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Supreme memories: Local woman reflects on her cousin’s rise to Washington
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| Millagros Baez-OÕToole, left, poses with her cousin, 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor. (Photo contributed) |
By Francesca Olsen
Growing up, Millagros Baez-O’Toole watched “Perry Mason” and read “Nancy Drew” and other detective novels, but her passion and interest in law was unlike that of her cousin, Sonia Sotomayor.
“She had that passion. It was within her,” said Baez-O’Toole, who grew up with Sotomayor in the east Bronx and other parts of New York City. “I’ve known people that wanted to do something since they were very young. I know for many of my friends, the passion was momentary. Hers was deep.”
Baez-O’Toole’s mother was the sister of Sotomayor’s father. Baez-O’Toole said that the nominee for Supreme Court justice knew she wanted to be a lawyer as early as age 10. At nine, Sotomayor developed diabetes.
“People said she couldn’t be a detective, or in law, because of that,” said Baez-O’Toole. “She changed gears. She was 10 years old, she said she wanted to be in law.”
Scrutiny is increasing exponentially for Sotomayor as time moves closer and closer to the interrogation by a federal appeals judge, set to begin Monday. According to The Associated Press, she’s been reviewing her past writings, speeches and cases to prepare for questions she might hear when the Senate Judiciary Committee takes up her nomination.
Since earning Obama’s nomination, Sotomayor has endured harsh criticism from elected officials, pundits and people alike. She’s been accused of “judicial activism,” or applying too much personal interpretation to a ruling, and former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo described La Raza, a large Hispanic advocacy organization Sotomayor belongs to, as “a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses.”
“I think some of the family members get upset because there’s a little bit of sort of inappropriate name calling,” said Baez-O’Toole. “I sort of expect that. Tough questions are inevitable. It’s part of the process, and I think it’s a good thing. It gives people an opportunity to get to know her deeply. To know her is to love her, because she is a truly wonderful person.”
Many have said that Sotomayor is biased in judgments, according to personal and political views she holds, but Baez-O’Toole says it’s just speculation. “I know that not to be a fact. She’s a very sturdy person,” said Baez-O’Toole.
According to her cousin, Sotomayor is a believer in equity, but all her judgments are driven by the law. “I think that when people that really study her records — when you look at the decisions she has made, often those decisions are made by panels of judges ... her record shows her to be mostly conservative.”
As for the current buzzword discussion of “judicial activism,” Baez-O’Toole said, “I think that every generation has their own buzzwords. I’m not quite sure that I know what they mean by it.”
Baez-O’Toole said she thinks individuals carry a broader perspective than previous generations. “They look at things in the context of what’s happening in the world. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t think it has a negative connotation. I think it has a connotation of people really giving deep thought to the things they need to address.”
Baez-O’Toole lives part time in Hudson and part time in New York City. She’s retired now, which she said gives her the opportunity to be deeply active in volunteer work. She’s a founding member of 100 Hispanic Women, Inc., a Hispanic women’s organization that recognizes and celebrates Hispanic matriarchal culture and holds school programs and an annual woman’s health conference. She also is on the foundation board of the Puerto Rican Family Institute, one of the largest Puerto Rican organizations in the country that provides services for needy communities.
“It keeps me busy,” she said, adding, “when I was working I didn’t have a chance to do all these things.”
Baez-O’Toole was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the Bronx. “All the neighborhoods in the Bronx, and New York, ultimately went through phases and we were always moving around,” she said. “It made it a very rich environment. We knew a lot of different ethnic groups — and had super magnificent experiences. I can see the differences in our outlook, and having had that opportunity to get that richness and really getting to know those populations in a different way.”
Sotomayor’s mother, Celina Sotomayor, was an inspiration to the entire extended family, said Baez-O’Toole, but especially for Sonia Sotomayor. Baez-O’Toole said Celina Sotomayor gave them all the advice that “it doesn’t matter what you ultimately do, but get an education.”
“That was her message, and her message actually touched all of us that grew up together with her,” said Baez-O’Toole.
Celina Sotomayor was orphaned at the age of nine in Puerto Rico, and at age 17 joined the U.S. Army as a member of the Women’s Army Corps, which trained her in Georgia to become a telephone operator. She later became a registered nurse, and the emergency room supervisor at Prospect Hospital.
“It’s just amazing. She absolutely worships her mother in a way. I learned so much from her,” said Baez-O’Toole of her cousin. “She has such a different perspective on things. Sometimes you don’t give things enough thought.
“She shows that every day,” Baez-O’Toole continued. “She calls her mother every day; she supports her mother. Some of us don’t always do that. She would say to me, ‘This is precious time, because people die!’”
Sotomayor asked her cousin, on the day she was seated on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, “Do you know what a special woman she is? Do you know how difficult it must have been for her? A 17-year-old girl, who didn’t know the world at all, who left Puerto Rico by herself ... do you know what it took to do that? How dynamic and courageous she is?”
