US first lady Jill Biden is facing a severe backlash from the Latino community in the country after she compared them to tacos, a traditional Mexican food. Speaking at the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference held in Texas, the first lady said that the Latino community is “as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio”.
The comparison left the Latino community baffled, and led to a scathing response from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). In their response to Jill Biden’s remark, NAHJ wrote, “NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions. Do not reduce us to stereotypes.”
NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities.
— NAHJ (@NAHJ) July 12, 2022
We are not tacos.
Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions.
Do not reduce us to stereotypes. pic.twitter.com/KQIq5gwsht
While educating the first lady on Latino culture, NAHJ wrote an iconic line “We are not tacos”, that has resonated with every Latino living in the United States whose vibrant culture has been reduced to a food item.
During her speech, Jill Biden said, “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.” However, the first lady didn’t realise how racist it would sound to the Latino community.
After her comments, many users across the United States joined in to remind the first lady that Latinos aren’t tacos.
We are not tacos https://t.co/PKNGag3pH1
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) July 12, 2022
In case the White House needed a reminder: no, we are not tacos.
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) July 12, 2022
Hispanics aren’t a monolith. We are a very real, diverse people shaped by different histories, food, and even variance in language.
We have dreams and aspirations. We want an education, to work, and to get ahead.
“We are not tacos” is the slogan I never knew I needed. https://t.co/lF9bZA1dIB
— Ana Rosa Quintana (@ana_r_quintana) July 12, 2022
While US President Joe Biden is known for his public gaffes, including last week’s incident when he read a teleprompter’s instructions to his audience, Jill Biden has generally managed to avoid that. However, her comparison of Latinos to tacos is not going to go down well with a community that is already shifting away from Democrats to Republicans.
