Yesterday a reader sent a link to a story about Mexico’s newly issued postal stamps, which for some inexplicable reason depict black caricatures reminiscent of a bygone era in the United States.
Dark-skinned people of African descent are subjected to this in Mexico? They have a big Negro problem down there, do they?
I wasn’t going to blog about this because it nauseates me, then I changed my mind. Michelle Malkin beat me to the punch anyway. Whenever I see racist caricatures of blacks from back in the day, I cringe. To think there was a time in the U.S. when whites openly mocked and ridiculed blacks with these exaggerated stereotypes, and blackface comedy was all the rage.
Ironically (and sadly), blacks also performed in blackface. To see it in 2005 coming from any country or anyone raises my blood pressure.
I don’t need more reasons to dislike Vicente Fox. The reasons I have are more than enough. His desire to dictate how we enforce our immigration laws, his disregard for the poorer, darker-skinned citizens of his own country (If you’re white, you’re alright!), and the self-interested, unethical, and open encouragement he gives them to invade our country (with George Bush’s complicity) fills me with so much disgust that I hope to meet him one day so I can tell him exactly what I think of him.
I don’t want illegal aliens removed from this land because Mexico is racist; I want them gone because they’re here illegally, have no regard for our laws and culture, seeking only America’s rich blessings and none of the responsibilities, and most of all, because they’re wreaking havoc on our health care and government school infrastructures, costing law-abiding American citizens millions.
But the people in power don’t care. They can afford private schools for their kids and doctors of their choice. Yet, some of these same people want socialized medicine, government doctors, so that we’ll have to wait six months for that life-saving surgery while they can afford the doctors of their choice. And I don’t say this often enough, so listen carefully: if you can’t afford private schools, homeschool your children! But I digress. From CNN:
The series of five stamps released for general use Wednesday depicts a child character from a comic book started in the 1940s that is still published in Mexico.The boy, hapless but lovable, is drawn with exaggerated features, thick lips and wide-open eyes. His appearance, speech and mannerisms are the subject of kidding by white characters in the comic book….Activists said the stamp was offensive, though officials denied it.
“One would hope the Mexican government would be a little more careful and avoid continually opening wounds,” said Sergio Penalosa, an activist in Mexico’s small black community on the southern Pacific coast.
Hapless but lovable? Who wrote this garbage? Probably some white, American, liberal journalist. Before my whole day is ruined, I need to stop writing.
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Related links: Jim Crow Museum, Wikipedia’s blackface entry…
Related posts: Curious George and the Fox, Vicente Fox, Racist?, Vicente Fox Was Right…
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Speedy gonzales has no comment.
“Activists said the stamp was offensive…” It took an “activist” to realize this? Good grief.
Now that is beyond offensive. Maybe there are some people out there that will show some genuine disgust (besides us) and slap Vicente “Crazy Like A Fox” Fox down and off his self-imposed pedestal. That guy needs a come-uppance really bad.
Redbeard, sad when it takes an activist to point out something so obvious to the rest of us to get on the news. *imagine eye roll here*
Anyway, I find it interesting that “officials” denied anything offensive. What officials and why am I not surprised? There never seems to be a dearth of people willing to deny the obvious. *imagine another eye roll here*
Okay La Shawn,I’m with you. I’m going to stop before I lose my appetite and I can’t eat my breakfast.
You know what LaShawn, they used to do this in Japan Animation all the time until probably the last 5 or 10 years.
If any of your kids watch Dragon Ball Z, look at the character Mr. PoPo, and also notice the way they draw all black characters.
Remember, America doesn’t just export goods and services, they also export perceptions. Numerous Japanese & Chinese individuals are indoctrinated to believe that all blacks are dangerous violent criminals or are inferior, except of course ‘Michael Jackson’.
La Shawn:
The Mexican stamps are racist at worst, bad taste at best.
I have mixed feelings about “blackface”.
Often, to be imitated is the greatest type of honor – it just depends on the context.