“I never thought of it that way,” said Baez-O’Toole. “That’s the type of person (Sotomayor) is. She is very selective on a lot of things we miss on a daily basis.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
“She had that passion. It was within her,” said Baez-O’Toole, who grew up with Sotomayor in the east Bronx and other parts of New York City. “I’ve known people that wanted to do something since they were very young. I know for many of my friends, the passion was momentary. Hers was deep.”
Baez-O’Toole’s mother was the sister of Sotomayor’s father. Baez-O’Toole said that the nominee for Supreme Court justice knew she wanted to be a lawyer as early as age 10. At nine, Sotomayor developed diabetes.
“People said she couldn’t be a detective, or in law, because of that,” said Baez-O’Toole. “She changed gears. She was 10 years old, she said she wanted to be in law.”
Scrutiny is increasing exponentially for Sotomayor as time moves closer and closer to the interrogation by a federal appeals judge, set to begin Monday. According to The Associated Press, she’s been reviewing her past writings, speeches and cases to prepare for questions she might hear when the Senate Judiciary Committee takes up her nomination.
Since earning Obama’s nomination, Sotomayor has endured harsh criticism from elected officials, pundits and people alike. She’s been accused of “judicial activism,” or applying too much personal interpretation to a ruling, and former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo described La Raza, a large Hispanic advocacy organization Sotomayor belongs to, as “a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses.”
“I think some of the family members get upset because there’s a little bit of sort of inappropriate name calling,” said Baez-O’Toole. “I sort of expect that. Tough questions are inevitable. It’s part of the process, and I think it’s a good thing. It gives people an opportunity to get to know her deeply. To know her is to love her, because she is a truly wonderful person.”
Many have said that Sotomayor is biased in judgments, according to personal and political views she holds, but Baez-O’Toole says it’s just speculation. “I know that not to be a fact. She’s a very sturdy person,” said Baez-O’Toole.
According to her cousin, Sotomayor is a believer in equity, but all her judgments are driven by the law. “I think that when people that really study her records — when you look at the decisions she has made, often those decisions are made by panels of judges ... her record shows her to be mostly conservative.”
As for the current buzzword discussion of “judicial activism,” Baez-O’Toole said, “I think that every generation has their own buzzwords. I’m not quite sure that I know what they mean by it.”
Baez-O’Toole said she thinks individuals carry a broader perspective than previous generations. “They look at things in the context of what’s happening in the world. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t think it has a negative connotation. I think it has a connotation of people really giving deep thought to the things they need to address.”
Baez-O’Toole lives part time in Hudson and part time in New York City. She’s retired now, which she said gives her the opportunity to be deeply active in volunteer work. She’s a founding member of 100 Hispanic Women, Inc., a Hispanic women’s organization that recognizes and celebrates Hispanic matriarchal culture and holds school programs and an annual woman’s health conference. She also is on the foundation board of the Puerto Rican Family Institute, one of the largest Puerto Rican organizations in the country that provides services for needy communities.
“It keeps me busy,” she said, adding, “when I was working I didn’t have a chance to do all these things.”
Baez-O’Toole was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the Bronx. “All the neighborhoods in the Bronx, and New York, ultimately went through phases and we were always moving around,” she said. “It made it a very rich environment. We knew a lot of different ethnic groups — and had super magnificent experiences. I can see the differences in our outlook, and having had that opportunity to get that richness and really getting to know those populations in a different way.”
Sotomayor’s mother, Celina Sotomayor, was an inspiration to the entire extended family, said Baez-O’Toole, but especially for Sonia Sotomayor. Baez-O’Toole said Celina Sotomayor gave them all the advice that “it doesn’t matter what you ultimately do, but get an education.”
“That was her message, and her message actually touched all of us that grew up together with her,” said Baez-O’Toole.
Celina Sotomayor was orphaned at the age of nine in Puerto Rico, and at age 17 joined the U.S. Army as a member of the Women’s Army Corps, which trained her in Georgia to become a telephone operator. She later became a registered nurse, and the emergency room supervisor at Prospect Hospital.
“It’s just amazing. She absolutely worships her mother in a way. I learned so much from her,” said Baez-O’Toole of her cousin. “She has such a different perspective on things. Sometimes you don’t give things enough thought.
“She shows that every day,” Baez-O’Toole continued. “She calls her mother every day; she supports her mother. Some of us don’t always do that. She would say to me, ‘This is precious time, because people die!’”
Sotomayor asked her cousin, on the day she was seated on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, “Do you know what a special woman she is? Do you know how difficult it must have been for her? A 17-year-old girl, who didn’t know the world at all, who left Puerto Rico by herself ... do you know what it took to do that? How dynamic and courageous she is?”
“I never thought of it that way,” said Baez-O’Toole. “That’s the type of person (Sotomayor) is. She is very selective on a lot of things we miss on a daily basis.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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