SPRINGFIELD – If The Springfield Museums removes the mural from the The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum because of pressure concerning a cartoon of an Asian, businessmen Peter Picknelly and Andy Yee have vowed to buy the mural and find a place to display it.

Picknelly and Yee were joined by Mayor Domenic Sarno for a press conference at The Student Prince on Saturday – the restaurant they own – to announce their intentions.

Karen Fisk of Springfield Museums explained to Reminder Publications the mural is not for sale. She stressed that all of the intellectual property in the museum in controlled by Dr. Seuss Enterprises. The Museums have added interpretation to the mural and are in the process of  considering a new design to celebrate Seuss’ first book for children “And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street.”

Children’s authors and illustrators Mo Willems, Lisa Yee and Mike Curato released a statement about the artwork in question on Oct. 5. In it, the three artists wrote, “While this image may have been considered amusing to some when it was published 80 years ago, it is obviously offensive in 2017 (the year the mural was painted). For some children who visit the museum their only interaction with Asian representation might be that painting. For others, seeing themselves presented in such a stereotyped way may feed into internalized, even subconscious shame and humiliation. It is incumbent on our public institutions to present all races in a fair manner. Displaying imagery this offensive damages not only Asian American children, but also non-Asian kids who absorb this caricature and could associate it with all Asians or their Asian neighbors and classmates.”

The three declined to attend a planned Children’s Literature Festival hosted by the Museums and the event was cancelled.

Picknelly called the criticism “political correction gone too far.” Yee, whose parents immigrated from China in the 1950s said the image depicts “my ancestors coming to this country. You can’t change history.”

Yee continued saying his mother did not take offense at the illustration and neither did he. He added that if a person visits any Chinatown in a large American city there will be elders dressing very similar to that depicted in the drawing.

“It’s ludicrous. It’s history. It’s how Asian people came to this country,” Yee said.