Though no one claimed to know much about Sonia Sotomayor until Tuesday, local Hispanics said her nomination to the highest court in the land marks an enormously significant moment in history.
Art Paz, a Springfield architect who serves on the State Board of Education, said he was tickled to learn Sotomayor was Puerto Rican. Like her, he was born in New York City to Puerto Rican immigrants.
He said Sotomayor�s cultural heritage, and her perspective as a woman, would serve to enrich the court. Women, he said, tend to better articulate some of today�s social issues, such as environmental sustainability and intergenerational communication.
�I believe this is an enlightened recognition of our evolving demographics, and it also reflects the talents and contributions of Latinos that Obama was able to find such a highly qualified jurist for the nomination,� said Bender, who is of Mexican heritage.
Her inspiring personal story is an added bonus, he said.