The Journey of Sonya Sotomayor
The first Hispanic and third woman to sit on the Supreme Court bench, Sonya Sotomayor is undoubtedly an icon to many in the world. Her great feats, however, caused many to be curious about her journey. Sonia's appointment as a supreme court judge has dramatically fueled the public's interest in her; with many inquiring as to where she came from, what challenges she faced and how she overcomes them. In response to this, Sonia Sotomayor took time to reflect on her life and consequently, published My Beloved World. In it, she discusses her journey, the perils she faced, and the mental and physical anguish she endured to become the woman she is today.
Sonia's Battle with Diabetes
Sonia starts out her book by recounting how having diabetes influenced her life; citing how it both was a setback as well as a disciplining force to her actions and endeavors.
The Stress of Diabetes
The prologue begins by explicating how diabetes had become a stressor in her youth. Sonia, who had the rare type 1 diabetes, required a shot of insulin each day to keep her blood sugar level at normal levels. Sonia describes her Papi and her Mami fighting about who had to give her the shot, for both were afraid of the prospect of jabbing their daughter with a needle each day (Sotomayor 3). It is evident from this point on, that for Sonia to cope with her condition, she had to learn to administer the shot herself. This daily routine, necessary and lifesaving in its own right, also served as an inciting activity to Sonia's proactive nature and discipline in life.
A Life-Altering Diagnosis
Later on in the prologue, Sonia describes the first time she was diagnosed, and in vivid detail, extenuates how the matter slowly sunk into her young mind. She could not escape this fate, this condition, and this intensely disturbed herself, to a point where she breaks down while receiving preliminary treatment in the hospital to stabilize her blood sugar. Sonia chooses to start her memoir with this anecdote, primarily because she wanted to connect with her readers, not because of her significant achievements, but by conveying deeply personal aspects of her young life. Human beings are naturally empathetic, and we can better identify with others once we know more about their past, and the journey they took to get where the currently are.
Culture and Personal Development
Sonia, in her prologue, sought to show the reader that no one picks the cards they are dealt when he or she are born, and it is instead up to them to make the most of the resources at their disposal. The prologue is also meant to show how culture and family are deeply intertwined in the Hispanic community, and how these factors contribute or act in hindrance to personal development. For instance, her grandmother's insistence on using herbal remedies to treat Sonia's diabetes shows how much some matriarchs still believed in their culture over western medicine (Sotomayor 9). Since herbal medicine is not unique to the Hispanic community, bringing this to light undoubtedly resonated with readers who had patriarchs or matriarchs who still believed in the old means of medication. Sonia Sotomayor's My Beloved World, is a memoir that sheds light on Sonia's early childhood, domestic situation, and events that led up to her becoming a district judge. By starting with a prologue describing her diabetic childhood, Sonia aims to reach the broader range of readers who are each day, faced with similar daunting barriers to their prosperity.
Works Cited
Sotomayor, Sonia. "My Beloved World: Sonia, Sonia". Internet Archive, 2018, https://archive.org/details/mybelovedworld00soni.
Accessed 19 Mar 2018.
