By Darlene Superville
Associated Press
The first lady, Jill Biden, apologized on Tuesday for stating that Latinos are "as unique" as the breakfast tacos they serve in San Antonio, Texas, during a speech before the largest civil rights organization in the United States. Hispanics.
"The first lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community," her spokesman, Michael LaRosa, said on Twitter.
Biden, during an act in Virginia on July 1, 2022. Steve Helber / AP
The president's wife, Joe Biden, flew to San Antonio on Monday to speak at the UnidosUS annual conference.
But in her attempt to praise Hispanics, she said that this community is "as distinguishable as the bodegas in the Bronx, as beautiful as the flowers in Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio."
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He also incorrectly pronounced the word "bodegas", referring to small shops in urban areas.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ, in English), among others, expressed its anger on social networks: "We are not tacos."
Jill Biden met in Madrid with Carlos Vives, Alejandro Sanz and more famous Hispanics
June 29, 202201:18
"Using tacos to try to demonstrate the uniqueness of Latinos demonstrates a lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity to the diversity of Latinos," the NAHJ said.
He added that it should "take time in the future to better understand the complexities of our people and communities."
Last week, Joe Biden awarded former UnidosUS leader Raúl Yzaguirre the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor for a civilian.
