Jill Biden draws backlash after comparing Texas Hispanics to ‘breakfast tacos’

First lady Jill Biden drew backlash for saying Texas Hispanics are as “unique” as “breakfast tacos” during a speech in San Antonio on Monday.

Her comments come a day before President Joe Biden will meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the White House amid record migration in the hemisphere and high inflation affecting both countries.

Biden, speaking at the conference, “Siempre Adelante: Our Quest for Equity,” was complimenting the work of Raul Yzaguirre, who is president of the UnidosUS, the country’s largest Latino civil rights advocacy group.

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“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 in the speech.

People also scrutinized Biden’s pronunciation of bodegas on social media. The crowd lightly cheered after her reference to breakfast tacos and she shared a light laugh. The backlash came fast after the speech, namely from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

“Using breakfast tacos to try to demonstrate the uniqueness of Latinos in San Antonio demonstrates a lack of cultural knowledge and sensitivity to the diversity of Latinos in the region,” the organization wrote. “NAHJ encourages Dr. Biden and her speech writing team to (take) the time in the future to better understand the complexities of our people and communities.

“We are not tacos. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions. Do not reduce us to stereotypes.”

Florida Senator Marco Rubio responded to the first lady’s comment, changing his Twitter profile picture to an image of a taco.

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Janet Murguía, the president and CEO of UnidosUS, did not address the controversy of the speech and tweeted that the group was “honored” to host Biden, noting: “She has been a great educator in, and a great amiga to, our community for years. Privileged to call her a friend.”

Biden will be the keynote speaker at the American Federation of Teachers Convention on Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden’s ‘breakfast tacos’ comment in speech stirs controversy