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AAPI residents say Salem's seal caricature causes harm and should be removed
Summary
AAPI community members and others testified that the seal's imagery evokes harmful stereotyping; public commenters urged full removal rather than contextualization or limited changes.
Multiple public commenters told the committee that the city seal's depiction of a stylized Asian figure causes pain and perpetuates stereotypes. Flora Topat said the imagery contributed to childhood teasing and called for full removal: "It should be completely gone." Other commenters described the effect of caricature imagery on children and daily life.
Councilors took that testimony into account during deliberations. Councilor Varela framed the decision as balancing history with how a symbol is "experienced today," saying a figure that feels like a caricature "can feel disingenuous, hurtful, and offensive, particularly when it appears on the symbol representing the entire city." Public commenters pressed the council to prioritize the lived experiences of community members in deciding the seal's future.
