http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/latinocomm_4955.mp3
On Saturday, Judge Sonia Sotomayor will make history as the first Hispanic justice to sit on the Supreme Court. Although Sotomayor was born in the US, her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico.
KSMU's Jennifer Moore sat down with Yolanda Lorge, president of Groupo LatinoAmericano, an organization that helps immigrants integrate into American society, to see how the local Latino community is reacting to the news. She began by saying those who know about Sotomayor’s confirmation are pretty excited.
She said that while she personally doesn't allow herself to be proud or ashamed of an individual simply because he or she is Hispanic, it's hard not to feel a sense of pride simply because of Sotomayor's identity.
Lorge feels there has been too much attention given to Sotomayor's ethnicity, as opposed to her record as a judge.
She says the true measure of when the US has truly "developed" will be when race, gender, and ethnicity are irrelevant.
Lorge immigrated to the United States from her hometown of Mexico City at the age of 21. For the past 20 years, she’s volunteered her time and skills to help immigrants from Latin America integrate into society here in the Ozarks. She was commenting on tomorrow’s swearing in of the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.
Both Senators from Missouri—Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Kit Bond—voted to confirm Sotomayor, saying she has proven herself to rule in moderation, and agreeing that the selection of judges should not be made on a partisan basis.
For KSMU News, I'm Jennifer Moore.