The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, apologized this Tuesday after using a clumsy formula comparing Hispanics and tacos.
“The First Lady apologizes, her words only expressed her sincere admiration and love for the Latino community,” tweeted the “First Lady’s” spokesman, Michael LaRosa.
In a speech delivered on Monday in Texas, the wife of the US president had extolled the “diversity” of the US population of Hispanic origin, “as different as the wineries of the Bronx, as beautiful as the flowers of Miami, as unique as the Breakfast of tacos in San Antonio.
“Don’t reduce us to stereotypes”
In addition to the comparison to tacos – small cornmeal pancakes typical of Mexican cuisine – that immediately made people cringe, Jill Biden mispronounced the word “bodegas.” “We are not tacos,” reacted the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, based in Washington. “Don’t reduce us to stereotypes.”
Many conservative elected officials have criticized Jill Biden, saying the progressive media would have gone nuts if such a mistake had come from the Republican camp. “No wonder Hispanics are fleeing the Democratic Party!” said Arizona State Rep. Andy Biggs.
Jill Biden’s trip to Texas was aimed at courting the Hispanic electorate, traditionally a major component of the Democratic vote. Yet in one year, Joe Biden’s approval rating has fallen from 55% to 26% among Hispanic voters, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.
Source: BFM TV
