Memin Pinguin Stamps Racist Or Not Part I Of II

In June of 2005, the Mexican Postal Service (SEPOMEX) issued a series of five stamps that featured a character named Memin Pinguin. Memin is a fictional character from Mexico that has been popular since 1943.

Once the stamps were released in Mexico, there was quite a bit of controversy, all the way to the United States White House. Many people, especially Americans immediately cried racism because of these stamps. The stamps depict an exaggerated Cuban-Mexican black child cartoon character with features that also resemble a monkey.

The stamps were issued as part of the History of Mexican Comics series. Memin Pinguin has been a popular Mexican comic book character since being created. He is so popular in Mexico that he has been interviewed by many magazine publications. He is also considered one of the most famous members of the Mexican Scout Association. Coinciding with the stamps release date, Memin was included on the Scouts June 1995 magazine cover.

Racism charges stem from the very unflattering manner in which Memin and his mother are drawn. In the comic books, he is often referred to as Negro and is at times kicked by lighter skinned people. This style of drawing has its roots in American minstrel and blackface shows, which would be considered highly offensive in this day and age if
they still existed.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion to this post.