Memín Pinguín is a comic character created by Yolanda Vargas Dulché in 1945. It was very popular in México. Memín is described in their comics as a "a little playful boy with big eyes". Internationally, the comic book was very popularized so, it was translated into several languages. So famous was the Memín Penguín comic that the Education Department in the Phillipines made it mandatory reading in their schools because it praised family values and respect for the state. Yolanda Vargas Dulché named her character Memín Pinguín because it was the nickname of her husband, Guillermo De la Parra. "Memín" is a friendly way to say Guillermo and "Pinguín" a friendly way to say mischievous. In 1945 when writing for the comic magazine "Pepín", Yolanda Vargas Dulche created her popular characters. These were inspired by people she had met throughout her life such as her husband, and her friends from her elementary school .They became the friends in the adventures of Memín Pinguín. Physically, Memin Pinguin resembles some cuban children who Yolanda Vargas met when she travelled to Cuba. Memín Pinguín was drawn by Sixto Valencia Burgos.
No little Cuban boy ever looked like a pickaninny. This is a racist black-face image. Period. I notice you didn't post any of the images of Memín next to the white (normal) boys that appear in the series. That's when you can really see that the black character is 'humanoid' and of course he is known for his 'cute' but limited intellect. It is amazing to me to what lengths people will go to normalize racist imagery.
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