Jill Biden apologizes after comparing diversity of Latinos to breakfast tacos

[Jose Garcia]

Last edited Tue Jul 12, 2022, 12:01 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: ABC News

First lady Jill Biden apologized Tuesday through her spokesperson after receiving public backlash for saying in a speech Monday that Latinos are "as unique as breakfast tacos."

Spokesperson Michael LaRosa tweeted a brief apology on Tuesday morning following an onslaught of criticism from conservatives and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

"The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community," the tweet read.

Biden's invocation of breakfast tacos came at the UnidosUS annual conference, titled "Siempre Adelante: Our Quest for Equity," in San Antonio on Monday evening, while speaking to the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy group.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jill-biden-apologizes-comparing-diversity-latinos-breakfast-tacos/story?id=86660633

[mopinko]

1. ffs. was she wearing a tan suit?

[ruet]

7. Sorry, But It Was Pretty Bad Form. -NT-

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Manufactured outrage.

I saw a report from ABC on the “outrage” and it consisted of Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingram. And now Marco Rubio.

I open the clip expecting to hear “hello my little breakfast tacos”

All I heard was:

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.

[onetexan]

16. exactly. The crazies are using every bit they can to try to knock a classy lady

i love breakfast tacos, and i make some at home. To me they are as unique as eggrolls - most asian restaurants and nationality have their own eggrolls and i've never tasted the same eggroll twice. This is what makes them good, like breakfast tacos!

[CTyankee]

94. I'd love to get those but I don't think we have a Taco Bell here.

[Kali]

32. thank you

headline almost got me, reality of course was a big fat nothing.

[yardwork]

42. Yep. Same old playbook.

My Latina wife thinks Jill is just fine. We're a lot more concerned about, you know, things that affect us.

The First Lady's team made a slight misstep with this speech but at least she didn't wear a jacket that says she really doesn't care do u. Nor did she suggest that we f*ck Christmas. Nor did she pose nude. Nor is she a birther. Nor...

[pfitz59]

82. I ate breakfast tacos in San Antonio

and breakfast burritos and chorizo y huevos. No big deal.

[electric_blue68]

95. Ok, with that whole comment- that's not problem at all!

[mopinko]

17. you're on the wrong side.

[ruet]

23. Ya Know How Far on the Correct Side of This I Am?

If, in an effort to demonstrate how crass this was, I produced an analogy of this episode that applied to any other minority group; it would probably get me banned from DU. Now, I accept the apology and move on but let's not pretend this was a-ok and people who have a problem with it are "crazies".

[mopinko]

26. and i could post 100 hispanic comics making cruder statements, and worse jokes.

but the point is- this isnt the shit that matters. dont pour gas on it.

[yardwork]

43. Oh the drama.

[paleotn]

59. Context.....

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.

Lighten up, Francis.

[ruet]

60. Get Real Sgt.

Don't obfuscate by cherry picking the quote.

"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.”

The context is clear. However, even if it was taken out of context,"Tacos" should never be cited as an example of diversity within the Latino community.

Actually, I'd probably be done with this topic if everyone would just admit the unforced error and move on. Instead we continue to build our own little cult of personality around our team because, hey, it's our team.

[DiamondShark]

69. Am i missing something.

"the diversity of this community"

The is not capitalized, did you take it further out of context as well? I'm surprised the right didn't get upset a Democrat used the word diversity.

[Cha]

72. Gracias so Much for this, paleotn!

Please Fight to Save Our Democracy💙 in 2022 & 2024!

[wnylib]

34. ¿De veras? No lo creo.

[paleotn]

58. No, it wasn't.

Ugh.

[NullTuples]

62. I agree; it was racist. Even if she didn't realize it b/c of white privilege. We need to do better.

People are saying the outrage is manufactured but that doesn't mater if it still is used to sway Latino/a/x voters.

[Caliman73]

91. No it wasn't

She was acknowledging the differences within the different Latino Groups across the nation. The Bodegas in New York (Puertoriquenos), The blossoms in Miami (Cubans), and the breakfast tacos that are apparently very popular in San Antonio (Mexicans). She was talking about the contributions to American culture that were brought by these groups.

