re

[redvispa]

www.mercurynews.com/mld/m...041266.htm (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/12041266.htm)

Anyone hear about this? I had a conversation with my mother (who is Mexican) and it was interesting because she herself didn't find this offensive at all. She grew up watching the cartoon and she said that the cartoon wasn't about 'race'.

My reaction to these stamps had been completely different -- I find that they are offensive and that they represent a negative history in not only Mexico but internationally -- a racisit history that I believe in Mexico, still very much exists. I'm dark skinned, and on more than one occassion, when my family visited Mexico, I was treated rudely, or called offensive racist names. My mother, who is light skinned, has never had such an expensive in her home country.

So I think it's interesting that folks are reacting really differently to these stamps. What does everyone else think about these stamps?

[handlem9z]

Here is a link to another article that actually has a picture of the stamp.

www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/am...index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/07/01/fox.stamp.ap/index.html)

[manskater]

Unfortunately Redvispa, there are racial problems among hispanics which is ironic considering many hispanics are the victims of stereotyping. I'm Puerto Rican and have seen the attitude towards the darker skin family members from the lighter skin family members. It just does not make sense.:rolleyes

[Jayjen36]

On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez had called the criticisms "a total lack of respect for our culture."

This makes little sense to me. When balancing the love of a cartoon character against the way the rest of the world understands your nation the better choice seems obvious! How does this man expect to deal with someone like Kofi Annan or Condoleezza Rice for that matter? There are an awful lot of people of African ancestry in the world that the leader of a nation will be forced to deal with, how can someone come from a culture that celebrates images like this and expect to be taken at all seriously? Frankly he sounds a little ignorant, as though he knows absolutely nothing about the world outside of Mexico.

You know, in watching the "Spanish language" channels in our area I've started to notice that not only do they not show people of African ancestry very often, they don't show people who have "native" features either. I watch some of the soap operas and such and all of the people look European! Now I see why that is.

I'm Puerto Rican and have seen the attitude towards the darker skin family members from the lighter skin family members. It just does not make sense.

I understand that manskater. That is a nasty little secret in the African-American community too, although you'll rarely hear anyone voice those opinions outside of the "community". You'll generally find that few black people would consider someone like Angela Basset, Naomi Campbell or Iman to be as beautiful as Halle Berry or Alicia Keys. Light colored skin and eyes and long hair are still very highly prized in the African-American community.

[manskater]

You know, in watching the "Spanish language" channels in our area I've started to notice that not only do they not show people of African ancestry very often, they don't show people who have "native" features either. I watch some of the soap operas and such and all of the people look European! Now I see why that is.

Jayjen -- you are so right.

[elliebea]

age their skin and risk melanomas getting darker under the sun for hours at a time.
?!

(I did it too -- in my foolish youth.)

[EigthAv]

I just don't know.Cartoonists have traditionally gotten away with pushing buttons,so to speak.SNL gets away with on and over the edge racial and ethnic lampooning.I found some of the "token whiteys" on otherwise predominantly black television shows of the late 70s and early 80s a bit embarrasing. They were usually the nerds,the ignorant or both.Whether you are offended or not will depend a lot on your life's experiences.The olde "Good Times",which was a 70s/80s mostly black comedy show, may have been offensive to some people,simply because the characters were rather black and they were poor folks.I knew people like some of the characters and they liked that show.I liked it too.It was funny.Funnier to me,than the all too stereotypical "Happy Days" with the almost sterile middle class white family and the Italian jerk who was supposed to be so cool,sexy and funny.The stamp is a different issue,imo.I can see why some folks are offended by it. You may as well have the olde picture of the early 20th century poor black boy on a bail of hay eating watermelon. I give far more leeway to the cartoonists,since they are artists and deserve a bit of artistic freedoms.When a government goes racial/ethnic,that is more serious business.