The state of New Jersey become the first state to have African American and Hispanic American Senators representing it.
The swearing in of Cory Booker, escorted by Bob Menendez (of Cuban heritage), makes the state proud that it has done something that only Hawaii has done otherwise, having had two Asian Americans in the Senate for much of its history as a state.
Menendez was the second Cuban American in the Senate, and Booker is only the fourth elected African American Senator in American history.
I haven’t looked at demographics numbers lately but, based on my immediate recall (even if not fully accurate), I would have to say we should have 13 to 15 African-Americans in the U.S. Senate; about 10 Hispanics in the U.S. Senate; 2 or 3 Asians in the U.S. Senate; and between 70 to 72 Caucasians in the U.S. Senate.
Given that we all have gender in common—my favorite part of the demos when reading election exit polls’ crosstabs—we should have more women than men in the U.S. Senate. I’d say about 53 to 47.
Why is the U.S. Senate so disturbingly underrepresented with women? Perhaps this line of work—public service through election from a statewide level but with representation also at a national level—is so unappealing that women (and yes there are women with money!) aren’t desiring it. I don’t think one would break out much of a sweat—or any at all—trying to figure out why that is.
D, at least we have an all time high of 20 women in the Senate, 16 Democrats and 4 Republicans, and despite party lines, these 20 women try to cooperate and work together, shaming the 80 men–39 Democrats and 41 Republicans.