Some of the best music has been from “Minstrel Shows” – yet PC has basically eliminated them. Again, people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been the “representative of all Black people” in these issues. I am certain no one asked you what you thought.
Some college students went to a frat party dressed as the Jacson 5 – with blackface. Perhaps bad taste, but again they were imitating a group they obviously liked. Racist? Only if they thought the Jackson 5 were inferior people.
I grew up with the Amos and Andy TV show. Again, there was nothing racist about it to me. These were funny guys in any color. Again, the “representatives of Blacks” said it was racist, and guilty White people said OK – take it off the air.
Again, all this stuff depends on context. No doubt official stamps from the Mexican Government indidate a level of official approval – so there is not doubt about their intentions.
In these other contexts, there is a level of interpretation of peoples’ intentions.
Watching Amos and Andy doesn’t necessarily imply that the observer will think all Black people are inferior.
To claim “racism” you have to read people’s intentions – very difficult to do. It’s a little like “hate crimes” – people being accused of having “bad thoughts”.
But for the Mexican stamps, “bad thoughts” is quite obvious.
Oh yes. Most of our commercial hip hop artist now are modern day minstrels without the black face.
Like Lil John’s East Side Boyz, with one names Big Sam, the other named Lil Bo (Sambo).
Free market though.
La Shawn:
Ditto on the hopelessness of expecting good things from the Mexican Government.
This is officially sanctioned by the Mexican Government – it is NOT an accident or oversight.
Perhaps Ted Rall is the cartoonist.
Don’t care what America used to do, Dell.
Dell,
So Japanese and Chinese racism is America’s fault, too?
Never mind that many Japanese think they are the pinacle of humanity. Go read about the heirarchy proposed in their asain co-prosperity sphere.
The stamps are CLEARLY racist and I hope this incident revives discussion around my idea about installing anti-personnel mine fields along the Mexican border. Now with that being said, I see no difference between those abominable stamps and the gold-toothed, crotch-grabbing, foul-mouthed morons caling themselves hip-hop “ARTISTS!”
I would be equally flabbergasted to see any one of these idiots show ANY degree of outrage over these stamps. Hippity-hoppity “culture” has done more damage to the image of Black people than these dadgum stamps.
There is good to come out of this. It is NOTthe United States that hasn’t evolved from its racist past. It appears the rest of the world harbors the true racists and anti-semites with France and now Mexico leading the way.
Is there something that happens to the brains of people employed in a bureaucracy? Of course those stamps are racist. Have they had any stamps with similar caricatures of Hispanics?
IN Mexico? It wouldn’t surprise me. I heard more wetback and other racist labels for brown skinned mexicans in Mexico City than I did in Texas or any border state I’ve spent time in.
FYI – I remember that character. We I was a kid, my Grandmother would take me shopping and I remember seeing that comic book in the newstands. I think his name is Memin.
I’m happy to see that we agree in denouncing these stamps obviously, but why would you possibly speculate that it was a liberal writer who would describe these characters as hapless but lovable though? Sounds more like something a right-leaning, Trent Lott type writer would say. MOst so-called liberal types have been
Also, do you really believe illegal immigrants “have no regard for our laws and culture, seeking only America’s rich blessings and none of the responsibilities.” I’m not condoning illegal immigration but most of these folks would probably jump at the chance to become honest, tax paying citizens and not always have to be looking over their shoulders or living in the shadows. While I think Bush’s temporary work visa proposal from a couple years back was as much of a sop to hispanic voters before the last election as it was an honest attempt to resolve the undocumented worker issue, I can’t knock his efforts at trying to alleviate this chronic problem.
Sorry, meant to say above:
“All the so-called ‘liberal types’ I have read have been unqualified in their crticism of these characters.”
So – where are Americans of color going to spend their vacation dollars??? Cancun?!?!?
How very sad. Racism is alive and well in Mexico. If it’s not defeated there, socialism will take hold because 90% of the population will be desparate. That’s why they are coming here.
