Sonia Sotomayor Confirmed

Washington – Despite Republican protests that she would bring personal bias and a liberal agenda to the bench, the Senate on Thursday confirmed President Barack Obama’s first high court nominee, 55-year-old Sonia Sotomayor, as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. In a historic yet divisive vote of 68-31, she replaced retired Justice David Souter, becoming the nation’s 111^th justice and just the third women to serve. With a 17-year judicial record, she brings more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in a century.

Raised in a single-parent Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx housing projects, Sotomayor went to a Catholic high school and attended Princeton and Yale Law School. Self-described as “fun-loving, very open and very human,” she maintains her upbringing had a significant and long-lasting influence on her as a person and as a judge. “Your childhood environment shapes your perceptions, your character, your sense of values,” Sotomayor said in a 1998 interview. “To the extent that I lived in an environment wrought with poverty and the mixture of responses to it, I had perhaps a much more complex understanding of human nature.”

Under Fire

It is precisely her judicial philosophy, however, that has come under such scrutiny and criticism throughout her confirmation hearings. Although they have battered Sotomayor with accusations of judicial activism and racial bias (a controversial 2001 remark that a “wise Latina” judge would often make better decisions than a white male being the primary basis for such charges), Republican senators have been faced with a political dilemma: appease conservatives by opposing Obama’s nominee or alienate Hispanic voters, a rapidly-growing and integral part of the electorate.

Although subjected to a constant volley of questions on her position on issues such as abortion and gun rights, Sotomayor kept a cool demeanor throughout the entire process, even earning the approval of some Republicans that had earlier protested her nomination. Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander said he would break with the rest of his party’s leaders and vote for President Barack Obama’s nominee despite his differences with her. “Even though Judge Sotomayor’s political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendments rights, I will vote to confirm her because she is well-qualified by experience, temperament, character, and intellect to serve,” Alexander said in a speech on the Senate floor.

Other Republicans contend that her longtime association with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) is an indication that she is biased and would be unable to render impartial decisions. The Hispanic rights group’s stances on contentious issues such as capital punishment, abortion, and affirmative action have been labeled by conservatives as “extreme” and “shocking.” Republicans claim that Sotomayor will be influenced by such positions, but Cesar Perales, the group’s president, stated that this attempt to derail her nomination by “over-politicizing” the work of his legal defense fund is what’s truly extreme, primarily because PRLDEF’s primary function has been to use existing law to work toward ensuring equal opportunity. “You have a reputable group that has stood up for the civil rights of Latinos for 37 years,” he said. “To suddenly be accused of being something bad, and that anyone associated with it should not be allowed to serve on the Supreme Court, to me is shocking.”

The real Jenny from the block

In spite of such rigorous opposition, Judge Sotomayor was nevertheless confirmed by the Senate earlier today to become the first Hispanic and third woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. In the afterglow of her achievement, many fellow Latinos feel this historic occasion is as monumental for them as President Obama’s victory was for African-Americans. “It’s empowering for Latin women and inspirational because you can see that a person who has had to overcome obstacles and struggles can put forth determination and know that the end result is something that you have been dreaming about,” sophomore Natalie Vasquez, 22, shared. “And you realize that the saying ‘dreams really do come true’ – they can happen for you too.”

Sotomayor’s confirmation resonates loudest within the Puerto Rican community, especially in her old neighborhood. East Harlem bar owner Orlando Plaza, 41, is savoring her success. “Whether it’s growing up in the Bronx, going to Catholic school or being from a single-parent household, there are so many tropes in her own story that we feel pride that someone from a background like ours achieved something so enormous,” he said. “This is the real Jenny from the block.”

President Obama is similarly lauding Sotomayor’s victory, calling the barrier-breaking confirmation a wonderful moment for her family and for America. Said the president: “With this historic vote, the Senate has affirmed that Justice Sotomayor has the intellect, the temperament, the history, the integrity, and the independence of mind to ably serve on our nation’s highest court.”

Sotomayor will be sworn in on Saturday, August 8, and appear with Obama at the White House the following Wednesday.

*PRLDEF – LatinoJustice PRLDEF champions an equitable society. Using the power of the law together with advocacy and education, they protect opportunities for all Latinos to succeed in school and work, fulfill their dreams, and sustain their families and communities. For more information, please visit www.prldef.org