As the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Friday she still feels that she is living in a surreal world, a fantasy world, but at the same time she said she is aware that she has undergone a life-altering experience and has lost the life she used to have.
The Bronx-born native of Puerto Rican descent, who studied at Princeton University and Yale Law School and became the first Latina in the Supreme Court, said she is touched by the outpouring of support from people, but uncomfortable with all the T-shirt, button and coffee cup souvenirs alluding to her “Wise Latina,” remarks.
“I consider myself a judge and when you think of yourself as a judge, you don’t think of yourself as a public figure like celebrities or politicians,” Sotomayor, 55, said during an interview at the Puerto Rico Art Museum. “People are writing books about my life … People who have never even talked to me. It is a very strange experience … My story is something I hope will inspire people without the need of commercialization.”
While she misses her anonymity, her celebrity status has yet to help her find a mate.
“I understand from my girlfriends that I’ve been put on a most eligible bachelorette list. I’ll figure that out in time. But right now I pity the man who tries to find a minute in my schedule,” she said.
On the possibility that a Hispanic woman may become U.S. president, following the victory of President Obama, who is the nation’s first African-American president, Sotomayor said it will not be her, but that she hopes there is another girl out there who, like her, has big dreams.
Sotomayor has said in the past that she was inspired to enter the legal profession after watching episodes of Perry Mason as a young girl.
“It is my hope that there is another 9-year old, if not from New York, from another place, who is dreaming just as I dreamed. Yes, I think any dream is possible,” she said.
While she described her first three months at the Supreme Court as a “hurricane,” she described fellow justices in the Supreme Court as generous and a close knit family who have treated her as an equal. “I am now the youngest sister. I answer the door when we’re in conference. That’s a tradition,” she said. “But they are very careful about ensuring that I understand I am with them as an equal.”
Earlier this year, during her confirmation hearings, Sotomayor was criticized for having made remarks that appeared to show that she believes judges can legislate from the bench. She reiterated, however, that her decisions have followed the rule of law. While she has her own views and opinions, she said a judge should always be cognizant of his or her own biases and shut them out.
She declined to comment on the so-called Insular cases, which are U.S. Supreme Court rulings from the early 20th century that state that Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory, but noted that the island is an important part of her cultural identity.
When asked how would she be able to treat an issue that affects Puerto Rico directly if it comes up to the top bench, such as status, Sotomayor noted that judging is different from making any other decision because a judge must apply the law to a set of facts. Even if she ever issues a ruling that is negative to Puerto Rico, Sotomayor said the best thing a judge can bring to a controversy is impartiality.
Having worked as a judge in the district court, the Appeals Court and now the Supreme Court, Sotomayor said she has learned that the law does not resolve all problems. “But I believe there is justice,” she said.
At the Supreme Court, the justices discuss the cases and analyze every issue because there is an awareness that rulings will affect all people. “It is a process that is important and respected by its participants,” she said.
While she confessed that she has been the victim of subtle discrimination from people who thought she was given preferential treatment because of her Puerto Rican background, Sotomayor said everyone is capable.
Asked about her advice on how to deal with failures, Sotomayor said that all goals are reached step by step. “It is not how many times you fail but how many times you get up,” she said.