LaShawn, I believe we share a common attitude towards the so-called black leaders the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Had these stamps been issued by the US Post Office, I am sure that the good Reverends would be leading the charge to withdraw them. So questions do the good reverends have an obligation to express a similar disgust to the Mexican government and will they?
I say, that this is a leadership issue. If indeed the reverends are leaders of the black community, they have an obligation to lead the charge. I say that neither will.
I see actus is quick to the draw (Hey, Babaluie) with the old reliable “America-shouldn’t-complain-as-we-are just-as-bad-probably-worse-when-it-comes-to-racism” line of thought.
Sorry guys, This Black man is not so outraged over this. Why not you may ask? In a previous post I gave you a quick overview, but here is more detail. The following are items much more appalling, EMBARRASSING and damaging to the Black race than those silly stamps:
- Rep. Corinne Brown (D) of Jacksonville, FL, a so-called representative of black voters simply speaking and wearing those caricature producing, comical looking, ridiculous wigs and screaming racism everytime something doesn’t go her way
- Li’l John
- L’il Kim
- Flava Flav
- “Fitty Cent”
- Twisty curls and “doo-doo” braids
- Pants hangin’ off your behind and showin’ yo’ drawz
- Gold and jewel encrusted teeth
- Foul language
- Welfare babies born to teen and/or unwed moms at a whopping 70% rate. Neither with a future.
- Jerry Springer and Maury Povich’s shows
- Black Entertainment Television (BET)
- The new and “improved” NAACP and its leadership
I could go on and on.
The stamps? Forget about ‘em. Just a blib on the radar compared to what we do to ourselves.
La Shawn:
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised that this whole stamp thing was arranged by Mexican President Fox.
Your view of this issue most likely represents “the people”- more than Jesse Jackson represents “the people”.
But a public apology to you wouldn’t get Fox massive news and TV coverage.
This stamp issue gives Fox something to apologize for – and to get air time to tell Americans how lucky we are to have all these Mexicans in our back yard.
There’s nothing wrong with criticising these drawings, but please remember that they are from Mexico, not the United States, and they are not intended to capture any individual. Further, the mexicans have not been involved in our long discussion about racial sensitivities. If you’re going to criticize them, be sure to lay out a full foundation so they understand. There’s nothing wrong with explaining your reaction, but don’t be surprised if someone asks you “Why are you worried about our comics, when your newspapers run all those cartoons that make Mr. Bush look like a monkey?”
I say this because some of my friends from Panama had real trouble understanding why some people were offended by the Taco Bell Chihuahua. They really loved that “Here Leezard, Leezard, Leezard” series because they identified with the tiny dog.
“I see actus is quick to the draw (Hey, Babaluie) with the old reliable “America-shouldn’t-complain-as-we-are just-as-bad-probably-worse-when-it-comes-to-racism†line of thought. ”
Rather, we should complain about more!
Honestly, I think we should let Mexico work through their racial issues on their own. I still see the occassional “lawn jockey” and “mammy” salt and pepper shakers in or near the homes of “non-racist” whites in the United States. You can shop E-bay for memorabalia items until your heart’s content and, despite the “modernization” of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, the fact that popular food items are still named after southern black slaves/servants shows that America isn’t exactly over their fascination with “old darkies” either.
Lashawn,
Mexicans are racists with respect to their own people that are more Native American or African American than the standard of Vicente Fox. Along the border they speak Tex-Mex and in Mexico City more Spanish. In a short time, you can drive from San Antonio to Mexico.
JMB
Dell, you honestly believe that anti-black racism is caused by and exported from, America? That other nations needed us to teach them intolerance?
Ms. Barber,
I cannot trackback to your site. I have tried several times and am told, “forbidden” and “404 not found”.
Do I need to register to trackback? I am using Haloscan. Is there some technical glitch with Haloscan? Please respond.
Try Simpletracks. Haloscan and WordPress don’t get along:
http://kalsey.com/tools/trackback/ – Admin
SCSI: America is just a little over 200 years old as a nation yet somehow you have people out there who think WE invented intolerance.
