Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Credits Her Parents for Her Strong Voice

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez credits her parents for raising her as a strong woman and to never accept abuse. So — who are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s parents?

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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez aka "AOC" is no stranger to speaking her mind and standing up for herself (and others). She once again had the floor in the House of Representatives and condemned Republican Representative Ted Yoho for his sexist attack on her in front of the U.S. Capitol Building over comments she had made connecting crime rates to economic marginalization.

After he told Alexandria that she was “disgusting” and “freaking out of her mind,” she then responded that he was being “rude.” As Representative Yoho walked away from her, within earshot of a reporter from the Hill, he then called her a “f--king b---h.”

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"I am two years younger than Mr. Yoho's youngest daughter," said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. "I am someone's daughter, too. My father, thankfully, is not alive to see how Mr. Yoho treated his daughter... I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men."

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez credits her parents for raising her as a strong woman. So, who are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s parents? 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's father, Sergio Ocasio, died in 2008.

Sergio Ocasio was born and raised in New York City and met Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria’s mother, while visiting Puerto Rico as a young man.

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As the economic crisis hallows out some elements of Puerto Rican life, other locales evolve in the hands of artists. My parents were married in a church that is now surrounded by abandoned buildings whose facades are covered in large-scale pieces like this one.

A post shared by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@aoc) on Jan 2, 2017 at 3:04pm PST

In an Instagram post honoring her mother, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez wrote, “She [Blanca] met my father, a Bronx boy visiting isla family, at a young age. They married + moved to NYC – she didn’t even speak English. My parents started from scratch: new languages, new life, new everything. Then came me, and they moved to start over again so I could have an education.”

Sergio Ocasio also founded a company called Kirschenbaum Ocasio-Roman Pc. The company, now closed, specialized in building and land inspection services, and also provided landscape contractors and lawn maintenance, architectural services, and engineering services. When Alexandria was 19 years old, a sophomore at Boston University, Sergio died of cancer. 

Alexandria credits her mother, Blanca, for all her success.

After being sworn into Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to her Instagram and thanked everyone who had sacrificed to make her journey to Congress possible. Mainly, she thanked her mother, Blanca, writing, “Mami mopped floors, drove school buses, + answered phones. She did whatever she needed to do, for me.” 

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Every year on Thanksgiving, I would share my Birthday Cake with my Father. This is my 10th birthday without you, and the pain is still profound. He was born Nov. 24, I was the 25th. I was a difficult son, he was a difficult Father. Difficulty aside, The truth is that my Father saw something in me nobody else did. He believed in what he saw, like an undeniable truth. He saw the potential I failed to see myself. His belief in my potential was strong enough to outlive him, and make me search inside to see it for myself. It was one of the few elements that helped me survive the change that followed his death. Every time I blow out candles, I look & hope for you. I miss you so much. Every. Single. Day. Happy Birthday Dad.

A post shared by Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez (@gabrielocasiocortez) on Nov 24, 2018 at 5:15pm PST

When Alexandria was a young girl, her family left The Bronx to move to Yorktown Heights — an area with good public schools. Alexandria says that her family was the “underclass” in the new neighborhood. She also says that Blanca pitched in, working as a house cleaner to help support the family. Over the years, she says, her mom also drove a school bus and answered phones, doing whatever she could to help provide for the family.

“The thing that people don’t realize is that wherever there is affluence, there’s an underclass. There’s a service class. And that’s what I grew up in, scrubbing toilets with my mom,” Alexandria told Bon Appetit

She also reminisced about how friendly her mom has always been, mentioning how they used to make friends with Dunkin Donuts employees and invite people over for special Thanksgiving dinners where pernil — Puerto Rican style roast pork shoulder — was served alongside the turkey.

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What can I possibly say except thank you? So many people sacrificed so much for this to happen - my mother most of all. . My mamá was born + raised in Puerto Rico. She practically raised her siblings in poverty while her own mother worked nonstop to provide food and shelter. She met my father, a Bronx boy visiting isla family, at a young age. They married + moved to NYC - she didn’t even speak English. My parents started from scratch: new languages, new life, new everything. Then came me, and they moved to start over again so I could have an education. Mami mopped floors, drove school buses, + answered phones. She did whatever she needed to do, for me. When my father died, she was left a single mother of 2, and again she had to start over. After he passed we almost lost our home, so we sold it and started over. & over. & over. . It wasn’t long ago that we felt our lives were over; that there were only so many do-overs until it was just too late, or too much to take, or we were too spiritually spent. I was scrubbing tables + scooping candle wax after restaurant shifts & falling asleep on the subway ride home. I once got pickpocketed, & everything I earned that day was stolen. That day I locked myself in a room and cried deep: I had nothing left to give, or to be. And that’s when I started over. I honestly thought as a 28 year old waitress I was too late; that the train of my fulfilled potential had left the station. . This week I was sworn in as the youngest woman in American history to serve in the United States Congress. I hope that record is broken again soon. As I raised my hand for the oath, my mother held the holy book & looked into @SpeakerPelosi’s eyes. Afterwards, the Speaker said to her “you must be so proud,” and my mother began to cry. . It was not long ago that our family’s hope was so dim it was barely an ember. Darkness taught me transformation cannot solely be an individual pursuit,but also a community trust. We must lean on others to strive on our own. . Thank you all. Whether it was late nights, hard days, pocket change, emotional investment, hard & soft skills, door knocking in the heat or petitioning in the bitter cold - we did this together.

A post shared by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@aoc) on Jan 5, 2019 at 9:34am PST

Blanca held the Bible for Alexandria when she was sworn into Congress.

"As I raised my hand for the oath, my mother held the holy book & looked into [Nancy Pelosi]'s eyes. Afterwards, the Speaker said to her “you must be so proud,” and my mother began to cry," Alexandria wrote on her Instagram.

Blanca holding the Bible for her daughter’s swear-in seemed only appropriate as her mother mentioned that raising Alexandria was always an adventure because she has always been this passionate. 

“She would engage in political discussions passionately.” Blanca told the New York Times, "There was nobody who could shut her up. I saw the political tendencies since she was very, very young.”

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