US First Lady Jill Biden compares Latinos with Tacos

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“I don’t think I’ve ever had a breakfast taco”, Jill Biden said.

I’ve had all kinds of tacos — fish, beef, chicken, among other savory fillings — but never ones as unique as the San Antonio breakfast tacos that First Lady Jill Biden alluded to Monday while speaking at the annual conference of Latino civil rights group UnidosUS.

The first lady, attempting to praise the Latino community’s diversity in America, said we’re “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.” She also mispronounced bodegas, New York City’s famed local grocery stores, and later apologized for the whole debacle. The gaffe was as cringe-worthy as when her husband played the Spanish-language pop song “Despacito” at a Florida campaign appearance.

As a Latino, I’m not angry that the first lady compared me to a breakfast taco. I’m more upset that she hasn’t pushed for a proposal such as “Medicare for All” — and that she thinks Latinos would rather hear platitudes about “admiration and love” than support for the policies we actually need.

I want elected officials who think boldly and critically about what Latinos want, and polling shows there’s a slew of policies Jill Biden and her husband could be pushing for.

Take Medicare for All, the ambitious proposal to create a single-payer healthcare system that progressives have called on the Biden administration to support (they haven’t). Polls show that 55% of all Americans back the concept, and roughly 7 in 10 think a public health insurance option is a good idea.

Latino voters have repeatedly said healthcare should be a top priority for politicians. That’s hardly a surprise when Latinos are less likely than both white and Black Americans to be insured, with roughly half saying that limited access to quality medical care is a major reason for worse health outcomes.

Democrats have struggled with messaging since the 2020 presidential election when Latinos made a less impressive showing than some Democrats hoped for. Latino men, in particular, turned out in higher numbers for Trump compared to the 2016 election. It’s true that Latinos aren’t a monolith, and that they’re driven by a diverse set of concerns, including the economy, immigration, COVID-19, and, of course, healthcare. These issues were, to varying degrees, the reason Trump made strides in our community, according to some scholars.

Source: El Financiero