Mexico has yet to deal with its internal racism. But I don’t care how many rappers there are that offend my sense of diginity, this stamp is offensive and if Mexico can’t deal with its racism then American should teach it something (although we could use a couple of lessons here). I for one am never going to spend another vacation dollar in Mexico and if more Americans get that attitude, watch how fast Mexico change their tune on this.
I don’t want illegal aliens removed from this land because Mexico is racist; I want them gone because they’re here illegally, have no regard for our laws and culture, seeking only America’s rich blessings and none of the responsibilities, and most of all, because they’re wreaking havoc on our health care and government school infrastructures, costing law-abiding American citizens millions.
I’d count racism as prime example of having no regard for our laws and culture, and yet another reason why U.S., as one of the least racist countries on the planet, should be a bit more careful over who it lets in, how many, when, etc.
Actus’s analogy to Speedy Gonzales, however, is inapt. These new stamps are truly racist, but all the outrage over Speedy Gonzales is manufactured. The P.C. Police may hate him, but ordinary Hispanics love him.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,49543,00.html
The Speedy Gonzales argument is a farce. That’s like saying Fat Albert is an insensitive cartoon to overweight people or Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale are offensive to Russians. This one is so Common sense that its not even funny.
As for a liberal or conservative bent… I can’t see one here. There are some things that are easy to call and this is one of them.
Not only that, when was the last time anyone has actually seen a Speedy Gonzalez cartoon.
Didn’t the US sort of outgrow those kind of portrayals and stop showing that cartoon?
DANG I HOPE THEY BRING IT BACK! Love it!
Aye-Aye-Yi-Yiiiiiiieeee…..ARIBA ARIBA…ONDULAY!
The “Fritos Corn Chips Song” Anyone remember that?
Hey I loved Speedy Gonzaleaz when I was a kid but I could see people thinking it was racist or being offended by it in today’s day and age. I’d say it’s a sign of progress that it’s not being aired today. Maybe Mexico could take a cue from that.
> As for a liberal or conservative bent… I can’t see one here. There are some things that are easy to call and this is one of them.
Agree, which is why I was confused as to why Lashawn would go out her way to say “Who wrote this garbage? Probably some white, American, liberal journalist.”
Wow, I just can’t wait to see their Jewish, Italian, and Polish stamps come out. Stamp collectors must be foaming at the mouth for the release of the Tony Soprano stamp.
One of the BEST movies I have ever seen. Entertaining to say the least. “Green Pastures” 1936.
If you EVER get a chance to watch or purchase this movie please do and if you are Black and say you don’t still laugh at Buckwheat, Stymie and Farina, you are LYING! LOL!!!
You know, strictly going from percentages, if the writer was white, they’re more likely to be conservative.
Xrlq:”I want them gone because they’re here illegally, have no regard for our laws and culture, seeking only America’s rich blessings and none of the responsibilities,”
The no regard for culture part I don’t mind. So long as they bring tasty food.
The primary consumers of rap music are suburban whites. The rappers and the record companies, while not blameless, really are just responding to a demand for a certain image. Since insular suburban white kids are the ones demanding these images, it isn’t surprising that the images are uber-stylized, distorted, and minstrelish (is that a word?).
I have no idea how to solve this problem.
I would love to see Actus’ action upon seeing someone climbing into an open window of his house one night.
Actus would wake up shrieking….WELCOME!!!!! “Pull up a cot. Let me go get you a blanket and a hot meal.” My check book is on the coffee table if you need some money.” I’ll be right back.
Here you go. . I’m going back to bed so I can wake up early so I can work overtime to support you now that you are here.
My daughter gets home at about three. Have at her if you wish. If you go outside for any reason stay low. Not everyone in this neighborhood is as nice, loving and tolerant as I am.
He harbors an illegal immigrant cousin of his already….
“He harbors an illegal immigrant cousin of his already…”
Harbor? I’ve seen her once at the family’s house at x-mas time.
