Sonia Sotomayor Research Paper
Right now, in Washington D.C., there is an amazing woman that everyone should
know about. She is striving for a better, more just America for everyone. She is the
epitome of the American dream. Her name is Sonia Sotomayor. She has an inspiring life
story, and the impact on the world through her work is indisputable. Throughout her
entire life she has shown incredible independence and perseverance. She has gone to
some of the most prestigious schools in America and built herself a career from virtually
nothing. Her years of work as a judge, both on the U.S. court of appeals and on the
Supreme Court, have resulted in numerous court rulings of importance. She has become
a symbol of governmental representation for both the Latino community and women all
over the U.S.A. There is so much to be learned from both her story and her
achievements, starting at the very beginning.
Sotomayor's early life was deep rooted with struggle. Sotomayor was born June
25, 1954 into an immigrant family with a difficult history. Her family is deeply rooted in
Puerto Rican culture, a value she continues to hold even now. Her mother Celina grew
up in a poor farming community and left Puerto Rico at 17 to join the Women’s Army
Corps during WWII. She left her home for Georgia, speaking little English, and began
training. Her father, Juan, also grew up very poor in Puerto Rico. The two of them met
after Celina’s services in the WAC and moved to NYC. They had many financial struggles
from the beginning, and even though both parents worked full time, things were very
difficult for the small family. When Sonia Sotomayor was only nine years old, her father
passed away from heart problems, allegedly caused by his alcoholic tendencies. The
sudden death of her father left her mother with two young children and no savings. The
family moved into a housing project in New York and her mother had to work multiple
jobs to support her family and their education.
Ever since Sonia Sotomayor was a young child, her mother was dedicated to her
children having the very best education possible. When Sonia Sotomayor’s father died
he only had a third-grade education, spoke no English and worked in heavy physical
labor. Celina Sotomayor hoped that her children could have better opportunities than
their parents. Celina Sotomayor even bought her kids an encyclopedia, despite the cost.
They were the only family that had one in her neighborhood. This was a luxury that the
family could barely afford, but Celina really wanted her children to know how important
it was to learn. Despite all of the support from her mother, Sonia struggled academically
in elementary school. She didn’t speak English at home, so her reading and writing
suffered. She couldn't read the books that many grew up with because they weren’t
translated into Spanish. It wasn’t until the nuns at her Catholic school started to give out
gold stars that her grades improved. These shiny foil stars spurred ...
