This Lady Sums Up My View On Identity Politics

Not diversity, just more of the same, by Linda Chavez

Apparently it comes as a surprise to some people, but not all Hispanics (or women) think alike. Why should race, ethnicity, gender or even class determine one’s point of view on political or legal issues? What’s more, when it comes to Hispanics, there is often not even a single, shared culture that might create a common bond.

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But for most Hispanics who were born in the U.S., our primary identity is as Americans. In the largest poll of its kind in 2002, nearly 60 percent of third-generation Hispanics used the term “American” as either the only or first term to describe themselves, and 97 percent said they use American to identify themselves at least some of the time.

Still, the media and most politicians seem to think Sotomayor’s ethnic heritage and gender are relevant to the story of her Supreme Court nomination. She’s the first female Hispanic to be named to the highest court in the land, and that must mean something, the thinking goes. But what? Frankly, it was only a matter of time before a Hispanic reached the court. True barriers – meaning disqualifications based on race, ethnicity or gender – simply don’t exist anymore.

As Ms. Chavez says in her column, it’s not about race or gender, it’s about a liberal President, choosing a liberal jurist ro replace a liberal Justice.