You know where the illegal immigrant lives and you aren’t reporting to the authorities…
Harbor may not be the exact right word. Dictionary.com says – 1 : to receive secretly and conceal (a fugitive from justice)
You know, strictly going from percentages, if the writer was white, they’re more likely to be conservative. -Horatio
I’d like to see that math that backs that up, H. Remember to factor in that the press admits to an overwhelming democrat voter registration.
The primary consumers of rap music are suburban whites. The rappers and the record companies, while not blameless, really are just responding to a demand for a certain image. Since insular suburban white kids are the ones demanding these images, it isn’t surprising that the images are uber-stylized, distorted, and minstrelish (is that a word?)., again, Horatio
What came first, H, the white kids buying CDs or thug rappers? The thug image may be the one that sells, but I think it predated the market you cite.
Erm, yeah…the Japanese and Chinese didn’t learn racism from anyone so you can’t blame the US for that one. They were suspicious of and condescending to other races from the start. Japan also had/have a caste system in place so they were well accustomed to discriminating against people.
re: all cartoons are caricatures — Yes, they are, but not all of them are state-sanctioned postage stamp art. It’s one thing to make a derogatory comic for sale but an entirely different thing for a government to put that comic on a stamp that represents its country.
“You know where the illegal immigrant lives and you aren’t reporting to the authorities…”
I actually don’t know where she lives.
Once removed. you could find out.
“Once removed. you could find out. ”
I’m interested to know in how I can conceal something that I don’t know.
Hear no evil. Seen no evil. Speak no evil.
I guess nothing happened. There are no illegal immigrants including your cousin Actus.
“I guess nothing happened.”
Nothing i find that evil. no. not evil.
Actually, altho Aunt Jemima was a stereotype Uncle Ben was a successful and respected rice farmer. One can make a case that the branding is an honor rather than an exploitation.
A post I saw elsewhere regarding these stamps referenced the old Darkie brand toothpaste. The trademark was a gentleman of color (actually depicted in high contrast black and white) with shiny white teeth. Altho it played on a stereotype, it was still vastly less insulting than these stamps.
Remember something: Mexican culture is not American culture. And Rev. Jackson and the White House are not above mexican sovereign.
“Mexican culture is not American culture.” Thank goodness. That clarification is appreciated.
Am I the only Black person HIGHLY OFFENDED when homsexual special rights groups compare their jihad for forced acceptance a sinister BEHAVIOR to my fight to simply be recognized as a human?
Wouldn’t it be fair to say that even a WHITE, homosexual “male” STILL has rights I don’t have and access to power that I can only dream of?
Note to the gay lobby: Don’t EVER make the mistake of comparing your self-inflicted plight to to that of the Civil Rights movement and my natural, unchangeable skin color.
Our fights are not the same and the cause is not common.
I would only disagree mildly with your second paragraph. On the rest I fully agree. It’s always silly to compare apples with oranges, and particularly silly to compare abnormal apples with normal oranges.
“Am I the only Black person HIGHLY OFFENDED when homsexual special rights groups compare their jihad for forced acceptance a sinister BEHAVIOR to my fight to simply be recognized as a human?”
Are any muslims offended when their jihads are compared to homosexuals? Or homosexuals offended when their struggle for equality is compared to fundamentalist theocrats?
Actus: “Are any muslims offended when their jihads are compared to homosexuals?”
Um… I don’t care.
Anyone care what homosexuals or muslims think?
“Thank goodness. That clarification is appreciated.”
You’re welcome. And, in fact, mexican culture is older, with more tradition and more sensitive to the world than american culture. Starting with the fact that americans never see “out of the box” of their own country. Have you ever read Memin pinguin? Do you know what’s the comic is about? “I don’t care” you could answer. But ok, in México we don’t care about Rev. Jackson and your racism history. That history never ocurred here in Mexico, we never had “Sambo” style comics, offending other races.
This blog is run by an American. English only. – Admin
my fight to simply be recognized as a human – Raymond
How old are you Ray?
“Anyone care what homosexuals or muslims think? ”
Raymond, you’re certainly the one with the opinions people care about.
