My new column out with the Texas Insider:
Margarita Carmen Cansino became an icon in American film as a red carpet beauty who starred in such films as “Tales of Manhattan”, “You’ll Never Get Right” and “You Were Never Lovelier” but you might know her better as Rita Hayworth. Immortalized in both film and song, Rita Hayworth’s Hollywood glamour forever cement her into American film royalty. However, Rita’s contract required her to dye her hair red and change her name. Changing a Latin name to make it big in music and movies was something many Hispanic hopefuls came to terms with because of the way things were.
So naturally, I feel proud that a fellow Hispanic female can break through a barrier whether in music, movies or even in Washington. Hispanics have come a long way from the age where we suffered from segregation and had to change our names and narratives to make something of our lives.
As Americans we should be proud of Sonia Sotomayor for achieving what we all dream of: the American Dream. But we should be wary of those who try to change policy to make the American Dream unattainable. Unfortunately, Sotomayor’s record proves that she will utilize judicial activism and bias in her rulings to make the American Dream unattainable for many hardworking Americans.
A prime example of her clouded judgment on the bench is her belief in perpetuating racial and ethnic barriers by subscribing to a belief that ethnicity and gender grants wiser discretion than others.
