The Volokh Conspiracy - Would Sotomayor be the First Hispanic Justice?

It’s possible that the answer to this question is “no.” Justice Benjamin Cardozo was a descendant of Spanish or Portuguese Jews who immigrated to America, and took great pride in his Sephardic Jewish identity. For details, see Andrew Kaufman’s excellent biography of Cardozo.

EVERYONE REPEAT AFTER ME!!!

THOSE FROM PORTUGAL (OR BRAZIL) ARE NOT/NOR HAVE THEY EVER BEEN CONSIDERED HISPANIC.

GENERALLY, THE TERM HISPANIC APPLIES IF TWO PRONGS ARE MET:

1) FROM A COUNTRY COLONIZED BY SPAIN; AND

2) THAT COUNTRY IS IN LATIN OR CENTRAL AMERICA (OR A PART OF THE USA THAT WAS ONCE UNDER SPANISH RULE)