SAVANNAH, Ga. - A smiling Judge Sonia Sotomayor left her New York City offices Thursday afternoon, after the U.S. Senate voted to make her the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sotomayor's confirmation marks a milestone for America's largest minority group.
Savannah's Latino community is celebrating, now that one of their own will soon be seated on the highest court in the country.
Araceli Harper came to America from Mexico and owns the Savannah Learning Center. "In too many countries, more in the Latino community, they see the woman still in the traditional way. They believe in the woman, they believe the woman has to be, or belongs in the kitchen, so I believe this is going to make the difference in the Latino community," said Harper.
Savannah school teacher Ana Zurita looks forward to teaching her students about Sotomayor. "I feel very proud to be here and to be part of it. I think my voice is more represented now in this country's dialogue. I'm now more at the table," she said.
Mariela Orellana with the Savannah Latino Parent Teacher Association said she'll be happy to see Sotomayor sitting with the other justices this fall.
"In the '60s, everybody was making a big deal that John F. Kennedy was going to be the first Catholic president. Oh my goodness, a Catholic, and you know, 40-50 years later, nobody remembers that. Nobody even talks about that. The same thing is going to happen with Sonia, Sonia Sotomayor. Everybody is saying she's a Latina woman, a wise Latina woman. Well, I'm a wise Latina woman, too. See the button? And in 40 years nobody's going to remember that she's Latina. They're going to remember that she is a judge," said Orellana.
Here's how your senators voted on the Sotomayor nomination.
Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson from Georgia both voted 'no'. From South Carolina, Senator Jim DeMint voted 'no', while Senator Lindsey Graham voted 'yes'.
The Supreme Court justices will return for the court's new term in October.
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