In a stunning defeat over 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history over the summer as a Democratic Socialist woman of color running in the 14th district of New York. Ocasio-Cortez, whose campaign was 100% volunteer-led and accepted no money from corporate donors. Ocasio is the daughter of a Puerto-Rican immigrant and a small-business owner from the Bronx. Her mother, Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, 55, told The New York Post in June, “Her aspiration is to be the president.” Ocasio-Cortez’s mother continued, “She has been thinking about politics since she was a teenager. She would read historical and political books old and new. She would engage in political discussions passionately.” Of her daughter’s surprising win, she said, “It’s just incredible. I believe she would do it but so soon — it was shocking. She is fighting for our community,” She is fighting for the working class. She is fighting for immigrants. We can relate to that. We are working class. We did struggle. We know what struggle means.” Here’s what you need to know about Ocasio-Cortez’s family: 1. She Went to School About 40 Minutes Away From the Bronx, Where She Was Born & Says That Taught Her About Income Equality Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez WINS!! !TYT Politics’ Emma Vigeland (Twitter.com/EmmaVigeland) and Ryan Grim (Twitter.com/ryangrim) capture Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning victory, and spoke with her afterwards. Don't forget to tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! *** Follow Our Incredible Reporting Team On The Road! Subscribe to TYT Politics on YouTube: youtube.com/TYTPolitics Like TYT Politics on Facebook: facebook.com/TYTPolitics Follow TYT… 2018-06-27T03:13:52.000Z According to Ocasio-Cortez’s official site, she learned about income inequality at an early age when her parents sent her to a school 40 minutes away, in Yorktown Heights, because of the state of the school system in the Bronx. This drive made an impact on Ocasio-Cortez, as she learned that a “40 minute drive represented a vastly different quality of available schooling, economic opportunity, and health outcomes.” Her family did eventually move closer to Yorktown Heights when she was still in school. But she told the Daily Mail, “My dad had a small family business in the Bronx, and the rest of my whole family stayed there. So I grew up between two worlds, shuttling between the Bronx and Yorktown most of my life.” 2. Her Father, Sergio Ocasio-Roman, Passed Away Suddenly in 2008 The Courage to Change | Alexandria Ocasio-CortezIf our nation is going to change, so must we. Queens and the Bronx: Vote for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on November 6th. Find out more at ocasio2018.com. We don't need to wait a hundred years for Medicare-for-all, tuition-free public college, a federal jobs guarantee or criminal justice reform. We can do it now, and we can… 2018-05-30T11:51:34.000Z Ocasio’s father died suddenly in 2008, at 48 years old, due to cancer. Her site explains that the Ocasio family was suddenly thrown into a crisis, now that they had lost their primary form of income in the middle of a recession. Per lohud, Ocasio-Cortez’s father’s name was Sergio Ocasio-Roman, though little biographical information is available for him. Lohud reveals that Ocasio-Roman did buy a home in Yorktown (the one Ocasio-Cortez would live in with her family for several years) for $150,000 when Ocasio-Cortez was two years old, and that he gave the house to his wife after his passing. The family sold the house in 2016. After her father’s death, Ocasio worked two day jobs, working 18-hour shifts at restaurants to help her mother keep their home. 3. Ocasio Only Moved Home After College Because She Needed To Help Keep Her Family Afloat Financially No bans. No walls. No fences. No chains. No justice – no peace. We will fight, we will vote, and we will run until hate is dismantled. Vote today and help us mobilize. AFTER VOTING, NYC #MuslimBan protests start at 6pm. 2 NYC Congressional candidates today support #AbolishICE pic.twitter.com/ePTMSJvoOm — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 26, 2018 After Ocasio graduated from college in 2011, she moved back to the Bronx to help her mother stay afloat. Her mother, in turn returned to cleaning houses and also took a job driving a bus. After Ocasio’s time working as a waitress to help support her mother, she became an educator at the National Hispanic Institute, and began to get her feet wet with campaign organizing while working for Bernie Sander’s 2016 campaign. To The Huffington Post, she said, “I see people like me, who thought someone like me couldn’t be in politics, now are saying, ‘Oh, wait, I don’t need to take money from corporations to run. Maybe I’ll run too.’” 4. Her Aunt and Uncle Used to Listen to Malcolm X Speak