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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 347 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 celebrating 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. Images like these have no place in today's 
        world.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the Government of Mexico for issuing a 
        blatantly racist series of postage stamps;
            (2) calls on Mexican President Vincente Fox to immediately 
        cease printing and distributing the postage stamps and recall 
        from circulation those postage stamps currently on the market;
            (3) calls on President Fox to apologize to the citizens of 
        Mexico and the citizens of the United States for the decision 
        to circulate the stamp series; and
            (4) declares that the decision of the Government of Mexico 
        to issue the postage stamps is inconsistent with United States 
        policy to eliminate the vestiges of government sanctioned 
        racial or ethnic discrimination and intolerance.
                                 <all>
```