First Lady Jill Biden is facing strong backlash after comparing Latinos to “breakfast tacos” in a speech yesterday in Texas at an event for UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights organization.
In her speech, Biden said that the strength of the Latino community comes from the diversity of the community, which is “as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.”
The comment, which included Biden mispronouncing “bodegas” as “Bogota,” like the capital of Colombia, swiftly went viral. People were aghast and upset the first lady would casually compare a group of people to food.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted a photo of a taco and updated his profile picture to it as well.
Others, including a number of politicians, called out Biden.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists also put out a strong rebuke to Biden, declaring “we are not breakfast tacos.”
“Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures, and food traditions. Do not reduce us to stereotypes,” the organization said.
In the wake of the swift uproar, Biden’s press secretary Michael LaRosa put out a statement saying she has nothing but love for the community.
“The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community,” LaRosa tweeted.