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Bronx Native Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Discusses Affirmative Action

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Bronx native Sonia Sotomayor made history in 2009 when she became the first Hispanic person to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

In her first network interview, airing on Sunday night's "60 Minutes," Sotomayor talked about the opportunities she's had because she is considered a minority.

"You can't be a minority in this society without having someone express disapproval about affirmative action," the Supreme Court justice told CBS News anchor Scott Pelley in an interview for "60 Minutes."

Now as a Supreme Court justice, Sotomayor will hear the case of a white student who has filed suit against the University of Texas who claims she was not accepted due to affirmative action.

Without commenting specifically on the case, Sotomayor discussed whether there is still a place for affirmative action.

"The affirmative action of today is very different than it was when I was going to school and each school does it in a different way," Sotomayor said. "For me, it was a door opener that changed the course of my life."

The entire interview can be seen on Sunday's "60 Minutes" which will air after the AFC playoff game on CBS 2 HD.

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