POLITICS: New Stamps Renew Racial Tensions with Mexico

Mexico faces renewed accusations of racism after releasing a new series of five stamps,portraying an embellished black cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin. The release comes just a few weeks after Mexican president Vicente Fox riled many by saying that Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that "not even blacks" want. Mexican officials are denying the stamps were intended to offend anyone.






To view larger image click on link below.

media.phillyburbs.com...

It should be noted that many Mexicans still assume all blacks are foreigners, in spite of the fact that at one point early in the Spanish colonial era, Africans outnumbered Spanish in Mexico. Kind of Ironic isn’t it? I say it is time to Deny their Ignorance

I am all for demanding the stamps be removed from circulation and Mexico should issue a complete and full apology. Sorry but I do not think this was not intentional. Keep in mind what President Fox said a few weeks ago. "Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that "not even blacks" want."



[edit on 6/30/2005 by shots]

Originally posted by shots
Keep in mind what President Fox said a few weeks ago. "Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that "not even blacks" want."
[edit on 6/30/2005 by shots]

Isn't that basically what Bush said when he stated "Immigrants take the jobs Americans don't want"
He didn't apologize to the 7.7 Million Ameican Tax Payers who are out of work.

Whats worse, some stamps in a foreign country, or the majority of African American males being arrested and imprisoned in the United States?

Lets get our priorities straight and keep our noses out of the business of foreign nations.

Quote:To view larger image click on link below.

media.phillyburbs.com...

It should be noted that many Mexicans still assume all blacks are foreigners, in spite of the fact that at one point early in the Spanish colonial era, Africans outnumbered Spanish in Mexico. Kind of Ironic isn’t it? I say it is time to Deny their Ignorance

I am all for demanding the stamps be removed from circulation and Mexico should issue a complete and full apology. Sorry but I do not think this was not intentional. Keep in mind what President Fox said a few weeks ago. "Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that "not even blacks" want." End quote.

dude worry about your own country lying to you, Tradeing blood for oil , and many other things dont worry about a cartoon thats not even from this country mind your own business whats wrong with some people today want to tell citizens of other countries how to live. Like a certain president we have ordering around non us civilians in non us soil.

Well, it's going to be interesting to see just what happens about this. I'm sure Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are devising their shakedown schemes, even as I write. Mexico owes no one an apology. If those cartoon characters are a part of their heritage, then so be it. I hope Vicente Fox has the cajones to tell the con men and the liberals where to go.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Well, it's going to be interesting to see just what happens about this. I'm sure Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are devising their shakedown schemes, even as I write. Mexico owes no one an apology. If those cartoon characters are a part of their heritage, then so be it. I hope Vicente Fox has the cajones to tell the con men and the liberals where to go.

Wow, you're really unbelievable Grady. One minute you'll say something reasonable and intelligent, then the next you'll say something like this..

Con men and Liberals? That's how you characterize people who are upset about a derogatory depiction of their ethnicity? Obviously, this stuff doesn't fly in America anymore. But since blackface cartoons like this were rampant in the past, does that mean it's part of our heritage? Is it perfectly fine for the Federal goverment it issue stamps that insult a group of it's citizens?

I don't know what you're thinking, but to me it seems like you're wishing for the day when it was alright for people to dance around in blackface and have insulting cartoons like that everwhere you look. Just because the majority of people in a nation doesn't realize something is wrong doesn't mean it isn't wrong. Mexico needs a wake up call to that fact.

Oh, and sometimes maybe you need to put aside your personal vendetta against Jessie Jackson and Sharpton. Just because they get involved in an issue doesn't mean the issue is moot.

Every race and ethnicity has been caricatured, not to mention countless individuals. It's about time some people got off their high horses and learned to take a joke like the rest of us and stopped looking at everything as an opportunity to throw a fit and demand money. Now what's so unreasonable about that?

Isn't that basically what Bush said when he stated "Immigrants take the jobs Americans don't want"
He didn't apologize to the 7.7 Million Ameican Tax Payers who are out of work.

A new record for blaming Bush/the US for something someone else does. Congrats.

Back on topic, all I gotta say is Wow! $6.50 for a stamp? And I thought our postage rates were out of hand here in the US!

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Every race and ethnicity has been caricatured, not to mention countless individuals. It's about time some people got off their high horses and learned to take a joke like the rest of us and stopped looking at everything as an opportunity to throw a fit and demand money. Now what's so unreasonable about that?

I couldn't let this go, streets go both ways Grady. This is OK but joking about Bush isn't? Come on, this partisan politics is veil thin and a little insulting.

Damn, I need a shower.

Why is this even news? It offends people who have black only awards or black only places at university.

Personally, flat out racism and discrimination is much worse than a stamp.

Interesting Stamps !

I wonder how the hispanic culture would take it if Califonia created a Stamp depicting border crossers as tax evaders ?

Or a mexican standing at the window of a fast food resturaunt or diggin a ditch ?

Are we getting to bothered about this stuff as a society ?

I remember years ago when (some) not all hispanics were complaining about the use of a small dog in Taco Bell commercials here in ths states.

