By Kaitlyn Nguyen, Summer 2023 Collaborator at Power in Place
Image from: United States Supreme Court
While the idea of a woman in influential positions is relatively attainable today, it hasn’t always been this way. In fact, many modern females were the first to trailblaze success in their academic occupations. For instance, Sonia Sotomayor, a current justice on the Supreme Court, was the first Latino and third woman to serve in her position. Despite achieving accomplishments that are out of reach for most people, Sotomayor actually came from a humble background that tethered her access to resources early on. It was perseverance and a hard work ethic that enabled Sotomayor to even level the playing field among her peers. In light of recent precedents on affirmative action, Sonia Sotomayor is emblematic of equity as someone who benefited from affirmative action as a woman seeking higher education and a Latina with immigrant parents.
Sotomayor grew up in the Bronx, where she lived with her Puerto Rican family in a city-owned housing project. In the area she lived in, her community thrived off of ethnically diverse working-class families. After graduating high school, the future Justice attained a full-ride scholarship to Princeton University and graduated with Summa Cum Laude Honors. Afterward, she attended Yale Law School, where she graduated in 1979. Yet, even in university, Sotomayor noticed how far behind she was from her peers in standardized measures of intelligence. She said, “I am a product of affirmative action. I am the perfect affirmative-action baby. I am Puerto Rican, born and raised in the South Bronx. My test scores were not comparable to my colleagues at Princeton and Yale.” Yet, despite having a late start in comparison to her peers, Sotomayor quickly proved her competence by outperforming her class.
Later on, she was nominated to the United States District Court in 1992 for New York by the Bush Administration, which made her the youngest judge to ever join the court at just 38 years old. And in 2009, President Barack Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court, thereby celebrating her career as an affluent and reputable judge. Sotomayor was known for her thoughtful considerations and rational rulings. Her nomination was an eminent moment for the Latino community and young female scholars alike. And as she achieved greatness, Sotomayor never downplayed her extraordinary access to higher education. Throughout her school and work career, she prioritized hiring a diverse staff, which was prompted by the lack of women and ethnic minorities she encountered in her academic institutions. Furthermore, she personally worked on projects that prioritized the need for affordable housing, which paid homage to the home she grew up in.
Sotomayor credits all of her accomplishments as a result of affirmative action, which exposed her to an environment that diversified her understanding of the world. However, with the recent overturning of historic precedents on the topic, Sotomayor has taken to heart the impact this will have on the college admissions process. Affirmative action pertains to any underrepresented group in society. It acknowledges women, Native Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups that have historically been excluded from academic conversations. The natural criteria for it are race, gender, disability, ethnic origin, and age, which is how Sotomayor benefited as a Latina woman in the college admissions process. In her opening statement on Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and University of North Carolina, Sotomayor argued that racial equality could be “enforced through race-conscious means in a society that is not, and never has been colorblind.” As a product of affirmative action herself, Sotomayor has always believed that equal access to opportunity is a prerequisite for race neutrality. According to her, the only way to “stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.” This acknowledgment comes first and foremost in creating a race-impartial society.
Yet, Sotomayor’s lifetime accomplishments are utterly symbolic of race-conscious decisions in the college admissions process. Sotomayor is a beacon of capability and aptitude amongst underrepresented social groups. And lastly, her adversity in breaking barriers that hindered her access to opportunity demonstrates the power of affirmative action. Sonia Sotomayor is the perfect affirmative-action baby.
References
[1] Acevedo, Nicole. “Sotomayor and Jackson Slan Idea that U.S. is ‘Colorblind’”. NBC News. June 29, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/sotomayor-jackson-write-strong-dissents-affirmative-action-rcna91817
[2] Alvarado, Elisabeth. “40 Inspiring Sonia Sotomayor Quotes”. Spanish Mama. September 21, 2021. https://spanishmama.com/sonia-sotomayor-quotes-and-books/
[3] Angelucci, Ashley. “Sonia Sotomayor”. National Women’s History Museum. September 1, 2021. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sonia-sotomayor
[4] Parrott-Sheffer, Chelsey. “Sonia Sotomayor”. Britannica. June 30, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sonia-Sotomayor
[5] Politico Staff. “Read the Dissents in the Supreme Court Ruling Against Affirmative Action”. Politico. June 29, 2023.
Kaitlyn Nguyen is a rising sophomore majoring in Political Science at UCLA. She’s aiming to pursue a minor in social data analysis, with a concentration in international politics. On campus, Kaitlyn works to provide free resources for homeless women and children in the downtown region of Los Angeles. In her free time, she loves cooking and whipping up drinks as a barista! This summer, she’s working part time at a cute local cafe and interning for PiP!