If you take the quote out of context and says that, "She was comparing Latinos to breakfast tacos", then yes it sounds racist and "bad form". If you give an honest accounting of what was said and in what context, then it is perfectly okay.

Which side would you rather be on?

[kimbutgar]

2. 3-2-1. Fox and right wing Hispanic radio will be attacking her for being insensitive and stereotypin

When that’s all they do to minorities all the time.

[peppertree]

21. How typical of RW Hispanic radio

You'd be hard-pressed to find more intensely racist (and anti-democratic) people anywhere, than among right-wing Hispanics.

For them the worst thing that could happen, short of outright tragedy, is to be lumped in with dark-skinned Latin Americans.

That's the real reason many white Latin Americans vote Republican: they think it "whitens" them somehow (blanquearse).

If they only knew how most Repugs feel about them. Hatred, is putting it mildly.

[kimbutgar]

38. My husband works with a right wing very ethnic Mexican man from Texas in a union job at a major

airplane in SF. He is a huge racist and disparages Black, Asian and Hispanic people saying they are inferior. My husband is the whitest looking man and it’s sad he constantly has to push back on this guy and actually called him a racist once. He is deep in the cult and got radicalized after 9-11 by Michael Savage, Rush and Mark Levin.He has this long commute into where they work and unlike my husband who only has a 20 minute commute. But he is a lost cause according to my husband.

I have also met some Hispanic men I work with in my senior move job who are also in the cult and the one thing they have in common is long commutes to work!

[peppertree]

47. I hear you.

A common tale, sad to say - especially in the Cuban exile community.

Race equals status in Latin America - perhaps even more so than money.

And when they come to America, they see much of the same dynamic (or at least, they interpret it that way).

Accordingly, they feel they must do everything they can to be "accepted" by those they see as the top of the U.S. totem pole: white, northern European people with money.

And in their little heads, that means "Republican."

That's the real reason. Some this "reaction to left-wing regimes in their homelands" nonsense one sees in some Op-Eds is either childishly naive, or deliberately misleading.

[Hiawatha Pete]

3. "following an onslaught of criticism from conservatives"

The same conservatives who advocate for putting kids in cages?

[LenaBaby61]

22. She could have been like Malaria ....

And not have given ONE damn like she didn't.

I understand she made a mistake, but for God's sake why do DEM'S have to be perfect all of the time?

We are under attack literally for our lives by a crooked, lying, bought and paid for, McConnell, opus dei, catholic right-winged supreme court and the media is obsessing about this shit? My friends who are Hispanic don't give a fuck about this, but they knew this would happen. They're more worried about other things of importance like oh, being able to fucking vote and about little kids faces being blown off their bodies like those poor kids in Texas a few months ago. The ones I know are worried about living in a society which is being overrun by a bunch of racist assholes like those in the current GQP. My friends who are Hispanic thought it was shameful for fatso to have called black countries shit-hole countries. But Dems have to be fucking perfect. Matt Gaetz is still in the Congress even though he's a pedophile. Traitor Green continues to be racist. insult people and LIE her treasonous ass off, yet there she sits in the well of congress DAILY on her Q-Anon shit, and she pals around with a known pedophile in Gaetz. Boebert called vp Harris the equivalent of a prostitute the other day, yet where is the outrage over that? How can that filthy, barely literate, grifting, leaving the scene of an accident Boebert talk about any dam body? She wants to mix church and state now. She allegedly had not one but multiple abortions and I'm sticking with that because those people accusing her told her to show that she didn't, and to my knowledge she hasn't tried to defend herself so .... But now she's so high and mighty and into GOD now-a-days and playing GOD because she wants to deny a rape victim whose impregnated by her rapist or a little girl whose impregnated by her incestous father an abortion that SHE apparently had all rights to have? She never came forward with any proof saying that she didn't have 2 abortions AND, we saw her pics on that website selling her wares, and she has nerve to insult women who have abortions? This piece of filth's husband is a pedophile. That ass PRAYED for Pres. Biden's death and was laughing on stage in a church about it, yet it's crickets from this so-called Liberal media which is not liberal, but is mostly reich-winged, corporate and greedy for the mountain of ad dollars fat twittler bought in.

