Jill Biden’s press secretary tweeted an apology Tuesday morning after the first lady referred to Latinos “as unique as the breakfast tacos in San Antonio,” a failed attempt to compliment the community at a conference in the Texas city that drew swift criticism from advocacy groups.
U.S. First Lady Jill Biden (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Biden spoke Monday at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio, which is focused on fair treatment of Latinos and other minority communities, and praised the former president of UnidosUS, Raul Yzaguirre, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden for Yzaguirre’s 30 years of civil rights advocacy.
Trying to compliment Latinos, Biden compared the diversity of UnidosUS to bodegas of the Bronx, Miami flower blossoms and “breakfast tacos’ in San Antonio.
The three places mentioned in her speech have majority Hispanic populations, which caused the controversy as the term Hispanic encompasses many cultures and traditions.
Michael LaRosa, press secretary for the first lady, tweeted Biden’s apology Tuesday morning, saying she meant to express “pure admiration” and “love for the Latino community.”
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists criticized Biden’s remark as stereotyping, calling for better understanding of the complexities of Latino communities, saying “we are not tacos.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.),a Cuban American from Miami, also joined the criticism by tweeting a picture of a taco saying #NewProfilePic.
Tangent
During her speech, Biden praised the signing of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act on Monday at the White House, the first gun control reforms passed by Congress in nearly 30 years. This comes after the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 students and two teachers in May, causing national outrage and criticism over lack of law enforcement. Biden said the President and she are committed to building a safer place for all families.
Key Background
In May, Biden visited a few Latin American countries–Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama–before the controversial Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, where leaders of Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba were not invited and four other countries declined to show up.
Jill Biden Apologizes To Latino Community For ‘Breakfast Tacos’ Comment—Here’s What Happened
Topline
Jill Biden’s press secretary tweeted an apology Tuesday morning after the first lady referred to Latinos “as unique as the breakfast tacos in San Antonio,” a failed attempt to compliment the community at a conference in the Texas city that drew swift criticism from advocacy groups.
U.S. First Lady Jill Biden (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Key Facts
Biden spoke Monday at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio, which is focused on fair treatment of Latinos and other minority communities, and praised the former president of UnidosUS, Raul Yzaguirre, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden for Yzaguirre’s 30 years of civil rights advocacy.
Trying to compliment Latinos, Biden compared the diversity of UnidosUS to bodegas of the Bronx, Miami flower blossoms and “breakfast tacos’ in San Antonio.
The three places mentioned in her speech have majority Hispanic populations, which caused the controversy as the term Hispanic encompasses many cultures and traditions.
Michael LaRosa, press secretary for the first lady, tweeted Biden’s apology Tuesday morning, saying she meant to express “pure admiration” and “love for the Latino community.”
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists criticized Biden’s remark as stereotyping, calling for better understanding of the complexities of Latino communities, saying “we are not tacos.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.),a Cuban American from Miami, also joined the criticism by tweeting a picture of a taco saying #NewProfilePic.
Tangent
During her speech, Biden praised the signing of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act on Monday at the White House, the first gun control reforms passed by Congress in nearly 30 years. This comes after the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 students and two teachers in May, causing national outrage and criticism over lack of law enforcement. Biden said the President and she are committed to building a safer place for all families.
Key Background
In May, Biden visited a few Latin American countries–Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama–before the controversial Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, where leaders of Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba were not invited and four other countries declined to show up.
Further Reading
Biden Calls on Congress To Enact ‘Commonsense’ Gun Law Reforms on Parkland Anniversary. (Forbes)
More Republicans Want Stricter Gun Laws, Poll Finds –But History Suggests It Won’t Last (Forbes)
Uvalde Shooting Timeline: Student Pleaded With 911 To ‘Send The Police Now’ As Officers Scene Waited For Tactical Units To Arrive (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gabrielalopezgomes/2022/07/12/jill-biden-apologizes-to-latino-community-for-breakfast-tacos-comment-heres-what-happened/