When Jill Biden Received Backlash for Praising Latino Community With ‘Breakfast Tacos’ Comment
Unlike Joe Biden, Jill Biden has never been linked to a major blunder. However, in July 2022 her remark on the Latino community didn't sit well with many. As per NBC News, her reference to "breakfast tacos" sparked allegations of stereotyping. Speaking at the UnidosUS conference, the nation's leading Latino advocacy organization, Jill highlighted the diversity of the Latino community. However, her attempt to use a local reference demonstrated a lack of 'sensitivity'.
Jill said, "Raul helped build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community, as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio, is your strength." The National Association of Hispanic Journalists expressed disappointment, suggesting that Jill and her speechwriters failed to have a deeper understanding of the Latino culture. As reported by the Daily Mail, their statement read, "We are not tacos. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by a variety of diasporas, cultures, and food traditions, and should not be reduced to a stereotype."
They further stated, "Using breakfast tacos to try to demonstrate the uniqueness of Latinos in San Antonio demonstrates a lack of cultural knowledge and sensitivity to the diversity of Latinos in the region...NAHJ encourages Dr. Biden and her speech writing team to (take) the time in the future to better understand the complexities of our people and communities." Meanwhile, Lawrence Romo, a Democrat activist defended the First Lady, “She’s just saying we are proud of our food in San Antonio. We are proud of our breakfast tacos, our barbacoa, and Big Red. They are part of our culture here.”
Seizing the opportunity, Republicans slammed her remarks. Macarena Martinez, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, weighed in on the issue. As per the Texas Tribune, she asserted, “While the Democrat Party concerns itself with utilizing unpopular terms and reducing Hispanics to stereotypes, the GOP will continue to make inroads with the Hispanic community across the state." Florida GOP Senator, Marco Rubio, also responded to Jill's comment by updating his Twitter profile picture to show a taco.
Mendoza Knecht also questioned, “Can you even capture all those complexities of those people and their culture and languages in just a simple sentence?” Additionally, Jill's pronunciation of 'bodegas' also sparked discussion on social media. As reported by USA Today, there was a gentle cheer from the audience on her mentioning of breakfast tacos which she responded with a light-hearted laugh. However, given the backlash, Jill promptly issued an apology for her remarks. Her spokesperson, Michael LaRosa, said, “The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community."
