THE NERVE!
Long time, eh? You have no idea!
Anyway, down to business!
I read an article from my man, Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald, about a controversy over Mexico issuing a series of stamps honoring a character known as Memin Pinguin. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/12049659.htm.
This lead me to do a little quick research, and I ran across this blog: http://ngrand78.blogspot.com/2005/06/memin-pinguin.html.
I've enclosed the relevant contents just in case you have trouble finding it with the address listed above, or are just too lazy to! 
The Mexican government has issued a series of five stamps depicting the 1940's character, Memin Pinguin. The stamps are part of a series that pays tribute to Mexican comic books. It is worth mentioning that this is the second series and that it was chosen for being the 50th anniversary of the character.
only a couple of months ago president Fox was criticized for making comments that were construed as racist. I'll agree that Memin Pinguin has exaggerated features thick lips and wide-open eyes. But what people have to take in consideration is that the Mexican culture is different, I am not going to say that discrimination doesn't exist in Mexico, it's just based in other characteristics, social status and wealth being the most notable ones. The truth is that back there the color of the skin is not important and people pay little attention.
now, if you are going to criticize this cartoon on the sole base of the character's appearance, why hasn't Archie gotten in trouble? I mean, isn't his red hair and freckles a stereotype? I mean, it is a cartoon, of course it's going to have exaggerated features. I remember reading the comic when I was a kid and it never made me think less of anyone, if anything and because of his mischievousness, he was my hero.
now I respect other opinions and I know a lot of people are not going to agree with me, but ultimately what we have to understand is that Mexico and the U.S. have very different cultures and you need to at least try to understand where other people are coming from before jumping into conclusions.
Here is my response to that balderdash. I sent him this as well. Hopefully he will respond to it.
I almost decided against replying when I read the response of Ravi, but I've decided to, if nothing else, echo his sentiment and, hopefully amplify it.
You mentioned people being unaware of the history behind the character and Mexican culture in general. Perhaps you should do a little (and I do mean "a little, because it wouldn't take much) research into the type of image this character, Memin Pinguin, has historically portrayed in American culture.
Let me ask you to consider this: If someone took one of the more offensive stereotypical portrayals of Mexicans(check out some of the older American cartoons - there have been some), made a cartoon character with a huge sombrero, pulled down over a hairy, perpetually sleepy, lazy face with bulbous, red nose (from drinking tequila constantly), and attributed "positive" characteristics to this character (friendly, happy, polite), do you think that some Mexican people would be deeply offended? Please don't tell me, "No."
By the way - trying to compare this character, Memin Pinguin, with Archie is so ludicrous as to be almost laughable. Almost. First of all, in this country anyway, white features are not seen to be offensive. There is nothing particularly demeaning about having red hair or freckles in the United States, if anywhere. I read Archie quite a bit growing up and I don't remember his features, as depicted, being exaggerated at all! Perhaps Jughead, with his elongated nose was a bit of an exaggeration, but Archie is no more offensive to American whites than Richie Cunningham!
When it comes down to it, your attempt to rationalize away the righteous indignation of African-Americans at this painful reminder of the humiliations that we have suffered for centuries in this country is as offensive or more offensive than the Memin Pinguin character and its celebration!!!
Here is my response to that balderdash. I sent him this as well. Hopefully he will respond to it.
I almost decided against replying when I read the response of Ravi, but I've decided to, if nothing else, echo his sentiment and, hopefully amplify it.
You mentioned people being unaware of the history behind the character and Mexican culture in general. Perhaps you should do a little (and I do mean "a little, because it wouldn't take much) research into the type of image this character, Memin Pinguin, has historically portrayed in American culture.
Let me ask you to consider this: If someone took one of the more offensive stereotypical portrayals of Mexicans(check out some of the older American cartoons - there have been some), made a cartoon character with a huge sombrero, pulled down over a hairy, perpetually sleepy, lazy face with bulbous, red nose (from drinking tequila constantly), and attributed "positive" characteristics to this character (friendly, happy, polite), do you think that some Mexican people would be deeply offended? Please don't tell me, "No."