I received a comment from a Mexican representing a divergent point of view at my blogsite:
http://www.mcculloughsite.net/stingray/archives/2005/06/30/stamps_bad_comi.php
I’m not a fluent Spanish-speaker but I’ve provided a translation.
Actus, you can’t have good debate unless you put ALL options on the floor and not simply the ones you are comfortable with. As I have exposed, there are people here who talk a god game UNTIL you put a REAL scenario in front of them calling for a REAL solution. Then invariably, they go weak and capitulating.
The Democrats call them “chicken hawks.” I call them RINOs.
I notice that no one has addressed my comparison of my idea to that of those lunatic “Oppenheimer Boys” at Los Alamos actually planning to build and USE and atomic weapon on ……..PEOPLE!
I bet the people so averse to my minefield idea are all about the US Navy building stealthy NUCLEAR boomers in order to deter agression, invasion and attack.
Mention a simple minefield to stop the flow of MILLIONS of invaders and you become Hitler and Stalin. Hey, here is a novel idea. Let’s convince the South Koreans to remove their minefields. After all, the NKs are just a por oppressed people loking for better opportunities in the south. Why are we so inhumanely stopping them from the pursuit of happiness?
“After all, the NKs are just a por oppressed people loking for better opportunities in the south.”
I think your ‘putting all options on the floor’ style would work better if it wasn’t based on such silly things.
Here are some other silly ideas:
- Hey, let’s get a rag tag bunch of farmers and fight the British Army!
- Hey, let’s send 300,000 men over to fight Saddam’s 5th Largest Army in the world on HIS turf!
- Hey let’s put a man on a bomb and shoot him into space!
- Hey let’s put a man on a bomb and shoot him to the moon and then bring him back!
- Hey let’s build a skyscraper, knock it on its side, put it in the water and then fly planes off of it.
- Hey, let’s prevent this disease by actually giving people some of the disease before they actually catch it!
- Hey, Let’s put a computer in every home!
- Hey, let’s put this sheet on your back and push you out of this airplane?
- Hey Rangers! LEAD THE WAY up that cliff while the Germans are firing down at you and secure that objective!
…………
“Hey, let’s send 300,000 men over to fight Saddam’s 5th Largest Army in the world on HIS turf!”
I’ve heard a lot of critiques of the war plan. but silly is not one.
I think it has been well established that you don’t pay attention and that you have an uncanny knack for picking the one line of an argument to build your straw man.
You’re classic my friend. Thanks for being the iron in the Haber Process.
Because the North Korean Army and Kim Jong Il salivating over South Korea are just like the mexican and south american poor that are sneaking across the Rio Grande… OK then.
and I can’t believe I am about to defend actus, but… Ray, you are doing just what you accuse actus of doing. But in a more over the top, more insane way.
The fact that you can’t see the similarities is why you are unfit for leadership and voicing your opinion in a place where you can celebrate your own legend.
While real people like me are out solving real problems with REAL problems, you can stay here and pontificate ad nauseum over estrogen induced silliness.
I’m sure Oprah and Dr. Phil would give you and audience for your “bold” ideas.
Peace ya’ll. I’m out. Have a WONDERFUL 4th of July weekend!!!!!
BE SAFE!!
Ummm…. Ray…. I think you’ve topped yourself with that last one.
“I think it has been well established that you don’t pay attention and that you have an uncanny knack for picking the one line of an argument to build your straw man.”
I don’t think pointing out your sillyness is much of a straw man.
While real people like me are out solving real problems with REAL problems
Your right. Your solutions to real problems are REAL problems, in and of themselves.
LOL
OH BOY! After slaving away on some technical documentation (my fingers are sore)…. I come by and see that last one from SCSI. I had to LOL !
Some people’s children….
I used to have a boss who escaped Communist China to Hong Kong then came to the US. He bragged to me that they never had a race problem in China. They usually killed all the “foreign devils” [their word for foreigners] in their midst.
So this is offensive to BLACKS? Mind if I join in and say it’s offensive to me, too?
Geez.