Lauren Boebert tells church crowd that she prays for Biden's demise: "May his days be few"
https://www.salon.com/2022/06/13/lauren-boebert-tells-church-crowd-that-she-prays-for-bidens-demise-may-his-days-be-few/


This piece of crap did that in a church full of parishioner's who laughed and whooped it up.but no, let's jump all over Jill Biden, because Dems have to be 200% perfect.

And people ask why Michelle Obama would not want to get involved in politics ever again. WHO wants to be called a man like they call her on the reich ring, and who wants to be called an ape in heels again, insulted and called MOOOchelle like a cow. We had a grifting, lying, snake of a third lady in Melaria who has a nasty past, who didn't give one shit about kids in cages and whose a birther ala her fat, hippo husband, but no Michelle's an ape in heels, a commie, and president Obama broke some kind of conduct because he was a BLACK man who dared wear a tan suit, put his feet upon a desk and who ate Arugula, and who took off his jacket in an oval office built by slaves, but he's worse than the devil himself. And a white, racist, sexually assaulting, treasonous pig in fatass45 is still destroying this country, and lying about an election being stolen from him and this is the shit the so-called liberal media which isn't liberal but mostly corporate, right-winged, greedy for Ad dollar$ and who still go after and literally on many an occasion outright LIES on Biden night and day, and their now so offended and clutching their pearls over something Jill Biden said, and is worried about this kind of fucking shit?

It wouldn't be ME taking abuse from the so-called liberal media nor from these fascist, amoral GQP'ers, and especially not from the ones who are pedophiles or pedophile enablers like GYM Jordan or pieces of nasty filth like Green whose a serial adulteress or Boebert a lady of the evening and whose husband is a damn pedophile who she still defends to this day. She has nerve to stand in a church and pray for Biden's death. I'd have read every one of those racist pieces of crap for the lying, treasonous, racist filth that THEY are.

[peppertree]

28. And who would gladly exterminate Hispanics, if they could

As someone whose parents are from Argentina, I can attest to that when it comes to the way most Repugs feel about Hispanics (especially white Hispanics) - hatred, is putting it mildly.

Having mostly lived in GOP-leaning areas, I've learned the hard way not to reveal my background to people in person. The big smiles, would turn into scowls faster than you can say Evita.

[IronLionZion]

4. She meant well

It was lighthearted and audience clapped and laughed. It's not as bad as the media describes it. I doubt any latino is upset about it.

[Rebl2]

9. Well that's

Interesting the audience clapped and laughed. The media doesn’t have better things to talk about.

[awesomerwb1]

10. A lot of Latinos that were not in the audience

and just read the headlines were very upset (I'm basing this on the reaction I saw on Twitter yesterday).

[IronLionZion]

25. Some people want Latinos to be upset

to push the narrative that Dems are losing Latino voters. Dems do have to work harder to earn their votes but Jill Biden's comments were reasonably innocent, typical of a white grandmother who means no harm.

[yardwork]

44. My Latina wife is upset at the media for attacking a good Democrat, Jill Biden.

So there's that.

[Cha]

73. Gracias for that, yardwork!

Please Fight to Save Our Democracy💙 in 2022 & 2024!

[Polybius]

5. Please post the link

It's not there.

[forgotmylogin]

6. Because this is JUST as important as Roe v Wade...

[harumph]

8. I don't agree. It was not a clever thing to say.

If Dems want to connect to the Latino community, then maybe learn some Spanish like Beto, instead
of trying to be cute.

[AverageOldGuy]

53. AMEN!!!

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Is there nothing someone won't pitch a bich about? I would...

love to hear what these mouths would say if they heard some of the Friars club comics.

Lighthearted is supposed to stay lighthearted unless your black heart wants to start trouble.

[ruet]

12. We've Brought This Hypersensitivity Upon Ourselves.

We don't get to change tack now because we've run afoul of our own rules. It was a stupid, stupid, thing to say.

[jimfields33]

29. +1

[BlackSkimmer]

30. Very good point. NT

[Baggies]

39. True

[yardwork]

46. Completely wrong way to frame this.

We don't win elections by attacking one another. Notice that Republicans never do it. We need to stop.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

64. +1

I won't call it 'stupid, stupid' cause that's a bit extreme, but it was ill-advised, and most people here defending the Good Doctor would be saying the exact opposite if it were said by someone they didn't like.

