Mexican leader criticized for comment on blacks
 

Mexican leader criticized for comment on blacks
Sunday, May 15, 2005 Posted: 9:08 AM EDT (1308 GMT)

(CNN) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Saturday criticized Mexican President Vicente Fox's comment that Mexican immigrants to the United States take jobs "that not even blacks want to do."

Jackson called the remark "a spurious comparison" with "ominous racial overtones."

The Mexican president's office issued a statement late Saturday disputing the negative interpretation of his comments, saying Fox has "enormous respect to minorities whatever their racial, ethnic, or religious origin may be."

Mexican official defended Fox later in the day, saying his description was not meant as an insult.

"The president didn't make a declaration in the racist sense; of course there are those who interpret it in that way," Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Derbez told a reporter in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

According to Derbez, Fox was making the point that "Mexican migrants are making great contributions in the United States and that their role is a positive role."


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After I read this, all I could think of was WTH?!? :mad: :eek: Its not just blacks that won't take those types of jobs but everybody else too (whites, asians, etc.). :mad:

Hmmm...I guess I can see Jesse's point. But there is truth to the statement. Companies use Mexicans to do any and everything. Rent "A Day Without Mexicans".

^^
I see truth to it, particularly in Southern California where I am from.

Agreed.

Here in the DC metro area, there is growing truth to that. President Fox could have said it in a different way.

i'm just curious...what kind of jobs do they take?

Is Jesse just looking for something to do? How is the Rainbow Coalition doing these days?

Vincente Fox did not say anything that hasn't already been said.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PoohsHoneyBee
i'm just curious...what kind of jobs do they take? [/QUOTE

It's quite true that many immigrants, esp. Mexicans take service jobs that most people would rather pass on. For example, most hotels that I stay in have Latino maids, and nearly all of the office buildings that I visit have Latino cleaning ladies (which is a problem that I'm at work late enough to see the cleaning staff).

I do have a problem with the President's comment, but I'm not sure that Jesse is the person that I want arguing the issue.

Marie

Down here, I often see Latino and Latina immigrants take low-wage, low-skill service positions, particularly in fast food, domestic work and janitorial sectors. These are jobs that most American citizens would pass on, even American citizens who don't really have marketable skills.

As an aside, I recall being startled when I first visited Atlanta in 1990 and saw AfAms doing mall janitorial work at Underground Atlanta. By that time in California, more than a few blacks didn't do that kind of work or work as domestics in private homes.

I know, right?! I'mma need for Jesse to not be acting like he's someone important.

I understand when Vincente speaks of the type of jobs that they take (fast food, construction, etc.) but I don't like how he stated that "even blacks wouldn't take these jobs. He didn't Americans, he said blacks - as if we are the measure of laziness in this country.

^^
Sadly, that's plausible. Bad stereotypes of us have made it overseas...remember all the furor in the late 1980s with Japanese officials making racial slurs, stereotyping, etc.?

Not just stereotypes but what we have a hand in ourselves. Our chapter president was in Switzerland on business last month and saw building-size (length) murals of A. Iverson (a Reebok ad, I think) and 50 cent, at their "menacing" best....

hey, it's marketing and making $, I understand how the game is played; but at some level we allow this to be done to ourselves. :(

Good point. Often times these images are the only ones available of Black folks in other countries. :(

Ahhhh...to be Black in Mexico