Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, widely known as AOC, is a prominent American politician and activist serving as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019.
Born on October 13, 1989, in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx, New York, she rose to national prominence as a democratic socialist and a leading voice in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
She became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at age 29 and the youngest Latina to serve in the House of Representatives.
Siblings
Alexandria has one younger brother, Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez.
The siblings grew up together after their family moved from the Bronx to suburban Yorktown Heights, New York, when Alexandria was five, seeking better educational opportunities.
Gabriel has been a steadfast supporter of his sister’s political endeavors; he initially encouraged her to run for office by submitting her information to a political recruiting group.
An artist, musician, and activist, Gabriel is also hard-of-hearing and advocates for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community through initiatives like founding the Deaf Collective arts organization.
He works with the homeless community and has pursued creative endeavors, including music composition on guitar and piano.
Career
Ocasio-Cortez graduated cum laude from Boston University in 2011 with degrees in international relations and economics.
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During college, she interned in Senator Ted Kennedy’s office on foreign affairs and immigration issues.
After graduation, amid the Great Recession and following her father’s death from cancer in 2008—which left her family facing financial hardship—she returned to the Bronx and worked as a bartender and waitress to support her mother.
She also founded Brook Avenue Press, a children’s book publisher focused on positive portrayals of the Bronx, and served as an educational director with the National Hispanic Institute, helping youth with leadership and college readiness.
In 2016, she volunteered as an organizer for Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign in the South Bronx.
Her political breakthrough came in 2018 when she upset 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for New York’s 14th district, running a grassroots campaign on progressive issues like Medicare for All, abolishing ICE, and the Green New Deal.
She won the general election and has since been reelected multiple times, including comfortably in 2024.
In Congress, she co-introduced the Green New Deal resolution with Senator Ed Markey, advocating for a national mobilization to combat climate change, create jobs, and address inequality.
She has sponsored or co-sponsored numerous bills, passed amendments on issues like opioid treatment and toxic site cleanup in Puerto Rico, and championed anti-corruption measures, including bans on congressional stock trading.
Accolades
Ocasio-Cortez’s achievements have earned her widespread recognition.
In high school, she placed second in the microbiology category at the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for her project on antioxidants’ effects on nematode lifespan, leading MIT Lincoln Laboratory to name an asteroid after her (23238 Ocasio-Cortez).
She received the National Hispanic Institute’s Person of the Year award in 2017.
Following her election, she was named one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2019 and received the Adelle Foley Award that same year.
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