Washington, Aug 12 (DPA) Sonia Sotomayor, fresh off her swearing-in as the first Hispanic member of the US Supreme Court, was called an inspiration for all Americans at a White House reception by President Barack Obama Wednesday.
Obama said the success of Sotomayor, a Puerto Rican origin who was mostly raised by a single mother in New York’s impoverished South Bronx, should encourage others in the US to rise out of poverty or tough circumstances.

“We celebrate the impact Justice Sotomayor has already had on people across America who have been inspired by her exceptional life story,” Obama said.

Sotomayor, 55, was sworn in Saturday as the ninth member of the country’s highest court. She is the first Hispanic and first woman ever to serve.

Her nomination was approved by the Senate last week on a largely party-line vote. Many Republicans fiercely opposed Obama’s pick, calling Sotomayor a leftist who would not be able to separate her personal feelings from her court decisions.

The opposition mostly focused on a 2001 speech in which Sotomayor said she hoped a “wise Latina” would often reach a better decision than a white male. Sotomayor argued she was misunderstood and would always maintain “fidelity to the law”.

Sotomayor, Obama’s first appointment to the Supreme Court, does little to alter its ideological balance. She replaced retiring justice David Souter, who was also known as a member of the court’s left wing.