Walmart Removes Mexican Comic “Memin Pinguin”
Saturday, July 12th, 2008
I can’t call it people. Everywhere we turn we are confronted with race issues. It’s really sad that racism plays such an integral role in our lives but I guess when you live in a country founded upon racist principles this was bound to happen. Walmart shows good judgment I think by removing this comic if they are receiving backlash from people of color who feel it is offensive. Have you ever been to Walmart; I know in Philadelphia if they lost the support of their black customers they would go broke! LOL!
To me there’s a deeper issue here; I am not familiar with this comic book and obviously not familiar with how Mexicans perceive it. However I am familiar with the controversy over black and brown relations. I’m appalled by it because I feel all people are created equal no matter what their race, religion or any other affiliation that may make them different may be. It hurts even more when you see two groups of people who are constantly oppressed and instead of binding together, building an alliance and attacking systematic ills of our society. I often hear things that contradict such a beautiful plan of action.
A few nights ago I was watching the Michael Baisden show on TVOne and George Wilborn was asking black people on the street if they would be mad if Latino people had more positions of power. Some of the answers were ignorant in my opinion and they sought to create a divide between these two ethnic groups. Do blacks and browns not know that they are both derivitives of the African Diaspora and are one in the same?
Please do not take that comment as disregarding the rich cultures that both of these particular groups have to offer but I am merely talking about their ancestry. The conditions for both groups here in America are very similar, both groups are losing their young men to gang violence, prisons and the drug trade. Both groups are losing their young women to sexually transmitted diseases. Women of color whether they are Black or Latino are disrespected in the media and often unfavorable images are shown of them. Mistreated in the workplace, a severe housing dilemma and the similarities go on and on. Where does the divide stop? When do we as a people living in this land together, praying to the same God begin to follow those words in our dear Holy books and bind together to create a better future for our children. When?
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Wednesday it removed the comic book “Memin Pinguin” from its stores after receiving complaints the popular Mexican character was a racist depiction of blacks.
The series started 60 years ago in Mexico, and the main character, Memin Pinguin, is a black Cuban-Mexican boy with enlarged lips who often gets into mischief.
Wal-Mart recently started offering the Spanish-language comic in parts of California, Texas and Miami, where the giant retailer serves large populations of Hispanic customers.
“We understand that Memin is a popular figure in Mexico. However, given the sensitivities to the negative image Memin can convey to some we felt that it was best to no longer carry the item in our stores,” said Lorenzo Lopez, a spokesman for Wal-Mart.
“We apologize to those customers who may have been offended by the book’s images,” Lopez added.
A black woman in Houston told the Houston Chronicle this week she complained about the comic books after seeing them at a Wal-Mart.
“I said, wait a minute: Is this a monkey or a little black boy?” Shawnedria McGinty told the newspaper. “I was so upset. This is 2008.”
Many Mexicans argue Memin Pinguin is misunderstood in the United States and that he is a lovable character and not a racist depiction of blacks.
Memin Pinguin was at the center of a controversy in 2005, when the Mexican postal service issued a series of stamps featuring the character.
President George W. Bush called the stamps offensive, which put him at odds with Mexico’s then president, Vicente Fox.