Sotomayor: My take…Fear and Kindergarten
July 15, 2009
by Monica Jean Alaniz
|What an interesting day for the Supreme Court hearing to confirm Judge Sotomayor.
The expected happened and we heard about her “wise Latina” quote and she defended herself by stating:
“I gave a variant of my speech to a variety of different groups, most often to groups of women lawyers or to groups, most particularly, of young Latino lawyers and students. As my speech made clear in one of the quotes that you reference, I was trying to inspire them to believe that their life experiences would enrich the legal system, because different life experiences and backgrounds always do. I don’t think that there is a quarrel with that in our society. I was also trying to inspire them to believe that they could become anything they wanted to become, just as I had.”
I find this a perfectly adequate explanation to her quote, but of course I know that it won’t go away. Judge Sotomayor will continue to be labeled as racist and as a woman who is biased and therefore cannot make good decisions as a Supreme Court Judge.
In my opinion, the senators that are continuing along this line of questioning are not interested in the lack of women and Latina/o judges.
What do I find particularly disturbing?
Judge Sotomayor has been questioned about her speeches that were meant to inspire young women from a similar background and her involvement in organizations meant to promote the rights of individuals (LatinoJustice PRLDEF) and provide support (Belizean Grove). I am sure that these questions will continue throughout her confirmation hearing.
I find it disturbing because what you consider good deeds may come back to haunt you.
The message that I am getting is that as young women we should take care of what we involve ourselves with, what we say, what we do, or later it may turn out to be something that can be turned against you.
Are we making young women afraid of good-deeds? Should I be afraid to write blogs? Serve on my local library board?
It seems as if good deeds are not commended, but questioned. I will continue to watch the hearings hoping that this sense of fear of good deeds won’t be instilled in me another others. Yet, as I watched parts of the hearings, I just saw, well, a lack of respect. Why don’t the Senators respect each other and Judge Sotomayor and let them finish saying what they need or want to say? As Amy Siskind pointed out in her blog, Sen Leahy interrupted Sen Gillibrand. He also interrupted Judge Sotomayor several times while she was trying to respond to his questions.
If you want answers, then wait for them and don’t interrupt. Give others the chance to speak. In other words, be polite. Reward good deeds and give praise where and when it’s deserved. Aren’t these things we learned in kindergarten?
I think the reason that they continue on about this line of questioning is that it was said MULTIPLE times over the years including remarks in the same speech that a “Latina woman would be able to make better judgments then even a white woman”.
As a half white/ half Latina I do find these statements to be racist.Just as i would find the statements by a white woman saying that white’s could make better judgments then Latinos.
if a white male judge or FEMALE judge had said such things they would not even been there.They would have immediately lost their jobs on the benches.
One thing about racism,even sexism, is that not just one race or gender is capable of such things.We are all capable of such things and should remember that in order for us to make true steps in the right direction to ultimately eliminate such things.
Jessica, I don’t think you understand the concept of representation. The idea is that having people with diverse experiences in our government and judiciary improves the function of the government and judiciary. Adding white males to the current system reduces diversity, adding women and men of color increases diversity. The goverment & judiciary is supposed to represent all people, not just white males. Since the government and judiciary is dominated by white males, a statement about a “wise white man” would have a completely different meaning than a statement about a “wise latina”. Equating the two, like you are doing, completely ignores the representation issue which is the basis for Sotomayor’s statement.
Sorry, no disrespect but that is how I see.
Diversity is a wonderful thing.But just because the system is not currently as diverse as we would like gives no excuse for such comments.
If it is not allowed for a white,man or woman, to say such a thing without any repercussion.Then it should not be okay for Sotomayor, or anyone from another race, to be able to say and not have any repercussion at all.A race comment is a race or discriminator comment no matter the status quo,no matter the persons race/ethnicity or gender.
That was the point of my comment.Maybe to some that is okay.But not to those who have had to live in racist environments due to the acceptance of such racism.
I am not trying to demean Sotomayor. As a Latina,I know that is exactly what she meant.
And as a human being I know that we should not give in to any kind of racism at all.
Jessica, you might see wanting to increase representation of women and men of color in positions of power and influence as racist/sexist. I don’t. You are not going to get anywhere near equality if you continue to ignore inequalities of gender and race in the name of anti-racism or anti-sexism.
Increasing representation is not racist/sexist.
I never said that.
No, disrespect but I never once said anything like that.
