PrintMay 29, 2009
Sotomayor's minority cred
I have had enough of people trying to legitimize themselves with street cred as members of an oppressed group, and therefore deserving of special consideration. Unfortunately, Judge Sotomayor did that the day of her appointment, talking about how it was such an honor to be at the White House given that she's just a kid from the South Bronx.
Sotomayor can keep playing the poor, underprivileged Boricua, but let's be real, she's spent her childhood in private school environments, early adulthood amongst the Ivy League elite, and most of her adulthood as a corporate attorney and judge living in Greenwich Village, where the average household income tops that of the entire NY metro area and 98% of the residents are White. I guess that's what she means by her rich experience.
I personally don't believe humble beginnings are all that compelling, but let's take into consideration that Sotomayor has spent the majority of her life experiencing the finest things in life that superior environments have to offer. So now she holds on to the humility of her beginnings to gain oppression street cred, while for the latter two thirds of her life, she has moved into the upper stratum of America's elite.
Not saying she should be ashamed of her success, but the food she eats is probably the only thing she has in common with most Latinos. She excoriates whites as less able because of their experiences, but chooses to educate herself and live where they are the majority.