I think we all need to be a little more careful in these times with racial issues.

And we need to (relax) a little bit more about this and not take it so damn serious !

Truth !

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Well, it's going to be interesting to see just what happens about this. I'm sure Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are devising their shakedown schemes, even as I write. Mexico owes no one an apology. If those cartoon characters are a part of their heritage, then so be it. I hope Vicente Fox has the cajones to tell the con men and the liberals where to go.

I am glad that I am not the only one to see what Jesse Jackson really is.

Is the world becoming skinless in that no matter what someone does or says insults them. the stamps are in bad taste in my opinion but maybe to someone else it is not. Its there country let them decide. If the US wanted to put out a stamp depicting an illegal as someone else suggested I would buy several for my stamp collection and I would laugh when i looked at them. to me that would be funny. And yes I can take a joke. If you want to make fun of a white boy that drives a pickup truck go ahead. Wait Jeff Foxworthy already has you beat.

Originally posted by cryptorsa1001

I am glad that I am not the only one to see what Jesse Jackson really is.

Is the world becoming skinless in that no matter what someone does or says insults them. the stamps are in bad taste in my opinion but maybe to someone else it is not. Its there country let them decide.

Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson a side this takes on a whole new picture.

ABC evening news carried the story and not once did they mention them by name. Instead they showed several Mexican American citizens who have lived in this country for years and they thought it was in bad taste. One even said something to the effect that their relatives in Mexco did not like blacks and like to make fun of them. It is not a cultural thing to them at all as some seem to want to imply.

Some thing you must know...

Blacks in Mexico are really rare, in fact most blacks here get jobs as T.V. ads actors because they are quite scarce.
Most Mexicans when we see a black will think of the U.S. or Brazil, not Africa...weird isnt it?

Memin Pinguin is a very old character who was portrayed a a black kid that was very mischevous, and had a quite nasty mother who would beat him if he did wrong (spank him).

That character is embedded in the cartoon culture, because it was portrayed as a poor kid (the underdog) who wanted to prosper...and it used the arquetipical black figure of the 1940s...

I guess some people have too much time on their hands and want tyo make an issue of everything when clearly there are more important things to worry about...

Originally posted by kix
I guess some people have too much time on their hands and want tyo make an issue of everything when clearly there are more important things to worry about...

You mean like the White House?

I think people are missing the point here. It isn't so much the comic book character, it's the fact that the government is issuing stamps with him on it. To many that means the Mexican government is endorsing that insulting chararacter.

The fact that so many people still don't see anything wrong with blackface depictions is really depressing. It's not like we're talking about Nogger Black ice cream here. It's rather obvious and has a long history.... Ah nevermind.

"Part of the heritage" doesn't wash.

Little Black Sambo is part of OUR heritage. Should we bring that character back?

Perhaps Mexicans didn't mind Speedy Gonzalez, and laughed along with everyone else. But that was then. Would they laugh at Speedy Gonzalez today?

I don't know how blacks in this country reacted to Little Black Sambo at the time. Perhaps they laughed along as Fox says Mexicans laugh along with Speedy Gonzalez. More likely (as was the case with Mexicans at the time) they just knew better than to speak up.

The images are quite offensive. They don't belong on a postage stamp. Somebody should have thought to have consulted with someone more attuned to black culture before coming out with the stamps. Though it's hard to imagine somebody so culturally insensitive to not have immediately understood these to be offensive.

The bottom line here is that this is Mexico's problem and not mine or anyone else's who lives anywhere other than Mexico. I grew up with Little Black Sambo and it was no different than any other children's story I was brought up with. It was humorous, fun and had a moral.

For those who don't like Mexico's choice of stamps, don't buy stamps in Mexico. If you're really hot and bothered about it, boycott Mexico, or do what I do when someone offends my sensibilities. Donate money to the cause.

I agree with the above post. This is Mexico's problem. Not that there shouldn't be a thread or anything. I didn't know about this, so I learned something.

Mexico is behind on a bunch of things. I think this is similar in a way to watching their television programs. I'm not black and I'm not Mexican so I don't know if the climate there is "let's laugh at black people because this is how they are" or if it's more like a misguided idea to make "fun" stamps of comic characters.

Who is upset about this? I mean what group of people? I mean, if it turns out to be an American politician or something getting air time, that's pretty pointless. Seems to me we've got enough probs here. If imagery is a problem, then boycott record companies who keep giving the big media push for pop stars who have murder records and gang ties.

[typo edit]

[edit on 30-6-2005 by 2nd Hand Thoughts]

Boy, if that ain't the truth. If you want negative black stereotypes, the US record industry is the king.

You have voted 2nd Hand Thoughts for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

well said

This is a petty issue. We have enough "image" problems in the US, let's fix them and maybe if it ever happens (which it's not) we can move on and fix the petty racial issues in Mexico.

They look like the "Robertsons Marmalade" golliwog charcters that were banned in Britain in the 80's. You would have thought that a civilised society like Mexico would be above this sort of needless racist stereotypes.
For some examples of the merchandise being sold in Britain in the 80's with these characters look here.
search.ebay.co.uk...