Being Brown

“We love heroes, but seldom do we extricate the lessons we could from their biographies, especially when examined against the historical and political contexts that led to their rise. This important book does just that. Lázaro Lima’s tribute to Sonia Sotomayor is also a timely warning against the pull of narratives of uplift and social mobility that have been generated around the judge and the political work that they do. This book shows we have much to learn from examining Sotomayor’s story about the political enfranchisement of Latinxs, the state of democracy, and what meaningful political enfranchisement should look like. Lima’s astute analysis has lessons for everyone.”—Arlene Dávila, author of El Mall: The Spatial and Class Politics of Shopping Malls in Latin America

“In Being Brown, Lázaro Lima offers an indispensable cultural analysis of the first Latina elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Exploring Sonia Sotomayor’s status as a ‘Latina for the nation,’ Lima situates her within the historical and ongoing dynamics of Latinx civic inequality and exclusion. Brimming with theoretical insights and unexpected points of departure, Being Brown is necessary reading for anyone interested in questions of race, representation, and the future of Latinx democratic practice.”—Cristina Beltrán, author of The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity

“A critical meditation on the significance of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Being Brown is a nuanced interrogation of the limits of inclusion as framed by a sobering account of the historical and ongoing disenfranchisement of brown life from U.S. civil society. A must-read for a time of crisis.”—Joshua Chambers-Letson, author of After the Party: A Manifesto for Queer of Color Life

“A scholar of heft, Lima makes writing and argumentation seem easy in the same way that a finished painting or sculpture seem obvious and effortless. Being Brown is inspired, and inspirational, in its rigor and sophistication.”—John ‘Rio’ Riofrio, author of Continental Shifts: Migration, Representation, and the Struggle for Justice in Latin(o) America

“With sophistication and grace, this critical biography unpacks the trouble with liberal-humanist narratives of ‘uplift’ while nevertheless celebrating Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the moment of her confirmation. A scholarly tour de force and a readerly treasure.”—Patrick Anderson, author of Autobiography of a Disease