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. School play’s stereotypes bring outcry and apology. “Millie” touches a nerve in Newton by Ellen Ishkanian,…

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pink slime and McDonalds

I’m Sponsoring Study On Pink Slime and Autism: $3000 Research Stipend

Posted on October 28, 2013May 19, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

When I was nineteen-years-old, I went to my local hospital, the Long Beach Veterans Administration, and slid my resume with a cover letter under all the doors of the doctors in hopes of getting medical research experience as a volunteer. A doctor, Dr. Larry Parker, in the Endicronology department called me and put me on…

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pink slime and McDonalds

Pink Slime is Everywhere

Posted on October 21, 2013May 19, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I’m in a bit of a Twitter war with McDonalds {my kids giggle as they read this}. You see, I’ve only recently found out they put Pink Slime in their hamburgers. While they have ceased this disgusting additive about a year and a half ago, my kids were eating McDonald’s hamburgers as part of their Happy…

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Columbus Day controvery, Columbus Day songs, Columbus Day books for kids

Columbus Day Controversy

Posted on October 14, 2013May 19, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Columbus Day is a school holiday but my kids only learned about why they [really] get the day off when they were in preschool. Why don’t they learn more in elementary school? Perhaps it’s because of the controversy over his “feat.” There are three main sources of controversy involving Columbus’s interactions with the indigenous people…

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Banned and Challenged Books

20 Banned or Challenged Books to READ!

Posted on September 21, 2011May 29, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

I am going to make a point of reading these banned and challenged books, if only to understand where on the continuum they belong in my children’s hands. How about you? How do you feel about banned or challenged books? Please comment!

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I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen Pragmatic Mom

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog excessively about diverse children’s books (picture books through middle grade). I am also the co-founder of Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Jan 25, 2024, our 11th year!

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