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 reso-
lution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the Government of Mexico for printing and dis-
tributing 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 stereo-
types 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-
•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 man-
nerisms; 
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 mar-
ket; 
Whereas civil rights organizations such as the National Coun-
cil of La Raza, the National Association for the Advance-
ment 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-
•HRES 347 IH 
ages 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 post-
age 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 Govern-
ment of Mexico to issue the postage stamps is incon-
sistent with United States policy to eliminate the 
vestiges of government sanctioned racial or ethnic 
discrimination and intolerance.
Æ