I am a product of affirmative action. I am the perfect affirmative action baby. I am Puerto Rican, born and raised in the south Bronx. My test scores were not comparable to my colleagues at Princeton and Yale. Not so far off so that I wasn't able to succeed at those institutions.

As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society.

I think being a Catholic made me a better person. It taught me how to choose good over evil, and how to be a more caring human being.

I strive never to forget the real world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government.

Sometimes, even if there was no useful advice to give, I saw that listening still helped.

When you have strong views about how to approach thinking about the law, then that view is going to lead to certain results in certain situations. And so people seem to think this predictability is based on some kind of partisan political view. But it's not.

I have never had to face anything that could overwhelm the native optimism and stubborn perseverance I was blessed with.