HOUSTON -- Shawnedria McGinty was not sure what to think when she found a copy of the comic book series “Memin Pinguin” on the shelves at her local Wal-Mart. After flipping through the pages of the popular Mexican comic book, however, one word came to mind – racist.

“OK, is it a monkey or a boy? Curiosity. So, I opened the book up,” she said. “This is, you know, rude.

“To me it was an insult. Then I saw the cover of this one and thought, (was it) against (presidential contender Barack) Obama or what?”

Head south of the border though, and you get a different reaction to "Memin Pinguin." Historically, the character has been hugely popular on newstands in Mexico and Latin American nations, with sales in the millions.

It was originally published in the 1960s, but has recently been re-issued and available on the shelves in Wal-Marts north of the border.

“They are calling him names. They call him an animal in one section. His mom is spanking his butt and it looks like they are drowning him,” said McGinty, who went so far as to buy a Spanish to English dictionary to better understand what was being said in the serial.

She found one passage particularly offensive. In the frame, Memin Pinguin is being kicked by a light-skinned man and is called “a black troublemaker.”

Activist Quanell X said the problem with the book is more than just words.

“This is poking fun at the physical features of an entire people. Making them look buffoonish (and) portraying the young (black) kid as stupid,” said Quanell. “Whenever they are beating him, they are referring to him as Negro. Even here when he is being punched, slapped (he is called) Negro.

“This is a disgrace.”

The Memin character is intended to be Cuban, but no doubt, plays to dark-skinned stereotypes once thought to be reserved for white supremacists or the racially insensitive in this country.

Calls to Wal-Mart’s corporate offices for comment as to why the retailer carries the comic, were never returned.

This is not the first time Memin Pinguin has stirred up controversy.

The character spurred debate in 2005 when the Mexican government issued a stamp commemorating Memin. At the time, many U.S. activists and political figures called the character racist.

The Mexican government protested the characterizations, asserting that Americans simply do not understand Memin’s cultural significance in Mexico.

That debate spurred the publisher to re-issue the old comics in a collectors series that are available for purchase in the United States as well as Mexico.

“I respect their culture and their past, but we shouldn’t do the same things over and over.”