With the Mexican post office issuing the offensive stamp depicting a Mexican character with dark brown skin. exaggerated features. monkeylike body language. Mexican President Vicente Fox has once again shown his insensitivity to racial offenses and his lack of concern over perpetuating dangerous stereotypes of an entire people. This scandal comes right on the heels of Foxs comments on Mexican immigrants in the United States who take jobs. as he said. even blacks will not take. We were all very offended. We were offended. and some of our religious leaders went and met with President Fox. And he said that we should try to have an understanding. And we as Members of the Congressional Black Caucus work daily in our congressional districts to ask our constituents to understand immigrant people coming to this country as people have done for waves and waves. Of course. African Americans were brought here in chains. We had no choice. However. other Americans came to Ellis Island. and the Irish came and the Germans came and the Italians came. So we say this country is large enough for us and for people to continue to immigrate in that we should try to work on tensions between new people coming into the community. and the Congressional Black Caucus has stood up and said that people have a right to have a better way of life. As a matter of fact. in a community outside of my congressional district in New Jersey. I have had some discussions with some Mexicans who have talked to me about the fact that they are being harassed when they wait in the mornings to be picked up for the van that takes them to the work projects they are working on and that the local town officials are harassing them to say they cannot wait here for the van. and I said that I will try to assist them if they need it to try to get that community to understand that it is unfair to harass people like that.
Identified stereotypes
Stereotypes about Mexicans being willing to take jobs that others won't.