That said, I forgive her, it was a gaffe.

But yeah ... Hypersensitivity.

[SunImp]

68. +1 Good point

most people here defending the Good Doctor would be saying the exact opposite if it were said by someone they didn't like.

[rpannier]

84. Yep

Agreed

[Auggie]

13. +1

[Bettie]

24. There really is nothing that won't offend someone

literally, I am probably offending people by saying that someone will be offended by anything anyone says.

I mean, "good morning" is offensive to some people.

[LiberalLovinLug]

50. Well I never!.....

How dare you. I know that by saying "good morning" it's only because it means you want me to have a rotten evening.

You should be forced to write a new OP specifically to apologize to me. And every other morning greeting triggered victim that may be offended on DU!

[Bettie]

54. I know...

it was bad...

[Hugh_Lebowski]

65. And yet, they're only words, which I was advised when I was about 4 years old ...

would never hurt me.

Took me until I was 45 years old before I finally realized ... that was 100% true wisdom right there.

They can only hurt you ... if you CHOOSE to let them do so (and by proxy, the person who delivered them).

Period.

[Lokilooney]

79. Actually g**d morning is very offensive

It's very timeist. Your assuming ones predilection to said cosmic phenomenon is one of positivity, projecting your pro morning views on others without taking into account their preferred celestial body positioning, disgusting!

[BeyondGeography]

15. Butchering "bodega" was far worse

Bo-duh-GA. Oy.

[BlackSkimmer]

31. She did that too? Please say no.

[Kali]

35. might have to agree with that one

[yardwork]

45. Poor preparation by her staff. Not the end of the world.

[UnderThisLaw]

19. Well

I guess spam is an acceptable antidote to fauxrage from the usual suspects

[maxsolomon]

20. Twitter overreaction weaponized by the RWNM.

a SPEECHWRITER gave her those words.

Latino Communities are
1. distinct
2. beautiful
3. unique

what's offensive about that? do people just not like Breakfast Tacos? I've never had one but I'm down to try them...

[TexasTowelie]

27. They are delicious and each one is unique,

some people have even seen Jesus on their tortilla.


https://www.democraticunderground.com/107823593

However, if you aren't accustomed to eating a lot of eggs and cheese, you might want to make certain that accommodations are prepared.

[IronLionZion]

36. It's manufactured outrage used to divide latinos against us

she was good to apologize quickly. So it shouldn't be a problem.

Those on the right are weaponizing it against dems in an election year.

[LeftInTX]

55. You've never had one? They're alot like breakfast burritos

Generally, scrambled eggs with choice of potato, chorizo (sweet sausage) or bacon..
Or all meat carne guisada (a stew, which is my favorite)
Or barbacoa when available.
Or bean and cheese..

Finding the best ones is always the thing...Some are too cold, some don't have enough filling...


I'm pretty sure there are many "boutique" breakfast tacos also....
They cost more....

Breakfast tacos are available just about everywhere...

[maxsolomon]

63. No just Burritos.

We ain't fancy up hereabouts, not like them San Antonians!

[LeftInTX]

76. Breakfast tacos are not fancy..LOL

[JohnSJ]

33. Good, she apologized. Curious, did the insurrectionist guy who used to occupy the WH, EVER

apologize for any of his frequent racist, sexist, and bigoted statements?

[Cha]

74. Yes, FL Biden Apologized.. Time to

Move On from the Outrage at our Dem FL.

Context..

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.

https://democraticunderground.com/10142941877#post59

I guess we're not suppose to mention anything that different cultures EAT or we're "Racist".

Please Fight to Save Our Democracy💙 in 2022 & 2024!

[IronLionZion]

37. The best taco bowls are from Trump Tower

[dalton99a]

66. +1

[oldsoftie]

40. More nonsensical "pearl clutching". No apology needed Madam.

sure maybe she could've used better words. She also could have used WORSE. Big deal. People need to get a life.

[Aristus]

41. TFG would be on his 12th or 13th verbal gaffe of the day by now.

Dr. Biden gets pass on this one.

