Obama welcomes Sotomayor as first Hispanic justice

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says Justice Sonia Sotomayor's (SOHN'-ya soh-toh-my-YOR) achievement in becoming the first Hispanic member of the U.S. Supreme Court is an inspiration for young and old alike.

Obama says her weekend swearing-in moved the country a step closer to becoming a more perfect union.

But the president also said the historic moment isn't just about Sotomayor. He says it's about children everywhere growing up and thinking that if she can do it, maybe they can, too. Sotomayor, who is a Hispanic, grew up in public housing projects in the Bronx, N.Y., before getting an Ivy League education and starting her legal career. Obama spoke Wednesday at a White House ceremony in her honor.