In November 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman to ever be elected to Congress at 29 years old. Representing New York’s 14th district, she became a symbol of hope and youth in American politics, acting as a face for change amongst the younger generations. Since then, Ocasio-Cortez, often referred to as AOC online, has become a key figure in the American political system, with a growing social media presence that stands out from her colleagues in Congress.
Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx in 1989 to a Puerto-Rican family and grew up in Yorktown Heights in New York. During her time at Boston University, AOC served as an intern for US Senator Ted Kennedy, focusing on foreign affairs and immigration issues; here, she saw firsthand how families were being separated by ICE. In her second year of college, her father died from lung cancer; settling his estate in court opened her eyes to the inequalities in the law, and how many families struggle to make sense of the legal system. Ocasio-Cortez graduated from college in international relations and economics, then going on to work as a bartender whilst also working for the non-profit National Hispanic Institute.
In 2016, AOC became an organiser for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Afterwards, she was one of 30 candidates endorsed by Brand New Congress, an organisation that runs campaigns for the United States Congress, during the 2018 primary, and the only candidate who was successful in both the primary result and the general result. AOC quickly became the centre of media attention after she defeated long-standing Democrat Joseph Crawley in the primaries in what has been called the biggest upset in the 2018 midterm election primaries. She then went on to beat Republican opponent Anthony Pappas in the general election, becoming the representative of the NY-14 district and simultaneously the youngest woman to ever serve in the US Congress.
Considering these achievements, it is not hard to understand why Ocasio-Cortez has gained the attention she so deserves. However, not all of this attention comes from a place of admiration. In her rise to success, Ocasio-Cortez has become the target for criticism, from conservatives, Republicans and the media. As a Democratic Socialist, her leftist edge has sparked a great deal of disapproval; not only this, but she is young, Hispanic and a woman, which has left her open for harassment, including being sworn at and called slurs by other members of Congress. This culminated in a threat to her life during the Capitol riots in early January 2021, with one individual arrested for threatening to assassinate her; Ocasio-Cortez was unharmed, but later spoke about her traumatic experience on social media, calling for justice and accountability for those responsible for the chaos and violence.
Her impact as an individual, as well as a politician, has been influential. Her groundbreaking win in 2018 - and her re-election in 2020 - has earned her the respect and admiration of not only those who she represents in New York but also her online supporters. As one of the youngest members of Congress, AOC stands out with her innovative use of social media to engage with her audience, through livestreams and tweets that spread her message to a demographic that is not only one of the most important in modern society, but one she can relate with: the youth of today. In 2018, DNC chairman Tom Perez called Ocasio-Cortez “the future of our party” - and the future looks bright.
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Published March 8, 2021
Written by Rebecca Symns-Rowley ~ Edited by Isabela Lico ~ Graphics by Tanya Gu
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