[Brainfodder]

48. I don't care what the first lady is doing or saying, BUT....

COMPARE HER DIRECTLY WITH MELANIE, I WELCOME THAT!

[Kingofalldems]

49. Bad things about Democrats.

[The Protagonist]

51. I think the Latinx community understood and appreciated the reference

The First Lady is responding to right wing outrage. But then again, outrage is what they do best.

[Bettie]

56. Yeah, they are outraged by nearly everything

and isn't it better to acknowledge that the community is not monolithic?

[treestar]

83. but some people are outraged by latinx

!

[rpannier]

85. The Latinx community makes up less than 5% of Hispanics

So, if they do, it's a very tiny subgroup within the larger community which uses Latino, Latina and Hispanic in far greater numbers

[AverageOldGuy]

52. How in God's name . . . .

. . . did anyone around her think this was appropriate??

I'm just an old Mississippi redneck and even I know you don't use "tacos" when referring to or speaking with Hispanic folks, not even when ordering lunch.

[Skittles]

67. thank you

hard to believe someone as intelligent as Dr. Biden wouldn't know better

[Cha]

77. And, now First Lady Jill Biden has

Apologized.. Hopefully We Can Move On to Saving Our Democracy.

Please Fight to Save Our Democracy💙 in 2022 & 2024!

[Kingofalldems]

57. This is worse than Jan. 6!!!!11!!

Last edited Tue Jul 12, 2022, 04:28 PM - Edit history (1)

Oh wait, it's not even a drop in the bucket compared to an attempted coup by Donald Trump.

[Skittles]

71. what does that have to do with anything

we EXPECT repukes to behave like fucking morons

[Cha]

75. And, FL Jill Biden Apologized so

Hopefully We Can Move On to Saving Our Democracy!

Please Fight to Save Our Democracy💙 in 2022 & 2024!

[Marthe48]

61. It was melting pot when I was in school

then became tossed salad. Words to describe American diversity.
When I was a kid, 'melting pot' helped us describe assimilation. Over 100 years ago, people came to America and eagerly became Americans. My mother always resented that many of her family members spoke German, but she wasn't allowed to learn that language, because she was an American and had to speak English.
When I was in college, 'tossed salad' was a way to describe all of the lovely enthnicities, cultures, races and faiths that make up our diversity. After 2 or 3 generations assimilated, the younger generation wanted to reconnect with their roots.
There are over 190 countries in the world, many races, many cultures, many faiths. There is no better place on Earth than the U.S.A. to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences.

[murielm99]

70. Many of my first cousins speak German.

They learned to speak English and German at home. This is on my father's side of the family.

My dad married a Swede, so we did not learn German.

[Herx]

78. I love Jill

Great First Lady.

[Lokilooney]

80. I can see where some of the offence comes from

She confused breakfast taco with the correct term "breakfast burrito".

[LeftInTX]

89. No!!!

[Captain Zero]

81. Just don't take the egg out of the breakfast taco

Or some frothing gop asshole in Texas will sue you for $10k.

[artemisia1]

86. Ok, she misspoke without malice, apologized and its time to move on. /nt

[CBHagman]

87. News outlets have been "reporting" on this using a fragment of a fragment of the speech...

...and omitting the context. I invite DUers to read the prepared remarks and/or watch the video, which unfortunately cuts off before the final portion of the speech.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/07/11/remarks-as-prepared-for-delivery-by-first-lady-jill-biden-at-the-unidosus-2022-annual-conference/

The organization Dr. Biden refers to is UnidosUS, and she was speaking at the UnidosUS 2022 Annual Conference.


Raul [Yzaguirre] helped build this organization with the understanding that 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. And yet, it’s when you speak with one voice—unidos—that you find your power.

[murielm99]

88. Geeze, the Democratic first ladies are terrible.

The next thing you know, Dr. Jill will be talking about baking cookies.

[betsuni]

90. But breakfast tacos are a San Antonio speciality food.

Now Jill Biden's speechwriters know: no references to regional speciality foods, just in case.

[newdayneeded]

92. So every news outlet

Had this front and center, while Jim Jordan's comment about a 10 y/o rape victim barely gets a whisper. What a fucken world!

[Shellback Squid]

93. If Jill could Only "Be Best"