I said that her COMMENT was in fact racist.She made several comments of a similar nature over the course of three years.Her comments clearly states that Latinas have better judgment than whites, male or female, based on the fact that there are Latina.That is a racist comment.
What we have to look at is if a white man or even a white woman made such a comment THEY would be considered racist.
How is it any different if a Latina says such a thing? It is not.
We do desperately need to increase representation in all areas.But not at the cost of having someone, no matter their race or gender,who is just as racist or sexist as any supposed “white male”.
As I stated before to IGNORE racism in ANY form,whether White against Blacks or Latinos against Whites or even Blacks & Latinos against each other.Will get us no where real fast and continues the cycle of hate and intolerance.
I don’t want just adequate representation.Just to have representation.
I want good,honest, honorable representation of both my gender and my ethnic background.
Anything less is detrimental to our cause,whether for women’s rights or for racial equality.
I will not comment further on this issue.As I have stated clearly my stance on racial and gender equality.
We will just have to agree to disagree on how we view this issue.
And although I do not support Sotomayor to represent my ethnic heritage or gender.I will stand sexism and racism against her if it comes up.Because no one deserves to treated as a lower no matter who you are.
I hope you have a good day,
Jessica
She didn’t say anything a lot of white men think all of the time only in reverse (like white men are better, unconsciously of course). Unfortunately, she said it out loud. I’m not really into affirmative action anymore or creating diversity for the sake of diversity, but I see nothing wrong with her; she certainly isn’t more racist/prejudiced or whatever than any of the white men now sitting on that court. It’s because she is a woman that they are going after her in my opinion.
Jessica, if you don’t think arguing for increasing respresentation of non-whites and non-males is racist/sexist, then on what basis are you finding Sotomayor’s statement sexist/racist? If you interpret her statement in the context of the current inequality, it is not racist/sexist. If you ignore the context, you will equate it with a white man saying the same thing about white males and see it as sexist/racist, which is what you are doing.
She didn’t say anything a lot of white men think all of the time only in reverse (like white men are better, unconsciously of course). Unfortunately, she said it out loud.
Men can continue to discriminate against women as long as they do it quietly, covertly. They can continue to take advantage of the result of thousands of years of discrimination and oppression without lifting a finger. That is the reality. In the meantime women are told to not notice gender (which necessarily means not noticing gender inequality) otherwise they will be labeled sexist.
Also, white men don’t need to say it aloud because that is the tacit societal consensus. Even among those decrying sexism and racism, studies show that there is an unconscious bias in favor of white men. We need the propagandist statements of the kind that Sotomayor made to counter that unconscious bias. Unfortunately, as soon as a woman does that she is attacked as sexist.
Kali,
Again we will just have to agree to disagree with how we see this issue.
I am half Latina/ half white.I grew up in a barrio on the southeast side of H-Town.I was harassed on a daily basis.I was beat up on regularly because of my mom is white.I was terrified to go to school.I was even “locked and socked” because my mom is white.
If you do not understand what “locked and socked” is I will explain it to you.It is where they take a lock,like what we use for the lockers,and drop in their sock and beat you with it.I was called “cracker”,”honkey”,”half breed” and a great deal of other things from blacks and Latinos both.My mother was called the same things while out in local stores and even refused service at stores and restaurants based on her race,being a white woman.I would call that racism.Not sure if that is what you would call it.
On the other hand I been called ugly disgusting things by racist whites as well.Which is also racism.
Once again, to not address Ms. Sotomayor’s comment is to continue to ignore the fact that racism is not just perpetrated by Whites.
Everyone and group is capable of it.
The comment was not about wanting diversity.The comment was making a statement that blatantly says one race is better then other.
I understand the issue of race.I understand the necessity of diversity .
Racism is when you believe that your race is better then another in any aspect of life or culture.Not only to believe but to say things and act on such a belief.
Her comment has absolutely NOTHING to do with the need for diversity, or that she feels there needs to be diversity.It is exactly how she said it multiple times.She believes that “Latinas are more capable of making a better judgment then a white male (or female as stated later in the same speech).based on their backgrounds and experiences”.She did not say I have more experience then another judge.Or my experiences in life have made me a better judge.She said “Latina vs White”.
What I truly believe in is tolerance and respect.We don’t all need to the same as everybody else.We should be proud of our race,cultures,ethnicity, and backgrounds no matter what they are.But that those things in no way make us better then other person that is somehow different from us.
What I do not believe in is diversity and representation by any means necessary. I personally believe that we should choose wisely who we set out to represent us on every level.In order to gain the respect and tolerance that we all deserve.That goes for Republican,Democrats,Liberals, conservatives, men,women,Blacks, Whites, Latino,whomever.
