Supreme Court nominee’s story inspires Hispanic community

For Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa Latino Cultural Center, Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the highest court in the land marks another historical high note in Obama’s tenure.

“For me, it’s a double-sided perspective,” she said. “It’s like, I’m a Latina who says, ‘Yes! Another Latina.’ But then I feel that as a liberal, she also stands for rights I and other women care about.”

Sotomayor, a federal district and appellate court judge for the past 17 years, has been nominated by President Obama to become the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Sotomayor grew up in a Bronx, N.Y., housing project after her parents moved from Puerto Rico, according to an Associated Press article. Her father died when she was 9 years old.

Casillas said she would advise those looking for an “extremely liberal” perspective from a minority female to think again.

“It’s great to finally have a Latina female as part of the face of government,” she said, “but that’s really not what it’s about.” Casillas said a judge’s ethnicity does not necessarily determine his or her political leanings.

Joseph Hoffman, a professor at the Maurer School of Law, said he believes Sotomayor is not a particularly staunch conservative, but rests more in the middle.

Law professor Christiana Ochoa said despite Sotomayor’s political views, it is important to recognize her “real intent in interpreting the law” during the confirmation process.

Ochoa said this is important to understand because Sotomayor has a real perspective on what it means to have relationships with different life experiences.

“She’s very straightforward about those differences, and it is a breath of fresh air,” she said. “Being straightforward is especially valuable for conversations.”

These conversations that need to occur are typically under the surface, Ochoa said.

“And of course, definitely with President Obama, you see a whole conversation opening up about race, class, where he’s been and where he is now, and how that is all relative to executing the law,” she said. “You will see the same thing with Sotomayor. The judicial branch will be highly influenced from her experience.”

Hoffman said though it is important to acknowledge Sotomayor’s ethnic background as a factor for inspiration, he believes it is no reason to think she defines herself or her role as a justice by the fact that she is Hispanic.

“One thing I can say about judges is they do not appreciate being categorized by views, race or religion,” he said. “The whole point is to have a role that transcends aspects of her identity.”

Hoffman said Sotomayor’s nomination is a wonderful moment in history and generates a lot of Hispanic pride.

“People are who they are,” he said. “And we aren’t much without the fullness of our own personal experiences. But well-respected judges like Sotomayor are trained and acculturated to rise above labels and categories and strongly represent the body of law.”