essayisaito

Mrs. Carrier/Mrs.Casanas Technology/Spanish April 28, 2017 Hispanic Heritage Essay: Sonia Sotomayor

Seventeen percent of the population in the United States is Hispanic. It is estimated that there are fifty-five million Hispanics in this country. Mexico is the only country that has a larger Hispanic population than the United States. Alberto Gonzales, the son of migrant workers, became the general counsel in 1994 for President George W. Bush. Mel Martinez in the first Cuban-American senator. He came to the United States at fifteen years old. He is one of only two Hispanic senators. During World War II, a quarter of a million Hispanics served. It is impossible to say exactly what impact they may have had, but we know they served bravely alongside their countrymen.Bernardo de Galvez was the governor of Louisiana in 1777. He was an important figure in the battle against the British soldiers with General George Washington. The Spanish founded the oldest city in the United States in 1565, St. Augustine. Many of the words we speak every day have Spanish roots. Mustang, Bodegas, rodeos and yuppies are a few examples (Rogue). Many Americans have no idea of the many contributionsHispanics have made to our nation. Have you ever heard of Sonia Sotomayor? This essay describes her early life and her time in college and Law School. She will forever be remembered as the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court. Sonia impacted Hispanics all over the United States of America. I hope that your reading this will inspire you as much as she has inspired me.

Sonia Sotomayor was born on June 25, 1954 to Celina and Juan Sotomayor in the Bronx, New York. She was their first child. Her father had a third-grade education and did not speak English. They came to the United States during World War II. He was a tool and dye maker. He was an alcoholic. He died when she was nine years old. Her mother served in the Women's Auxiliary Corps and then became a nurse. She has one sibling, Juan. He became a university professor and a physician. They were raised in a housing project in the Bronx. Her family’s life was not easy (My Hero Project). Her mother showed her an example of someone who never gave up. It seems that Sonia was paying attention.

Sonia Sotomayor's mother believed that education was very important. When her father died, Sonia became an avid reader. She loved Nancy Drew books, which were about a girl who was an investigator. Reading these books made her interested in the law. She also loved the television show Perry Mason, which was about a lawyer. She excelled in school. While in high school, she was accused of copying from a classmate’s paper when she scored perfectly on her geometry Regents. Both she and her brother attended Catholic schools. It was discovered that she had juvenile diabetes while she was in elementary school (Fact Monster).

Because of her diligence, she was to become the valedictorian of her class at both Blessed Sacrament and Cardinal Spellman High School in New York. While in high school, Sonia was on the debate team. Her debate coach Ken Moy told her about Ivy League schools. This would prove to have a tremendous impact on her plans for her future. One of her friends in the forensics club suggested that she apply to Princeton. At that time, there were few minority's attending Princeton. Once again she excelled. She graduated Suma Cum Laude (with the highest distinction) in 1976. In 1979, she graduated from Yale Law School. Throughout her college years, Sotomayor was a student activist. Her efforts while at Princeton resulted in the hiring of minority staff (Shores).

For four and a half years, she was an assistant district attorney in New York. In 1984, she entered private practice. She was always active on various boards throughout this time. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated her for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was confirmed in 1992. President Bill Clinton nominated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the second Circuit. She was confirmed in 1998. While there, Sotomayor heard appeals in more than three thousand cases. She also has taught at Columbia Law School and New York University School of Law. When Justice David Souter retired in 2009, President Barack Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court. The senate in August 2009 confirmed her. The vote was sixty-eight to thirty-one (Wikipedia). Sonia Sotomayor was the third woman to hold a seat on the Supreme Court. She was the first Hispanic to ever hold a position on the Supreme Court. The following year, Elena Kagan became the fourth woman to be appointed. On January 20 and 21, 2013 she became the first Hispanic (and fourth woman) to administer the oath to a president or vice president. Vice President Joe Biden was administered that oath for the inauguration of his second term. During her time on the court, she has been acclaimed to be one of the biggest supporters of the rights of those accused of crimes. Sonia Sotomayor is a person that all Americans should be proud of. Her diligence and ability to overcome obstacles makes her a role model that all children should strive to follow.

= =

Works Cited Rogue Planas. “//11 Latino Contribution to U.S. History”. Huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/04latinos-contributions-to-us-history- independence_n_3545899.html?slideshow=true. Assessed on April 21, 2017// Shores, Erika L. "Sonia SotomayorMyON®. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. https://www.myon.com/reader/index.html?a=ghla_ssoto_f16. "Sonia Sotomayor."Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2017. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Sotomayor. "Sonia Sotomayor."FactMonster. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. https://www.factmonster.com/people/who2-biography/sonia-sotomayor.  "The My Hero Project - Sonia Sotomayor (Spanish) (Espanol)." Myhero.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=sonia_sotomayor_esp.
 * Explains the people who helped her out.
 * Told about Sonia's lifetime.
 * Has good facts on Sonia
 * Gives info. based on Sonia's job.
 * Talks about how she impacted the U.S.