SALSA-BEAT SALUTE FOR SOTOMAYORAS soon as the image of Sonia Sotomayor appeared on the three plasma screens inside Creole Cafe on Third Avenue at East 118th Street in East Harlem, there was silence.
Not the absolute silence that judges are bestowed when they walk into their court. At this gathering of proud Puerto Ricans, Latinas and African-Americans yesterday, it was a silence filled with excitement and anticipation for the historic Supreme Court swearing-in about to take place -- one that most in the room thought they would never witness in their lifetimes.
The expressions of pride were accompanied by a joined sense of awareness that a new chapter in the long and complicated book on the history of Nuyoricans was being opened.
The chant of "Esa es, Esa es, Esa es!" ---- She's the one! -- was followed by a sustained "clave" beat crea
ted by the hands of the approximately 70 women, some of whom swayed from side to side as if dancing a silent salsa.
The room was packed with women, all gathered to witness the historical oath being administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in Washington. These were women to whom Justice Sotomayor did not have to explain her now infamous "wise Latina" remark.
"My mother, a single parent, raised my brother and me as a very wise Latina who made the right choices for me," said Agnes Rivera, a 58-year-old retired social worker. "You had to have been there to understand that, and Sonia has not forgotten her humble beginnings."
But while I witnessed this euphoria, a feeling of anger at the 31 Republicans who voted against the confirmation of Sotomayor rose in me. They failed to understand that her overall life experience is what is celebrated and trumpeted by others.
It will only be a matter of time before they realize how wrong they were and how much damage they have done to the GOP's efforts in the Latino community.
For those who have lived through the malignancy of discrimination and its divisive impact on those that should be natural allies, there was a promising lesson.
It "signals a new way of dealing with each other," said 65-year-old attorney and activist Gloria Quinones, referring to the significance of an African-American president picking a Puerto Rican for the high court.
But as inspiring as Sotomayor's personal, professional and judicial achievements have been, they are overshadowed by the stark contrast of failure for too many.
The staggering number of Latino high-school dropouts rattles our collective confidence. The lack of decent jobs, affordable and decent housing, access to basic health care and the high number of families headed by single women are for too many insurmountable circumstances that will end in failure.
But that's not the view shared by Manhattan attorney Ricardo Aguirre, who opined that Sotomayor has "cemented the standard of competence and professionalism. She has shattered the myth that America has of Puerto Ricans and Latinos."
And for those who find themselves in straits similar to what Sotomayor faced decades ago, when she lost her father at the tender age of 9, the proud Puerto Rican said, "No one should use poverty, humble surroundings or the loss of a parent as a reason not to pursue success.
"You are now going to have to step up."
Not the absolute silence that judges are bestowed when they walk into their court. At this gathering of proud Puerto Ricans, Latinas and African-Americans yesterday, it was a silence filled with excitement and anticipation for the historic Supreme Court swearing-in about to take place -- one that most in the room thought they would never witness in their lifetimes.
The expressions of pride were accompanied by a joined sense of awareness that a new chapter in the long and complicated book on the history of Nuyoricans was being opened.
The chant of "Esa es, Esa es, Esa es!" ---- She's the one! -- was followed by a sustained "clave" beat crea
ted by the hands of the approximately 70 women, some of whom swayed from side to side as if dancing a silent salsa.The room was packed with women, all gathered to witness the historical oath being administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in Washington. These were women to whom Justice Sotomayor did not have to explain her now infamous "wise Latina" remark.
"My mother, a single parent, raised my brother and me as a very wise Latina who made the right choices for me," said Agnes Rivera, a 58-year-old retired social worker. "You had to have been there to understand that, and Sonia has not forgotten her humble beginnings."
But while I witnessed this euphoria, a feeling of anger at the 31 Republicans who voted against the confirmation of Sotomayor rose in me. They failed to understand that her overall life experience is what is celebrated and trumpeted by others.
It will only be a matter of time before they realize how wrong they were and how much damage they have done to the GOP's efforts in the Latino community.
For those who have lived through the malignancy of discrimination and its divisive impact on those that should be natural allies, there was a promising lesson.
It "signals a new way of dealing with each other," said 65-year-old attorney and activist Gloria Quinones, referring to the significance of an African-American president picking a Puerto Rican for the high court.
But as inspiring as Sotomayor's personal, professional and judicial achievements have been, they are overshadowed by the stark contrast of failure for too many.
The staggering number of Latino high-school dropouts rattles our collective confidence. The lack of decent jobs, affordable and decent housing, access to basic health care and the high number of families headed by single women are for too many insurmountable circumstances that will end in failure.
But that's not the view shared by Manhattan attorney Ricardo Aguirre, who opined that Sotomayor has "cemented the standard of competence and professionalism. She has shattered the myth that America has of Puerto Ricans and Latinos."
And for those who find themselves in straits similar to what Sotomayor faced decades ago, when she lost her father at the tender age of 9, the proud Puerto Rican said, "No one should use poverty, humble surroundings or the loss of a parent as a reason not to pursue success.
"You are now going to have to step up."
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