What did Jill Biden say? Breakfast tacos remark sparks online backlash as San Antonio speech backfires

Jill Biden was criticized online for her comments during the UnidosUS Annual Conference on July 11. (Image via Anthony Souffle/Getty)

US First Lady Jill Biden was slammed online for stating that Hispanic people were as unique as "tacos."

The 71-year-old educator made the remark on July 11 while giving a speech at the UnidosUS Annual Conference, called Siempre Adelante: Our Quest for Equity, in San Antonio, Texas.

Despite attempting to praise UnidosUS President Raul Yzaguirre's work, Biden's choice of words didn't put her in a good light. She stated:

"Raul 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."

On top of that, Jill Biden was also targeted for mispronouncing "bodega" as "bogeda" while delivering her speech. Bodegas are small convenience stores run by Dominican and Puerto Rican people in New York City.

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Jill Biden's comments were not well-received on Twitter

Several Twitter users and right-wing critics bashed the First Lady online for not paying attention to her words at a public event. Moreover, users also slammed Biden's speechwriters at the White House, with one of them also calling the educator a "racist."

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Jill Biden is called out for "a lack of cultural knowledge"

After the US First Lady's speech blunder went viral over the internet, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) issued a formal statement asking Biden not to reduce the Latino community to stereotypes:

"NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications 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."

As per the US Census data, the demographic of San Antonio comprises of 65% Latino or Hispanic population.

This is not the first time that Jill Biden has come under the radar for her words and pronunciations. In March 2021, while delivering a speech to farmworkers in California, the US First Lady mispronounced the Spanish phrase "Sí se puede" which translates to "yes we can."

A data report from Catalist reveals that out of 10 Latinos, six of them voted for Joe Biden in 2020. The First Lady's comments come after Hispanic voters expressed their disappointment with Joe Biden's position as President.

As per the latest Quinnipiac opinion poll, Joe Biden's performance as President has plummeted from 55 percent last year to 26 percent this year.

The president was also criticized for playing the Spanish pop song, Despacito, while trying to lure Hispanic voters during his presidential campaign. Aside from being the First Lady of the US, Jill Biden happens to be an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria.