The American First Lady was forced to apologize as the controversy began to swell in the country.
The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, apologized on 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 spokesperson for the “First Lady”, Michael LaRosa.
In a speech delivered Monday in Texas, the wife of the American president had extolled the “diversity” of the American population of Hispanic origin, “as different as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the flowers of Miami, as unique as the tacos breakfast in San Antonio”.
“Don’t reduce us to stereotypes”
In addition to the comparison with tacos – small corn flour pancakes typical of Mexican cuisine – which 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 blasted Jill Biden, saying the progressive media would have gone wild if such a gaffe had come from the Republican camp. “No wonder Hispanics are running away from the Democratic Party!” said Arizona State Rep. Andy Biggs.
Jill Biden’s trip to Texas was intended to court the Hispanic electorate, traditionally an important component of the Democratic vote. In one year, however, Joe Biden’s approval rating has dropped from 55% to 26% among voters of Hispanic origin, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.
