If we blacks were simply what Vicente Fox implied by his ‘even blacks’ comment, nobody would be explaining and nobody would be reporting. We need to recognize that some things, like the building of economic, intellectual, social and political capital, …

I think it was just an honest mistake on Fox’s part. You can’t really hold it against him for harboring some personal stereotypes that most of us hold as well. I think if I were in a high politically position I’d have been caught a long time ago making some ignorant remark about white people (although you won’t catch me using the word “hymietown”).

But what hasn’t been mentioned is that he is a bit of a coward in how he did it. Despite the similarities that have been mentioned in re: the economic status of Black people and Mexican people in the U.S., Fox isn’t just speaking about Mexicans in the U.S. Mexico, and by extension, Fox, has the luxury of having a border, a set of laws, an Army, and an autonomous nation-state. All of these things give Fox a degree of insulation from the economic and political fallout of making such a statement. He can offend Black Americans all he wants with whatever he wants to say. Chances are, it’s not going to affect him a whole lot either way. Things would be a lot different if he were running for Mayor of Atlanta or setting policy as governor of New York, or whatever.

But, since he’s physically removed from the issue, he can say whatever he wants, because he’s got nothing to lose (politically or economically) and if he can affect policy or opinions in even the smallest way, he’s got everything to gain.

Bomani Jones evaluates the Vincente Fox speech that got people up in a stink.
Lots of ways to look at this one. Pick whichever suits you. Don’t forget the one underlying point in all of this, though–Mexicans are asked to take the most terrible brands…

To me, it raised questions about how he sees Black folk in his own country. There are plenty of Mexicans of African descent that make up the lowest rungs of the social/economic ladder in Mexico, although they seem to become invisible in daily news coverage or in casual/political conversation.

The bottom line is that his comment reflects a wide scale–if not ‘common knowledge’–disdain for Blackness that has become the hallmark for non-Western countries to mark their adherence to the Western social heirarchy. In essence, the further they are from ‘Black,’ then clearly the closer they must be to ‘white,’ or rather, worthy of economic relations and the sharing of social/political/economic resources. Although poorly stated, I think his comment had a purpose: establish Mexico’s whiteness (or at least distance from Blackness) and foster an international acceptance of Mexicans as non-Black workers who do not have the steroetypical values that Blacks do (laziness, criminality, etc).

Mexican President Vicente Fox was sound criticized for comments made about blacks during a speech criticizing US policy. Fox noted the following: “There’s no doubt that the Mexican men and women _ full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for…

What if in Mexico, hearing the blunt truth out of a politician isn’t such a rare thing like it is here in the good ole US of A? Maybe they don’t tip-toe on race in Mexico like we always do, so that something that you could easily argue sounds bad is taken by its intended meaning rather than dissecting it for any words to bitch about, which is basically what we’re doing.

It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to know that racism in America exists and that historically blacks have been on the lowest rung of the economic and social ladder. It’s also pretty obvious that he was talking to Americans, because honestly, Jose Freshlyherez don’t care. Like has been stated earlier, anything is better than the money made in Mexico.

I think Mr. Fox is aware that, no matter how much better off immigrants are here than in Mexico, they’re still gettin’ the shaft. In Mexico, those people are considered “normal.” But here, they’re just barely considered people, judging by the fact that you never see any other group of folks waiting on the sidewalk every morning to make $20 for 8 hours of work with the sun leanin’ on their asses. So his making that statement is just calling out America for treating immigrants so poorly.

The sad part is that he’s right and I think he was right to say it the way he did. White, corporate America hears that there’s a group of people being treated worse than blacks and it shocks the shit out of ‘em. Mr. Fox is trying to use that, to start a constructive conversation to try and fix the problem. But we’re Americans and the conversation that’s happened is dumb.

As for the meaning of the statement… well, let’s face it, in the back of their minds everybody buys into stereotypes - because they come from what we see, and seeing is believing, no matter how much we consciously try to see no differences across color and culture.

That isn’t to criticize Jackson for getting involved; a statement like that really has no business coming from a head-of-state.

In the end I wouldn’t be concerned too much with Fox’s statement or Jackson’s response, I just would think that someone in the Fox camp is gonna hang for this.

Now if you take someone who is $15/hr in America, and you ask him to accept a pay cut to $5/hr, HE WILL BECOME LESS INDUSTRIOUS!!

The next generation, 30 years hence, will not work on these low pay crappy jobs. At that point, America will import some other class of the down trodden and make them the “new negroes”.