Now again we will just have to disagree on this issue.But please and with all due respect do not try to make my statement seem as though I am against or for something I am not.
Have a good one
Jessica,
I am so sorry to hear about your experiences. I think what a lot of people in this world need to realize is that there is no such thing as a “pure-bred” person. Yes, some ethnic and racial backgrounds make one more genetically diverse, but even then, one person is not better than another person because of their ethnic or racial make-up.
Now, may I ask you something? Do you think that your background with its mixed ethnic heritage (i.e. Latino and White) make you better able to understand the type of difficulties faced by individuals that have a foot in two different worlds? Judging from your post I think you are better able to empathize with the Latino who is discriminated against as well as the White that is judge unfairly. Doesn’t that make you a better authority when it comes to talking about certain subjects such as discrimination?
I believe that you may be taking Judge Sotomayor’s comments a bit sensitively due to your background, which is perfectly understandable. I cannot look at the whole situation in the same way that you do because I don’t come from the same background, and while I may be reading a bit too much into what Judge Sotomayor was trying to say, I believe that that is what she is saying, perhaps she just phrased it very poorly. You are a better judge of certain situations than I am. I am a better judge in certain situations than you are and this DOES have to do with our backgrounds, ethnic, racial, or otherwise.
I can empathize with individuals that come from a mixed heritage, but I am not a better judge of situations where individuals with mixed heritage are involved. I am a better judge in other situations, such as minorities in graduate education, or minorities dealing with disabilities in their families because that is MY experience.
Please don’t take this as me trying to put you down or disregarding what you have to say (far from it, I value your opinion), but I am just trying to offer a different perspective.
Monica
hi Monica=)
I want to thank you for your understanding.
I really don’t like using my experiences to explain how I feel about certain issues because I feel that with or without my experiences that is a common sense way of looking at the race issue or even the gender issue.
Do my experiences make me a better judge or more understanding of these issues? Sure,I could say that.i defintely used to believe that.But in the same sentence I can not.
In a person’s strive for tolerance and equality,no matter their background.They should be able to come to same conclusions as I have.
In Ms. Sotomayor case, the statement she made was clearly a racial comparison between the capabilities of Latinos and Whites.
In law,as I understand it,and I am in no way a judge or lawyer or close.
But it is the old saying “justice is blind”.No matter the case, said individuals are to apply law properly without prejudice.This is what Civil Rights was about,this is what we fight for when we take a stand against racism in all it’s form.
The racism that was practiced in the judicial system before the Civil Rights movement and even after.Was White judges and Lawyers using their background,ie. race, and experiences as Whites to interpret the law as they saw it.Because in their backgrounds and experiences in life Blacks and people of color were “bad”/”lower” and that Whites are just better then people of color.This is just a fact.That is exactly what they thought and how they felt.
The purpose of law is to be able to look past your experiences and background in order to apply law without a prejudice.You must be color blind,gender blind, etc…to be able to apply the law in a fair manner.
Now if she really feels that Latina/os are better at Judging then Whites then there is a big problem of how she will apply law without prejudiced.
In everyday life yes I can apply my experiences to people,circumstances and situations.But not always are those experiences going to give me the knowledge and understanding to make the right judgments on issues. I personally, on many occasions have had to take a step back from my own experiences and background in order to make sure I am making decisions or assumptions about things and people that are correct and not based on what has or has not happened to myself in the past.
We must remain objective to all things,use a common sense approach,use our experiences to enrich others lives without demeaning them or placing them at a lower level then us.
That is the problem that I,and obviously the Senators and other people,have with Ms. Sotomayor’s comment.
Is that it clearly states that she believes Whites are not capable of good judge based on their race.
But that is my opinion.
Have a good one;)
Jessica,
Unfortunately, I don’t think that we can rely too heavily on common-sense when it comes to race, ethnic, and gender issues. If common-sense prevailed more often than not there would be no need for organizations such as The New Agenda, we would have no need to celebrate women’s history month, Hispanic history month, or black history month because everyone would be fair in their approaches to gender issues and recognizing the contribution to different groups on a regular basis.
I think it is also idealistic to think that “justice is blind.” There is a consistent disparity even up unto the present day in the way that the judicial system tries and punishes certain offenders. For example, the law more harshly punishes users of crack cocaine than it does individuals who possess powder cocaine. The former is a drug that is used by mostly individuals low on the socio-economic scale, which is mostly made up of minorities, while the latter is a drug that is mostly used by upper-class individuals.
