Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, has become a defining figure for a new generation in American politics.
In 2019, at the age of 29, she became the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district, making her the youngest woman and the youngest Latina ever elected to Congress.
Her progressive vision and unapologetic style has truly set her apart from the rest. Whether rallying for climate action, or economic justice, AOC has become an extremely important figure in U.S. politics. But beyond the surface, who is the woman behind these movements?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in The Bronx to working class Puerto Rican parents. Her father was a small business owner and architect from the South Bronx, and her mother, who was born in Puerto Rico, cleaned homes for a living.
As school violence and dropout rates in The Bronx rose in the early 90’s, her parents put their savings together and purchased a small home 30 miles north of the city in search of better schools for the family. Cortez was just 5 years old when her family made this move to Yorktown Heights, a more affluent neighborhood with an outstanding school district – one that would open doors to Ivy League level schools.
Even at a young age, Cortez questioned the lack of equity in education. How could the opportunities available to children and their families be based on just their ZIP code?
But the lack of equity Cortez witnessed did not stop with education.
At the age of 16, Cortez’s father was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer. Treatments and prescription drugs were still in the experimental trial phase and were not covered by medical insurance. Two years later, at the age of 48, Sergio Ocasio-Roman passed away, leaving the family grieving and in debt.
The unjust medical debt left a lasting impression on Cortez. From that moment she knew that she was going to dedicate her life to truly making a difference.
Upon graduating college, Alexandria Cortez went back to The Bronx with aspirations of working for the betterment of the community. Becoming the Educational Director for the National Hispanic Institute, she worked with the youth to further expand their skill-sets in community leadership and she also led projects to help improve literacy skills in young children and middle-schoolers.
Even while doing what she loved, helping the community, Alexandria Cortez found herself working two jobs and 18-hour shifts in restaurants to help keep her family afloat financially while at the same time balancing her own student loan and insurance payments.
Cortez was still working at a restaurant when she was elected to Congress. Over her first term, she introduced a total of 23 pieces of legislation and oversaw three amendments passed into law, despite Republican control of the Senate and Presidency.
As a representative in Congress, Cortez has an impressive list of accomplishments. Some of the most notable are: 1) Passing the largest investment to fight climate change ever of $369 billion which aims to create almost 9 million new jobs in clean energy, reducing polluting emissions by 40% by 2030. This bill will also lower annual energy bills by $1,000 by household. 2) Providing $22 million in federal funding for many different community projects around the Bronx and Queens which greatly improved the quality of care for mothers and babies at Queens public hospital. 3) Strengthening Medicare by allowing for the negation of lowering drug prices and capping insulin prices at a more affordable $35 per month and other out-of-pocket costs to $2,000 a year for people covered by Medicare.
Cortez’s win over 10-term incumbent Joseph Crowley put her in the news, but arguably it is her work for the people that has kept her in the spotlight.
Bailey Busenberg ‘26 said,” I know AOC is a female democratic politician who has paved the way for many individuals. I’ve seen a lot of AOC’s actions through platforms such as Instagram and the news, and from these sources some of the most common topics I see being brought up are her stances on women’s rights, the homelessness crisis, and solutions to climate change.”
Cortez has had a notable influence on the betterment and representation of all Hispanic Americans. Her ability to challenge the norm and start meaningful conversations about social justice and equity makes her stand out from the rest.
As a congresswoman, Alexandria Cortez has brought issues like climate change, income inequality, and healthcare reform to the forefront political arguments. Overall, Alexandria Cortez’s approach to U.S. politics makes her so influential to Americans who also seek change.
