Racism debate ignored: controversial stamp produces knee-jerk reactions.

The hullabaloo over a series of Mexican postage stamps depicting a bumbling monkey with Negroid features was an opportunity to examine racism here and in the U.S. that nobody took.

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Called Memin Pinguin, the character ignited a predictable furor north of the border, coming as it did on the heels of President Fox's declaration that Mexicans in the United States do the jobs blacks don't want to do.

Racism is a difficult and sensitive issue, and neither country covers itself in glory when addressing it, which was why it was surprising to see the White House weighing in with criticism of the stamps. This was unfortunate as it gave Mexico the opportunity to give vent to anti-U.S. feeling rather than examine racism at home.

With Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson also speaking, the reaction here had a strong undercurrent of racism against blacks as well.

A precious opportunity was lost. Racism has become so much a part of society in Mexico no one even questions it. Politicians are careful to talk about the poor in non-racial terms, but the sub-text is all about race.

It is almost a taboo subject, too close to the sense of national identity provided by the cover of Mexicans as a mestizo, or mixed-blood, race.

So I went out and forced some Mexicans to talk about this. They all focused, just as the media commentators had done, on Yankee imperialism. There was no mention of racism until I asked about it. After some evasion, all agreed it is rife and impossible to eradicate.

Embedded In The Culture

The idea of the mestizo, or cosmic, race dates back to the Mexican Revolution when it was used to defuse the racial tensions that were partly responsible for the violence. It was an attempt to unify a diverse country by pretending everyone was of a special kind of mixed blood, Spanish with indigenous Mexican, thus all are part of one race.

This creation of a special race was in itself as racist as anything Adolf Hitler proposed, but it papered over the cracks and helped bring peace to the country.

The problem is it is a lie. A casual stroll through Polanco will tell you that many Mexicans are 100 percent Caucasian. Millions more are racially pure Mayans, Toltecs, Aztecs, and so on.

Society is rife with the assumption that Caucasians are prettier, cleverer and richer. It is part of the reason foreigners are treated like princes. And that is why the word "indio" is not a compliment but "guero" (blonde, light-skinned) is.

Below the pure whites comes an insidious grading system whereby people are often judged and treated depending on how light-skinned they are. It starts at birth when the first comment to new parents will often be about the color of the skin.

There is a joke doing the rounds in the upper reaches of Mexican society demonstrating how embedded and acceptable racism is and how this is going to be one of the major factors in next year's presidential election. It plays on the fact that the word for a female cat in Spanish--gata--also means maidservant.

Why is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called "Whiskas"? Because 8 out of 10 female cats prefer him.

Perhaps that is the best reason to hope he wins the presidency, however much we may be concerned about his populism. Maybe he can change the racism and reduce the advantages of the lighter-skinned upper classes.

And maybe that is what many are afraid of.

John Moody has spent 10 years covering Mexico for a variety of international news organizations. He now works as a freelance consultant in the private sector and for NGOs. He can be reached at [e-mail].