This photo, of some kind of foreign peanut candy called "Japones," was submitted through Twitter by leftyventricle. As you can see, the packaging features a cartoony rendering of what I presume is a peanut. But not just any peanut -- an Oriental peanut, complete with slanted eyes, buck-teeth and that conical-shaped hat we all know and love. I don't know how a racist caricature makes this particular snack more appetizing or appealing, but there you go. That's racist!
UPDATE: A little more background on these snacks, from an informative email I received the other day:
The "foreign peanut candy" you mention are actually a type of peanut product from Mexico--they're called cacahuates japones (Japanese peanuts) and date back to the 1950s, when a Japanese immigrant introduced them in Mexico City. Hence, the name--kind of like how the Cleveland Indians were named after a player with part-Native American heritage!Thanks, Gustavo.
Here's some images of various packaging. As you'll see, some are more racist or stereotypical than others.
As for the actual taste? Usually roasted in soy sauce, crunchier than usual. Not exactly Mexico's best peanut-based product, but cacahuates japonés are very popular.
On the Mexican Asian-bashing scale, I'd rank cacahuates japonés below the china poblana ("Chinese girl from Puebla," the name given to a famous style of woman's dress) but much above a cuento chino ("Chinese tale," an idiom meaning a tall tale).