Sometimes I wonder if editors of these news articles ever get out into the real world.
I think we have two people who think they own opinion worth on this site.
Someone has promoted themselves to VIP. LOL!!
QUOTE: “for some inexplicable reason depict black caricatures reminiscent of a bygone era in the United States”
And I’ll give you the reason they depict blacks as they do in Mexico.
And the reason is simple…the whole freedom/civil rights/segregation deal that happened in the United States… never happned outside of the United States.
In Mexico, things stayed as they were in the 40 and 50’s. There was no national movement that protected blacks in that country, for the simple reason that in that country, the black community is tiny. Most of them live in a single state ot two (Veracruz mostly).
And there was no real reason for such a movement aside from comic books like Memin Penguin.
The problem is that in Mexico, things stayed as they were in the 40’s when it came to depicting black people. The drawings of Memin are based on many American cartoons (even some Warner Bros. toons!) from the 40’s.
BUT this character, Memin, despite it’s unfortunate looks (that clearly are based stereotypes), is not really meant to be racist. The character is depicted in the comic as noble and a good son to his mother. Since the 40, this character has become a hero to a segment of comic book readers in Mexico.
And the problem can be solved… the way it can be solved, is if an african american delegation goes to mexico and learns about the culture, and then and only then decides how it can spread the word on why such material is offensive. You cannot expect another country to know your history. And evidently, in Mexico, they don’t know whack about what happened in America regarding the abolition of slavery, Martin Luther King, Malcom X, etc.
Also, this Memin character needs to be re-designed (it’s unlikely it could be banned from Mexico). It has to be up to date. Just like Mickey Mouse and other toon characters were updated. Memin has to be re-designed to be portrayed as a normal human being and not as a stereotype of a certain race. I mean, they’re using the same friggin design from the 40’s!
But to the author of this main article, I must say that it is stupid to say that all Mexican see black people as short stubby caricatures. Let’s not forget that that’s how most portray us Mexicans! (short and stubby). Only that we take it with a grain of salt. We can afford that cuz we have not sufferred as the black people have suffered. So I understand that blacks have a right to complain.
And they can do something about it, by taking their knowledge of the fight against racism to Mexico. Tell mexicans why it is wrong to portray blacks as so. You cannot put blame on people who ignore that they are doing wrong!
Riiiiiight. Nobody in Mexico has the faintest idea why the caricature is stupid. Big white lips on a little black kid are really FUNNY. Shucking and jiving (American terms?) are hysterical, and a big, fat, black woman with a rag on her head and looking like a slave is quite entertaining. NO idea why such offensive portrays would offend black Americans?
Did you actually read the links I took the time to provide in this post? Check out the Jim Crow museum and Wikipedia’s entry on blackface. And don’t come back until you can tell ME why black Americans are offended. – Admin
¿Have you ever read that comic?
Well, let me tell u it never meant to be racist. Maybe the “blackface” is ofensive to black people, but the comic was about a nice and honest kid.
Maybe we have a stereotype, but it is not discriminnatory. In this case, the kid is cuban and when we think about a cuban we think about music, dance and joy, no drugs, no crime, no inferiority.
About the sad statement comment that Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that “not even blacks” want. All I can say, is that it is a popular comment in my country. But we say that, not because we think black people are 2nd class citizens. We say that, because in YOUR movies and tv shows, YOU have shown us the image of a black man doing the worse jobs. YOU have all that movies with black gangs, back drugdealers. So, when we say that black people takes the worse jobs, it’s because YOU show that in YOUR movies.
Talking about stereotypes, I don’t talk or dress like Speedy Gonzalez. =)
“Talking about stereotypes, I don’t talk or dress like Speedy Gonzalez. =) ”
how about his slower lazy cousin?
Once, for Halloween (in those unPC days gone by), I was the Frito-Bandito.
Although, Alex, if you’re listening still, La Shawn and most of her regulars are no fans of the entertainment industry that keeps churning out these images.
Anyone else find it sad the Parkers was on the air longer than Roc?
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