Representative and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broken many glass ceilings for women in politics. She is beyond passionate about change, and she deeply cares for the community she is serving. She often takes to social media to interact with the public and is someone who is in Congress because she truly wants to help others.
EARLY LIFE + EDUCATION
Representative Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, was born on October 13, 1989, in The Bronx to Puerto Rican parents. AOC has always been highly passionate about science, and throughout high school, she participated in science fairs. She attended Boston University, where she double-majored in international relations and economics, and she graduated with cum laude honors.
During college, AOC interned for the late senator Ted Kennedy. Her internship was focused on foreign affairs and immigration issues, and she has often spoken about how being the only intern who spoke Spanish meant she was picking up very intense phone calls and having to help families torn apart by ICE.
After graduation, she returned to The Bronx, where she was waitressing and bartending to help her family. During this period she also launched the now-defunct Brook Avenue Press, designed to help portray The Bronx in a more positive light. She also did non-profit work.
ELECTION + POLITICS
AOC worked as a campaign organizer for Bernie Sanders in 2016. This job entailed traveling to assist local communities in need, and it was here that she realized how strong her passion for change was. Soon after, she decided to run for Congress. AOC knew a campaign against the incumbent candidate wouldn’t be easy since nobody had run against him since 2004. AOC took a different approach for the campaign, doing much of the work from the bar she worked at. She also didn’t take donations because she firmly believed that you could not fight big money with more money.
She has served as the U.S. representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since the 2018 congressional election. At only age 29, she became the youngest woman to serve in Congress. Her election caused mass waves of controversy, as her victory resulted in her defeating Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent. Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib are the first women of the Democratic Socialists of America Party to serve in Congress.
AOC ran on a progressive platform, and some of her overarching politics include a Green New Deal, abolishing ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), Medicare for all, free college, and other progressive policies.
The congresswoman’s first piece of legislation was the Green New Deal, which was a 10-year climate change plan focused on reducing air and water pollution while simultaneously creating union jobs and repairing U.S. infrastructure. This multifaceted plan was designed to target a variety of connecting issues leaving the planet’s health at stake.
Another issue AOC cares deeply about is housing. She has introduced multiple plans to fund affordable housing, including the Green New Deal for Public Housing, the Fair Chance at Housing Act, and the Place to Prosper Act.
She has also worked on a variety of issues and presented many pieces of legislation to Congress. In addition to climate change, AOC is passionate about criminal justice reform, fixing economic inequality, affordable education, and accessible healthcare. To read more about action for individual issues, go here.
SOCIAL MEDIA + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AOC has a very large Instagram following, at 8.5 million followers. She is very active there, posting Q&A boxes and Instagram stories frequently. She shares information about Congress as well as her personal interests.
Twitter is no different, where she has 12.9 million followers. AOC takes to Twitter to help explain her policies and actions in Congress, and she is also very engaging with those who tweet about them.
If you take a look at AOC’s social media presence, then there’s no surprise in finding out that she is incredibly active in her local communities, and many of her efforts are targeted at helping local populations. She has a creative way of doing so. In 2020, the congresswoman took to Twitch, a game-streaming app, to raise over $200,000 for COVID-19 related hardships, such as not having enough money for food, eviction defense, legal aid, and more. She streamed with various Twitch streamers such as Pokimane and Hasan Piker, as well as fellow congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
Both representatives, Ocasio-Cortez and Omar, are part of a group of Congress members informally named “The Squad.” Other members include Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman. This is a group of other progressive representatives, all of who have expressed their support for each other.
AOC also actively attends protests. On her first day as a representative, she participated in a climate change protest outside of Nancy Pelosi’s office. She has also been spotted attending protests against ICE multiple times, both on Capitol Hill and in child-detention centers.
In 2021, AOC attended the MET Gala, where she wore a dress that said “Tax the Rich.” Her dress went viral, as it was in a setting where only the most affluent figures were present. The statement was particularly influential because of that.
AOC’s story is also featured in the Netflix documentary “Knock Down the House.” It follows the journey of various Congress members and their campaigns. On her website, AOC has an extensive list of services that offer help in a variety of issues. These include housing and immigration assistance, among others.
MORE ON THE CONGRESSWOMAN
AOC is a busy gal outside of the doors of Congress. She is a skincare aficionado and loves it on a scientific level. She enjoys cooking, particularly with her Instant Pot. She also identifies as a plant mom and loves taking care of her green friends. AOC also has an adorable dog named Deco. She also has a small asteroid named after her based on her performance in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2007.
AOC is an incredible role model for many women who one day hope to go into politics. Her resilience and drive, however, are inspiring no matter what your passion is. To learn more about her, click here.