Jill Biden’s press secretary tweeted a short apology Tuesday after the first lady faced backlash over a speech that saw her compare Hispanic people to tacos. “The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community,” Michael LaRosa wrote. Biden was making a speech in San Antonio on Monday for the Hispanic “Quest for Equity” conference when she 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.” She mispronounced bodegas as “bogedas.” The remarks were met with anger from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, who encouraged her and her team to “take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities. We are not tacos. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions. Do not reduce us to stereotypes.” She also copped heat on social media from names including Sen. Marco Rubio, MRC Latino director Jorge Bonilla, and Steve Guest, an adviser for Sen. Ted Cruz.
Imagine the outrage had Melania Trump said that Hispanics are as distinct as a taco. pic.twitter.com/Z4FSXtlUMe
