There was an attempt, and that’s probably the best thing that can be said about Jill Biden’s speech in San Antonio. The First Lady was speaking to voters in Texas during the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference titled “Siempre Adelante: Our Quest for Equity,” as part of the Biden Administration’s push to garner more votes from our communities. But the stereotypical comparisons she made ended up making the headlines more than the administration’s overtures.
“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,” she said, a reference to UnidosUS President Raul Yzaguirre’s work.
The reaction to her stereotypical comparison was immediate, and though it wasn’t all negative, a lot of people rightfully pointed out the irony of a speech that seemed to celebrate a community for its diversity while still relying on stereotypes. We aren’t all tacos – and most of us don’t eat them regularly, as delicious as they are, and the comparison to a specific food that is unique to one region speaks to an Administration that doesn’t really understand the people it’s trying to reach.
The First Lady later apologized for her comments:
This might seem like nitpicking, and in the grand scheme of everything going on in the country, and everything we saw from previous administrations, it might even feel like it’s best to keep quiet. But the truth is that in the pursuit of that more perfect union, we must all be willing to point out the things that could be better. The status quo helps no one, much less our communities.