By the way - trying to compare this character, Memin Pinguin, with Archie is so ludicrous as to be almost laughable. Almost. First of all, in this country anyway, white features are not seen to be offensive. There is nothing particularly demeaning about having red hair or freckles in the United States, if anywhere. I read Archie quite a bit growing up and I don't remember his features, as depicted, being exaggerated at all! Perhaps Jughead, with his elongated nose was a bit of an exaggeration, but Archie is no more offensive to American whites than Richie Cunningham!
When it comes down to it, your attempt to rationalize away the righteous indignation of African-Americans at this painful reminder of the humiliations that we have suffered for centuries in this country is as offensive or more offensive than the Memin Pinguin character and its celebration!!!
posted by ric @ 12:18 AM
3 Comments:
If someone took one of the more offensive stereotypical portrayals of Mexicans(check out some of the older American cartoons - there have been some), made a cartoon character with a huge sombrero, pulled down over a hairy, perpetually sleepy, lazy face with bulbous, red nose (from drinking tequila constantly), and attributed "positive" characteristics to this character (friendly, happy, polite), do you think that some Mexican people would be deeply offended?
Do you mean a depiction of this nature?
http://www.animationartgallery.com/images/WBL/WBL35C.jpg
As a mexican-american woman I can sincerely answer your question and tell you that I take no offense to the depiction of mexicans through this character, because I know that we all don't wear sombreros and sandals, or have red noses from drinking too much tequila. The african-american community in the United States has no right to criticize a caricature that is part of Mexican culture. My mother grew up reading Memin Pinguin comics, and probably has less stereotypical attitudes about african-americans than some of the Ph.D.'s I work for. It's too bad people take things out of context without researching the issue properly.
And if we are going to talk about the memin's features, I would then ask why aren't african-americans offended by let's say, the Fat Albert cartoon??
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ric, I am very aware of the kind of portrayal these types of characters have had in the history of the United States, if you read closely I mentioned the minstrel shoes from the 1830's were black characters are represented subservient, uneducated and simpleminded individual. I understand were you are coming from and if this comic was published in the United States I would share your indignation because it would actually be a slap in the face, for all of this I understand the outrage of the Afro-American community at the decision to publish these stamps.
What I want you and everybody else to understand is that the culture in Mexico is much more different, yes M.P. has exaggerated black features that can easily be associated with such racist AMERICAN publications. But this one is a Mexican comic strip with a much different background, in this comic is not at all described as uneducated or subservient, he actually more often than not outsmarts his teachers and classmates. I guess the point I want to make is that we can’t judge other cultures based on our own cultural experience.
The reason this character is not offensive in Mexico is because it simply doesn’t have the stigma that it has in the U.S. and this is why I would NEVER ask the American government to publish Memin Pinguin in American soil, all I ask from you is to be a little more open minded to realize that people from African decent in other countries have had different experience than people in the U.S.
Now I agree that my Archie comparison might not be the best and because of that my point might not have come across as I would’ve liked it. And you hit it right on the head when you used the phrase “in this country” and you did it several times, I agree that images like this are, and I quote, “a painful reminder of the humiliations that [your people] have suffered for centuries in THIS country.” And I would never try to belittle that, all am saying is that images are not being published in the U.S. they are part of the Mexican culture where they have a much more different history.
And to answer your question about the chubby drunk Mexican with the big sombrero. No, I take no offense to that image, talking about laughable rationalizations; you know what the big difference between this comparison is? That the cartoon you talk about is pretty much alive and in print today in American, just search on Google images for “Mexican” and I assure you that you’ll find at least two of such images. Now look for African-American and then tell me what you find. The reason? We Mexicans, or at least the majority of us, don’t take offense to is and that’s why it’s still around.
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