Sonia Sotomayor was born on June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, New York, to Puerto Rican parents who came to the mainland United States seeking a better life. She grew up in a modest community where perseverance and hard work weren’t just values — they were a way of life. From a young age, Sonia dreamed of becoming a judge, inspired by the detective shows she watched on television, even though few believed that a girl from the Bronx could reach such heights.