Fox's Regret Over Remark Satisfies U.S.

Yahoo! News reported Mexican President
Vicente Fox expressed regret late Monday when he angered both the U.S. government and black Americans by saying Friday that Mexican immmigrants take jobs "not even" blacks want in the United States." In no case had there been a racist attitude on the president's part with that statement

If it is not racist, what is it? A complement?

but instead it was about defending the rights of Mexicans to a dignified life and to respectful treatment from the United States," Aguilar told reporters Tuesday.

Is that Mexicans who immigrate legally, or also those who illegally cross the border?

Chris Lawrence blogged Fox blames the furor over his recent comments about Mexican immigrants doing jobs that “even” African-Americans won’t do on a misinterpretation. Political scientist Michelle Dion, who is in Mexico City and read the original remarks in Spanish, notes that Mexicans were also outraged by the remarks—but for different reasons.

He ticked off the people at home too, it appears.

Michelle blogged Their complaint about Fox is that his statement about the work that immigrants do in the U.S. hurts the dignity of Mexicans. And that his position is one of a hacienda owner at the beginning of the 20th century. Implicitly, the legislators are offended that Mexican immigrants would be compared to African-Americans in the United States. Such a comparison, to them, hurts the dignity of Mexicans.

So are they saying that Mexicans who are here illegally are better than blacks who are here legally?

Steven Taylor blogged Hmm. While Fox says that he meant no disrepect, and that the comments were misinterpreted, I don’t see any actual explanation.