🚀 go-pugleaf

After a long time I revisited Asterix and found something disturbing
to me in "Asterix in Spain": (1) The only black character (a pirate) is
drawn with exaggegerated lips and skin ("jigaboo" features) and (2)
One of the scenes with cheerful tribal dancing features people in
Ku-Klux Klan style white robes complete with pointed hoods and eye
holes. 

Both are definitely considered red flags of racism here in America. 
I (Asterix partisan that I am) was prepared to pass off the jigaboo
drawings as an "innocent" use of an archaic and discredited stereotype,
but I am having an incredibly hard time rationalizing away the Klan outfits. 

So what's the deal with Goscinny and Uderzo? Are they racists, or
simply unaware of the significance of their choices, or are they
making some kind of a statement that escaped me? I do realize that
American cultural symbolism is not necessarily universally recognized,
but in that case, why pick KKK outfits for an Iberian tribe?  
(And no, they are not Arabic or Berber robes either. I tried to
believe that.)

I would appreciate a response in English as I do not read either
French or Dutch.

My personal views.

Bapa Rao