Sotomayor vs. White Men

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a White male who hasn’t lived that life.”
-Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Earlier today, amid a discussion about the President’s recent pick for The Bench, a friend of mine who happens to be white confessed his latest epiphany:

White men consider themselves the status quo.

He continued to explain that all the attention that’s been placed on Judge Sotomayor’s life experience as a Latina, and how that might have an affect on how she does her job, has done nothing more than to highlight that hers is a minority viewpoint.  And as such, shouldn’t we bring to light the underrepresented view?  Those who assert that her point of view is somehow racist are failing to recognize the history of the country they claim to love.  All things being equal, her resume should just speak for itself.  But all things are not equal.  I’m not saying that she should be given special privilege because of her ethnicity, but shouldn’t we be seeing her experience as a Latina woman as an asset rather than a liability?

The funny thing is that the fact that my friend, who’s someone I consider to be a pretty enlightened and aware dude, is just now coming to realize the attitude that many white men hold:  Their experience is the full breadth of the “American” experience and anyone with a differing experience is a deviation from the norm.  What they’re forgetting could easily be cleared up if they just took a second to empty their pants pockets:  E Pluribus Unum.  It’s our national motto.  It’s on our money.  It’s Latin, which is a dead language, I know.  So here’s the translation:  Out of Many, One.

The American Experience is based on pluralism:  Many groups, cultures, and experiences coexisting.  Each viewpoint has value.  And while some people might suggest that Judge Sotomayor’s view, being the Latina female view, can be generalized to represent the views of ALL Latinos (via affirmative action), doesn’t it say something that many of those same people actually believe that there isn’t enough of the White male view on The Bench?  Or in government in general?

I don’t presume to know what she meant by “a better conclusion” in the above quote.  But I look at it this way:  My friend, at nearly 30 years of age, is just realizing that White males believe themselves to be the cultural watermark of this society.  My experience, as a Filipino male, taught me that same lesson before I reached puberty and that has shaped how I view the world.  It has widened my perspective beyond my own privileges and taught me the value of having a seat at the table.  Having a view that considers the experience of underrepresented communities gives a voice to the millions of Americans who don’t fit into the dominant culture.  Is that “better”?  I don’t know.  But it’s a voice that’s rarely been heard.  It deserves a seat at the table.