
By Megan Stine, Who HQ, Dede Putra (Illustrator)
Part of the Who Was . . . ? series
A Latina's journey from the Bronx to the Supreme Court, overcoming life's trials with determination.
Sonia Sotomayor, born to Puerto Rican immigrants in the Bronx, faced diabetes at nine but turned adversity into strength. Inspired by Perry Mason, she pursued law, ultimately becoming the first Latina Supreme Court Justice. Her career is filled with daring tales, like chasing counterfeiters on a motorcycle and ending the Major League baseball strike. Discover how Sonia's resilience and passion led her to the highest court, breaking barriers and making history. What challenges did she overcome, and how did her unique path shape her legacy?
The truly inspiring story of the first Latina Supreme Court Justice. Outspoken, energetic, and fun, Sonia Sotomayor has managed to turn every struggle in life into a triumph. Born in the Bronx to immigrant parents from Puerto Rico, Sonia found out at age nine that she had diabetes, a serious illness now but an even more dangerous one fifty years ago. How did young Sonia handle the devastating news? She learned to give herself her daily insulin shots and became determined to make the most out of her life. It was the popular sixties TV show Perry Mason that made Sonia want to become a lawyer. Not only a lawyer, but a judge! Her remarkable career was capped in 2009 when President Barack Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court, only the third woman and first Hispanic justice in the court’s history. Stories of Sotomayor’s career are hardly dry legal stuff–she once hopped on a motorcycle to chase down counterfeiters and was the judge whose ruling ended the Major League baseball strike in 1995.
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Top contributors: Literary Leslie