Being Brown: Sonia Sotomayor and the Latino Question (American Studies Now: Critical Histories of the Present)

American Studies Now: Critical Histories of the Present

by Lazaro Lima

Being Sonia Sotomayor and the Latino Question  tells the story of the country’s first Latina Supreme Court Associate Justice’s rise to the pinnacle of American public life at a moment of profound demographic and political transformation. While Sotomayor’s confirmation appeared to signal the greater acceptance and inclusion of Latinos—the nation’s largest “minority majority”—the uncritical embrace of her status as a “possibility model” and icon paradoxically erased the fact that her success was due to civil rights policies and safeguards that no longer existed. 
 
Being Brown  analyzes Sotomayor’s story of success and accomplishment, despite seemingly insurmountable odds, in order to  What do we lose in democratic practice when we allow symbolic inclusion to supplant the work of meaningful political enfranchisement? In a historical moment of resurgent racism, unrelenting Latino bashing, and previously unimaginable “blood and soil” Nazism,  Being Brown  explains what we stand to lose when we allow democratic values to be trampled for the sake of political expediency, and demonstrates how understanding “the Latino question” can fortify democratic practice.
 
Being Brown  provides the historical vocabulary for understanding why the Latino body politic is central to the country’s future and why Sonia Sotomayor’s biography provides an important window into understanding America, and the country’s largest minority majority, at this historical juncture. In the process,  Being Brown  counters “alternative facts” with historical precision and ethical clarity to invigorate the best of democratic practice at a historical moment when we need it most. 
 
 

216 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2019

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short volume looking not so much at Sonia Sotomayor the person, but rather Justice Sotomayor the symbol. The book lays out the argument that Justice Sotomayor is a major current symbol for the power of the American dream and the idea that hard work is rewarded. The problem with the smybol arises when it is used as a club to batter Latinos who have been excluded (through legal and social means) from accessing in large numbers the things (like good public education) that make the American Dream possible. And if "anyone" can achieve "anything" through hard work, then *not* achieving *must* be due to not working hard enough (rather than social, legal, or other structural issues). In that way, the symbol of Justice Sotomayor can actually backfire against the larger success and integration of Latinos and Latinas into conventional American success. Th evolume also cover's Sotomayor's jurisprudence on the Supreme Court bench and a history of US colonialism and resistance in Puerto Rico.

With such a short book and so many things covered, there's naturally not a huge amount of depth on any subject, but in several places I learned things I'd never known before:

*US companies didn't have to pay taxes in Puerto Rico, making the island more impoverished;
*many of the first many drafted and killed in WWI and WWII came from Puerto Rico;
*Supreme Court decisions said that despite the fact the Puerto Ricans became citizens in 1917, constitutional protections (like FREAKING TRIAL BY JURY!) did not necessarily extend to them because Puerto Rico was a territory
*It was illegal to *protest* US rule of Puerto Rico

All of which to me are ridiculous and have sparked an interest to learn more about Puerto Rico's history.

In terms of the larger social justice claims, the book's length works against it, as it assumes a lot of its premises and doesn't have the space to develop its arguments. In that sense, I doubt it will convince anyone who starts off with a more conservative outlook on issues of race, ethnicity, and class. But it's a great supplement for those with liberal views and a potential mind-expander for moderates.

On the whole, this was a really interesting book that reinforces just how important it is to understand how symbols get manipulated in national discourse as well as knowing the historical and social forces that have helped shape current realities.

*I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Nelda Brangwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not so much a biography of Sotomayor as a symbol of what Latinx people can achieve. It’s short. A lot is left out but there is much to think about.

[Melissa Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of an academic look at being Latino in America rather than a biography of Sonia Sotomayor.

[Arleny · Rating 3 out of 5]

forgot the dates but def finished it earlier !