IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 347

Condemning the Government of Mexico for printing and distributing blatantly 

racist postage stamps and urging Mexican President Vincente Fox to 

immediately cease printing and distributing the postage stamps and 

recall from circulation those postage stamps currently on the market. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 30, 2005

Mr. CLEAVER (for himself, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CLAY, Mr. AL GREEN of 

Texas, Ms. CARSON, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. LEE, Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, and Mr. CROWLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Condemning the Government of Mexico for printing and distributing blatantly racist postage stamps and urging 

Mexican President Vincente Fox to immediately cease 

printing and distributing the postage stamps and recall 

from circulation those postage stamps currently on the 

market.

Whereas Mexican-Americans and African-Americans have 

fought for decades to eliminate and erase racist stereotypes and depictions that dominated all forms of media 

in the early twentieth century; 

Whereas on June 29, 2005, the Government of Mexico issued 

a series of five postage stamps commemorating and cele-
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•HRES 347 IH 

brating Memin Pinguin, a comic book character created 

in the 1940’s, who is depicted as a dark skinned Jim 

Crow-era cartoon; 

Whereas Memin Pinguin is depicted as a black child with 

dark skin and greatly exaggerated eyes and lips similar 

to Jim Crow memorabilia ‘‘pickaninny’’ caricatures and 

his mother resembles a ‘‘Mammy’’ caricature; 

Whereas in the comic book series Memin Pinguin is taunted 

by white characters for his appearance, speech, and mannerisms; 

Whereas the Mexican Postal Service has authorized the 

issuance of 750,000 of the stamps which may be used in 

the Mexican domestic market and the international market; 

Whereas civil rights organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Urban League, and 

the Rainbow/PUSH coalition have denounced the racist 

postage stamp series; 

Whereas in reference to Mexican citizens taking jobs in the 

United States, Mexican President Vincente Fox was 

quoted last month as saying that Mexican citizens work 

jobs that ‘‘even blacks don’t want’’; 

Whereas the racist images depicted in the Memin Pinguin 

stamp series are patently offensive and further the belief 

that the Government of Mexico, as well as President Fox, 

condones discrimination and stereotypes; and 

Whereas White House officials are quoted as saying ‘‘racial 

stereotypes are offensive no matter what their origin. The 

Mexican government needs to take this into account. Im-
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•HRES 347 IH 

ages like these have no place in today’s world.’’: Now, 

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) condemns the Government of Mexico for 

3 issuing a blatantly racist series of postage stamps; 

4 (2) calls on Mexican President Vincente Fox to 

5 immediately cease printing and distributing the post6 age stamps and recall from circulation those postage 

7 stamps currently on the market; 

8 (3) calls on President Fox to apologize to the 

9 citizens of Mexico and the citizens of the United 

10 States for the decision to circulate the stamp series; 

11 and 

12 (4) declares that the decision of the Govern13 ment of Mexico to issue the postage stamps is incon14 sistent with United States policy to eliminate the 

15 vestiges of government sanctioned racial or ethnic 

16 discrimination and intolerance.

Æ