Born in the Parkchester neighborhood of The Bronx, Alexandria’s parents moved the family 30 minutes north to Yorktown in search of a stronger public school for her and her brother. Alexandria’s mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico and worked throughout her childhood as a domestic worker. Alexandria’s father was a second-generation Bronxite, who ran a small business in The Bronx. Throughout her childhood, Representative Ocasio-Cortez traveled regularly to The Bronx to spend time with her extended family. From an early age, the stark contrast in educational opportunities available to her and her cousins, based on their respective zip codes, made an impression on her.
The criminal justice system in the U.S. is broken, fraught with institutional racism, over-policing, and lack of accountability. Rep. AOC is fighting to end mass incarceration by introducing and supporting legislation that would give formerly incarcerated individuals the right to vote, have equitable career opportunities, and access to resources like housing vouchers and food benefits. Rep. AOC also supports ending the racist war on drugs by legalizing marijuana and expunging all past convictions. She also introduced legislation to end over-policing and over-surveilling of Black and brown communities, and to re-imagine public safety. For more on the Congresswoman’s work on this issue, please read on below.