How much do you know about Justice Sonia Sotomayor?

Good morning, damas y caballeros:

This past weekend, I traveled to Tallahassee to watch my primo play in the marching band and other ensembles at Florida State University.

There were about a half dozen family members present to watch him play percussion in a concert hall, with the marching band at a football game and in a civic arena with multiple other musicians and instruments.

While this represented a small portion of my familia, my mother reminded me of how we must do our best to make any gathering of relatives a family reunion. 

She is right, and like many of our get-togethers, large and small, we ate too much, talked boisterously and made some great memories.

There are times when the workload can make me stressed about taking time away, but the hugs made the break completely worth it. Family matters.

Now that I'm back at work, I am excited to share a story about Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina and woman of color to be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

A lot of attention has rightfully gone to the recent confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the court. 

But she will be joining eight other justices, many whom are trailblazers in their own right.

Sotomayor is a serious jurist with a love of dancing salsa who talked openly during her confirmation in 2009 about her roots growing up in New York in a Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican family. She also opined that being a "wise Latina" was an asset to the court.

I remember the late great Cecilia Alvear, an Ecuadorian-born American journalist, wearing a "Wise Latina" T-shirt when I saw her at a conference in Puerto Rico the year of Sotomayor's confirmation.

Scroll to read reporter Orlando Mayorquín's story.

In this week's newsletter, you will also find the following:

• From Rebecca Morin of the El Paso Times: "Biden administration will rescind Trump-era immigration policy expelling migrants at the border"
• From Arcelia Martin of The Tennessean: "A bill working to criminalize homelessness in Tennessee is back on the Senate agenda"
• From Micaela Watts and Daniel Connolly of The Memphis Commercial Appeal: "Spanish-language reporter Manuel Duran wins political asylum case"
• Here's my latest column (for you history buffs): "Ken Burns' Benjamin Franklin documentary models how to teach American history"

Job announcement

Newsletter reader Marc Barhonovich, owner of Caney Fork, River Valley Grille in Nashville, emailed me to say he is seeking six to 10 restaurant workers. If you are looking for work or know someone who is, check out this link: https://www.caneyforkrestaurant.com/now-hiring-in-nashville-jobs-in-nashville-tn/

An organization that might interest you

If you are an aspiring, student or professional journalist, make sure to check out the National Association of Hispanic Journalists website and consider becoming a member. I've been involved since I was a student. Since then, I have been a mentor, student project leader and lifetime member. The goal is to enhance accurate coverage of Latinos in the news and to prepare talented Latino, Latina and Latinx journalists for jobs in professional newsrooms.

¡Muchas gracias! 

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.