by Salvatore Oliva

Created on: July 15, 2009   Last Updated: July 19, 2009

Sonia Sotomayor has dug herself a deep hole with her generalizing comment. It was not only a racist remark, but a sexist remark.

I do not question Sotomayor's loyalty to the US Constitution nor do I question her pride for her background, which I personally feel is a very common American thing to do, but not necessarily a healthy one. It creates division! What I do question is Sotomayor's much-publicized remarks about the notion that a "wise Latina" woman might be better suited than a white male without the same life experiences.

This comment assumes that Sotomayor's background and life experiences are more rich than your average white male. Would her comment hold ground against wise white males without her background and experiences? What about wise white males from an Italian or Greek background who went through the same old immigrant story as she did? Sotomayor's egotistical comment also distinguishes her color and gender as being better suited to make decisions than a white male. I guess I have more questions around her generalization of white males than I do her loyalty to either the US Constitution or Latino interests. So who are the white males she is talking about?

To put it bluntly, my assumption is that she feels her Puerto Rican (PR) heritage and her immigrant plight in America is more valuable and rich than your average John Smith who works in an office in the suburbs and eats hot dogs all day. Let us assume tongue and cheek that John Smith's boss is a Latina who happens to eat "mofongo de pescado all day." She must be wiser, because she is the boss and eats food from her PR culture. Seriously! I also question the word wise. What is wise? Wise enough to be a judge? People who are considered wise might not posses talent. I hold talent and unique abilities on the same level as being wise or smart. Words and their meanings must be used carefully in a world of generalizations and prejudices.

In short, I love my Italian heritage, but I am American. I was born here, I have a US passport, I vote in America and it is where I pay my taxes. I think people of ethnicity feel that saying I am American, is to say I am white or uncultured. That of course, is not a cool thing to say these days. I feel Sotomayor will make a great judge to the Supreme Court without a doubt. I just wish she would keep her pride at home and her country in the courts. Sandra Day O'Connor never brought up her heritage other than being American.

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