Saturday, October 20, 2012

Poised and Opinionated


Although considered liberal, she has a balance of opinions in the area of civil rights, both in favor and against the party claiming discrimination. Nonetheless, she applies the law how it should be, and upholds precedence in doing so (Henning 13). According to the ACLU, Judge Sotomayor applies real-world knowledge to her opinions addressing sex discrimination and the treatment of females (“Report of the ACLU…” 13). She has “recognized that race- and sex-based discrimination do not occur in separate vacuums, but rather reinforce one another to the detriment of women of color” (“Report of the ACLU” 13).


      In one case she clarified that “sexual harassment includes employer action that is based on sex, even if it has nothing to do with sexuality or sexual demands” (“Report of the ACLU” 14). In another case, she had to render a decision about strip-searching young girls, who were not criminals, at a detention center. She ruled that detainees need to be extra cautious when it comes to strip-searching young girls as they may have experienced abuse and are extremely susceptible to “psychological damage” (“Report of the ACLU” 17-18). From women’s and Latinos rights, raciest fire-fighters to religious freedoms, she has seen a lot of cases; most notably was her case ending the 1995 baseball strike which was said to “save baseball” (Stolberg 5). She is a true role model for all women, especially Hispanic women. She has pushed down the doors, all by herself, and proves she is an unstoppable force.


Figure 5: McNamee, Win. Photograph. Getty Images, 7 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. < http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2009/08/a_supreme_victory_for_judge_so.html >.

Figure 6: Obama Chooses Sotomayor. Photograph. New York Times. By Matthew Cavanaugh. European Pressphoto Agency, 26 May 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. < http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/05/26/us/20090526-SOTOMAYORPRESS_4.html >.

Latina, Woman, Of the High Court


"Each day on the bench I learn something new about the judicial process and about being a professional Latina woman in a world that sometimes looks at me with suspicion. I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences but I accept my limitations” (“Sonia Sotomayor”).


          She worked for five years as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and for eight years as a commercial litigator with a New York law firm. In reviewing the nominee report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Judge Sotomayor was speculated to be the first Hispanic to sit on the United States Supreme Court and only the third woman (“Report of the ACLU…” 1). Indeed, Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed in August of 2009, by a vote of 68 to 31 ("Sonia Sotomayor"). For the underserved population of Latino people, her sworn duty to the United States was historic. According to the ACLU, generally Judge Sotomayor’s judicial opinions exhibit precedence and factual details (“Report of the ACLU…” 1). Many people are quick to criticize her advocacy, saying her work for minorities is impartial and it should disqualify her from a seat on the Court; nevertheless, if that had been applied, some of our most prominent justices, including Thurgood Marshall, would have been removed (“Report of the ACLU…” 2). Being subjected to such unfair opinions, is an all-to-common standard for Latina women of this country.






Figure 3: Nadel, Adam. Judge Sotomayor Donning Her Robe. 1998. Photograph. New York Times. Associated Press, 26 May 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. < http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/05/26/us/20090526-SOTOMAYOR_8.html >.

Figure 4: Justice Sonia Sotomayor Loves Our Country and a Good Manicure. Photograph. Polichicks. 11 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. < http://www.polichicksonline.com/2009/11/justice-sonia-sotomayor-loves.html >.

Emerging Latina Woman




In a speech to Yale students, Sotomayor eludes to the motivation for some people to ‘do good’ for others, also lends itself to people who will forego money. Public work is “ill-paying” because of limited resources they need to carry out their work. Sotomayor suggests we do the right thing, and that is to stay ethical, even when seeing the burdens that public service imposes (Sotomayor 2).

          Growing up, facing discouragement from becoming a detective (due to her diabetes), Sonia spent her time reading books, particularly an encyclopedia, a rarity in the projects or Bronx. In 1972, she was valedictorian of Cardinal Spellman High School. She then attended Princeton where she was one of only a few Latino/a students, and especially, of even fewer women. From bridging racial gaps in high school, to earning the most prestigious undergrad award, the Pyne Prize, for her grades and extracurricular work. Sonia aimed to be a judge when she saw that it was the highest “seat in the house” so to speak. She went straight into Yale; she then served as New York assistant district attorney where she saw all kinds of criminal activity (Stolberg 1-4).



Figure 2: From Bronx to the High Court. Photograph. Princeton University Archives. New York Times. By Sheryl G. Stolberg. 26 May 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. < http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/05/26/us/20090526-SOTOMAYOR_4.html >.

From Humble Beginnings...


Born June 25, 1954, to Celina and Juan Sotomayor, “She was ‘a child with dreams,’ as she once said, the little girl who learned at 8 that she had diabetes, who lost her father when she was 9, who devoured Nancy Drew books and spent Saturday nights playing bingo, marking the cards with chickpeas, in the squat red brick housing projects of the East Bronx” (Stolberg 1).





Figure 1: "A Child With Dreams". Photograph. The White House. New York Times. By Sheryl G. Stolberg. 26 May 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. < http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/us/politics/27websotomayor.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0 >.