Not a Real Issue

It has been very interesting to be a witness to all of the dialogue that has ensued following Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor's reflection that: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a White male who hasn't lived that life." I did not find her comments offensive or racist and could really empathize with her observation. I believe she just meant she had a set of experiences that gave her a larger view of the world. I think any minority, be they Black, Cuban, Mexican, Jewish, female or disabled has a set of experiences that are uniquely theirs. That experience is often colored by the frequent reminders that we are different and not always valued for that difference. I know that to get through the daily gauntlet of inequality, suspicion and prejudice, minorities build strengths and skills based on our experiences as minorities. I don't read her comment as racist but more as a practical response to the hell I am sure she has experienced for being Latina in a country that has a history of seeing Latinas as interlopers, day laborers and low-riders. I don't think her views about her Latina heritage will diminish her ability to render judicial opinions in a fair manner.