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.
Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. For that reason, Rep. AOC proudly supports Medicare for All, which creates a single-payer system that guarantees healthcare for all, regardless of income or employment status, while curbing the sky-rocketing costs of our broken healthcare system. For too long, healthcare in our country has centered profits over people. No one should be put into crippling debt if they fall ill, and health coverage should not be tied to one’s job. A national healthcare system can also bring down the inaccessibly high costs of prescription drugs. For more on the Congresswoman’s work on healthcare, please read on below.