Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the rising political stars in the Democratic Party. Elected in the 2018 midterm election, Ocasio-Cortez is the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district which covers parts of the Bronx and Queens.
The 29-year-old self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist became the youngest woman to serve in Congress in the history of the United States.
With her meteoric rise, let’s take a look at what has made Ocasio-Cortez one of the most popular politicians in Congress.
Everything you need to know about the rising political star can be seen below.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ethnicity & Heritage
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is of Puerto Rican descent. Her father, Sergio Ocasio, was an architect of Puerto Rican descent who was born in the Bronx. Her mother, Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, was born in Puerto Rico. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez grew up in the Bronx, New York City and took part in the National Hispanic Institute’s Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Bio
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Born: October 13, 1989 (29 years old)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx and raised in the neighborhood until the age of 5. Her family then relocated to Yorktown Heights, a suburb in Westchester County, where she attended Yorktown High School before graduating in 2007. Despite moving away from New York City, Ocasio-Cortez would regularly return to the Bronx to visit her extended family.
Ocasio-Cortez went on to attend Boston University where she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and economics.
Her father passed away from lung cancer in 2008.
After graduating college, Ocasio-Cortez returned to the Bronx and worked as a bartender and waitress in Manhattan. Her mother was cleaning houses and drove school buses while they fought the foreclosure of their home following her father’s death.
Ocasio-Cortez became more engaged in politics when she worked on Bernie Sanders’ campaign in 2016 where she traveled to speak with people affected by real issues. Ocasio-Cortez visited Flint, Michigan to discuss the water crisis and Standing Rock where she discussed the Dakota Access Pipeline.
After that experience, Ocasio-Cortez ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and launched a strong grassroots campaign where she ultimately upended Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley. She was the first person to challenge Crowley since 2004 and won the election despite spending just $194,000 compared to Crowley’s $3.4 million.
Ocasio-Cortez has been endorsed by civil rights and progressive groups like MoveOn, Justice Democrats, Brand New Congress, Black Lives Matter, and Democracy for America.