Even law enforcement and the media is biased when it comes to gender and color. I clearly remember when the Elizabeth Smart case became a media circus a young Latina girl of the same age in San Antonio, Texas was kidnapped and held by a neighbor. Instead of getting media support and the help of law enforcement she was labeled a runaway. Her family could not receive any help or attention towards her case. Even after several weeks when she finally managed to escape, the story was just a small blurb on the news.
Why is it bad to say that in certain situations you might make a better decision than someone else because of your ethnic heritage or gender?
We obviously live in a biased society. Perhaps she is biased, but it is a bias that is out in the open. As much as I hate to say it, I am biased in the same way she is. For example, if I had two individuals in front of me with equal education and drive and could only recommend one for a position with an organization made up of predominately white males and one was a white man and the other was a Latina woman, I would pick the Latina woman any day.
Nature loves diversity. That is a tenet of biology; it goes down to our most basic level genetically, why can’t we see that diversity enriches society as a whole?
That’s cool.
You make a great point concerning how common sense in these issues is idealistic.But it is my hope and desire that all people will strive to be as such.
we strive to be good people.
We strive to be good parents.
We strive to be better at the things we are good at and sometimes strive to be better at the things we are not so good at.
That is what will in the end make the difference.
The idea that “justice is blind” is what we should strive for.That is what law was intended for.That is the difference in Ms. Sotomayor’s case.Just because there are other judges out there that don’t do it, should not mean that she, with all of her experiences and struggles as a Latina should be act in the same manner.
And I totally agree with on the media issue and on your point about nature.Defintely agree.
Not so much the crack thing.Yeah they get harder sentences for sure,no question.But in my experiences that has been an explosion of middle and upper class whites using Crack in the past 10-15 years.It really is not a lower class problem anymore.But that is a totally different post and discussion all together.
I would to ask you something.You said you have a bias for other Latina/os.If the people in question that were sitting in front of you,one Latina and one White.But the White had more drive and was more qualified for the position, would you still chose the Latina?
Now you don’t really have to answer that question.I just thought maybe I might return the favor of offering a different perspective.
Have a good one=)
By the way Monica I would have been perfect for the promotion.I am white and Latina you would not have had to worry about!
=D
You must be color blind,gender blind, etc…to be able to apply the law in a fair manner.
This, I think, is the core of our disagreement. I believe that being gender-blind and color-blind in an unequal and racist/sexist world would be unfair because it would mean ignoring all the ways in which the playing field is unequal. Striving for the ideal does not mean pretending that we live in an ideal world – quite the opposite.
Hi Kali=)
You know you really put me to work,girl!
That’s a good thing though.
I want to say first I know we don’t live in an ideal world.And to be honest I would never want to live in such a world.
Part of who we are as human beings comes from struggle and strife.It makes us better as people.
We should always strive for the things that we want,no matter what.
When we strive for equality then we must strive for equality for all and with our eyes wide open.Which sometimes means that we must acknowledge certain truths that we do not wish to acknowledge.
I have seen much of this concerning race issues.
To me,and this is where we disagree and I think alot of women on here will read it and freak out on me but I will say it anyways.
To me the idea that the “playing field” in not equal is now that new oppression of our gender.
I will explain. Dolores Huerta once said …
“Among poor people, there’s not any question about women being strong — even stronger than men — they work in the fields right along with the men. When your survival is at stake, you don’t have these questions about yourself like middle-class women do.”
This is true.I have worked in male oriented jobs for the better part of 9 years. And the most crap I have received is from working in the white collar jobs.But I always over came that “crap” because I worked hard and i never played the victim.
if a man tells me “No you can’t” then I don’t strive to totally prove that man wrong. I strive to prove to my myself I can,by doing my best.
It is a mental barrier that has been wedged into females minds that we do not have the opportunities that we do have,and that becomes the wall that we can’t seem to climb.
I do not think it is equality that we lack.I could be wrong!
But I really feel, as you said that we do lack representation.But that is because we constantly tell ourselves that we are not equal.
And we also play into the agenda pushing mind games that we are not equal and have no opportunities.
We have the opportunities, we just need to put away the issues like abortion and political partisanship that continue to distract us from real representation.
Sorry kinda long.
Had WAY too much coffee this morning!
And I know I will get slapped for the comment.But that is just my point of view.That is where I can apply my experiences and background.On things like that.
Law is totally different.It should be blind.Always or their is no real justice for anyone.
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