Sotomayor's Comment Starts a 'Wise Latina' Movement

Mia Navarro

Contributor

Posted:

07/17/09

Sonia Sotomayor may have distanced herself from the words but she has still set off a "wise Latina" movement. Wise Latina Facebook groups are popping up and Wise Latina T-shirt makers are busy taking orders, all prompted by these words:

"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 wasn't fazed when I first read the statement. ("Duh, a broader view is better than a narrower one, right?'') Then controversy ensued and it was more like, "Ay, Dios mio, am I a racist too?"

I e-mailed Elisa Palacios, the creator of a Facebook group that invites members "to celebrate and embrace what has created controversy in some people, Judge Sotomayor's 'wise Latina ' statement." Elisa's pitch goes on to say: "Many people have found the comment insulting, biased, close-minded and even racist. The group is for those women who can relate to what Judge Sotomayor said."

So how does Elisa relate? She wrote back:

"I am an MBA student from Brandeis University and I am 26 years old. I think Judge Sotomayor wanted to say that her background (Latina from the Bronx ) gives her the opportunity to see things different than the white men who have never lived in poverty and have had more opportunities.

"She wanted to say that her experiences give her an advantage over someone that has never experienced the same...I guess that goes with everything we learn, but in this case, because she is a judge and judges have to follow law more than life experiences in the court, her comment was taken out of context."

This sentiment is widely shared by many Latinas I know. Some are baffled. Why wouldn't all Americans embrace the special insights Sotomayor's background would provide rather than fear them? Dolores Prida, a playwright and columnist for the New York Daily News and El Diario/La Prensa, told me:

"The context of the famous quote was gender and race issues. In terms of gender and race, of course a wise Latina will, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who has not lived that life.

"She was right -- and I wish she had not apologized for it, but I do understand the Kabuki dance of confirmation hearings. Having said this, I admit the paragraph could have used a little editing."

Despite the brouhaha, Latinas seem to be reveling in an appointment they see as inevitable. Elisa's Facebook group – "I Am a Wise Latina" -- had attracted more than 100 members in just a few days, by last count, and clone sites with names like "Wise Latina Women" and "I Wish I Were a Wise Latina Woman" have sprung up. Elisa emphasized the significance of Sotomayor's appointment to all Latinos, not just women.

"The Latino Community needs Latino leaders in government and Judge Sotomayor is the one I can relate the most," she said. "One may be able to get into an Ivy League school with the 'diversity' invitation, but you do not graduate with honors because you are a minority. Her determination to overcome barriers is an inspiration for those that are constantly aiming to get to the next level and to those that thought the next level was not possible to achieve."