Meet Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, freshman representative from New YorkStream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: Facebook: pbs.org/newshour Twitter: twitter.com/newshour Instagram: instagram.com/newshour Snapchat: @pbsnews Subscribe: PBS NewsHour podcasts: pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Newsletters: pbs.org/newshour/subscribe 2018-11-09T23:21:59.000Z In an interview with Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez talked about her experience and relationship to living in New York. Ocasio-Cortez talked about her deep family history to the streets of New York, saying, “My aunt and my uncle were just talking last Christmas about how they literally heard Malcolm X evangelizing on street corners.” Ocasio-Cortez noted this memory as an example of her intergenerational history with the Bronx, then added, “This city is becoming too inaccessible and too unaffordable for normal people to live in anymore.” 5. After Three Generations of Living in the Bronx, Her Mother Can’t Afford to Live There Anymore . @Ocasio2018 out in the district talking to constituents throughout the day! If you haven’t voted yet polls are open till 9pm! #Ocasio2018 #Ocasio4Congress pic.twitter.com/p1umTuXPLA — Corey Torpie (@coreyTphoto) June 27, 2018 Ocasio-Cortez’s mother, who cleaned homes for a living while Ocasio-Cortez was growing up, can no longer afford to live in the Bronx, after living there for several decades. To Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez said, “My family is three generations deep in the Bronx, and my own mother can’t afford to live in the same city, in the same state as me anymore, because it’s gotten too expensive.” Ocasio-Cortez was quick to note that her parents’ ability to raise her in the city is a perfect example of how much has changed since then. “I was born to a dad who was born in the South Bronx while the Bronx was burning, while landlords were committing arson to their own buildings,” she said. Ocasio-Cortez continued, “He grew up as a kid with five people in a one-bedroom apartment, and my mom was born in poverty in Puerto Rico. But they met out there, they got married, came back, and had me, and as 20-somethings they were able to take out a small loan and get an apartment in the Bronx, and have me. And the idea of that, for two working-class 20-somethings, it’s almost unimaginable in New York City anymore.” READ NEXT: Riley Roberts, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Boyfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know<doc-sep>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Photo: NBC NewsWire/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won Tuesday’s Democratic primary in New York’s 14th Congressional District, she instantly became a household name. The 28-year-old Bronx-born Democratic Socialist, who wasn’t even covered by many major outlets prior to her victory, soon found herself everywhere from the papers to prime-time to late-night TV. She also, inevitably, found herself facing some criticism from the right. Take conservative host John Cardillo, who attempted to own Ocasio-Cortez by suggesting that she … grew up in a house as a child. “This is the Yorktown Heights (very nice area) home @Ocasio2018 grew up in before going off to Ivy League Brown University,” he tweeted. “A far cry from the Bronx hood upbringing she’s selling.” Cardillo also attached a Google Street View picture of the modest home in question. This is the Yorktown Heights (very nice area) home @Ocasio2018 grew up in before going off to Ivy League Brown University. A far cry from the Bronx hood upbringing she’s selling. pic.twitter.com/xyOtZzVJII — John Cardillo (@johncardillo) July 1, 2018 Though Cardillo was thorough with his house-stalking, a simple search would’ve revealed that she actually attended Boston University. She addressed that in her reply, then took him down in a series of tweets. “It is nice. Growing up, it was a good town for working people. My mom scrubbed toilets so I could live here & I grew up seeing how the zip code one is born in determines much of their opportunity,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “Your attempt to strip me of my family, my story, my home, and my identity is exemplary of how scared you are of the power of all four of those things.” Hey John, 1. I didn’t go to Brown or the Ivy League. I went to BU. Try Google. 2. It is nice. Growing up, it was a good town for working people. My mom scrubbed toilets so I could live here & I grew up seeing how the zip code one is born in determines much of their opportunity. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 1, 2018 3. Your attempt to strip me of my family, my story, my home, and my identity is exemplary of how scared you are of the power of all four of those things. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 1, 2018 On a lighter note, Fox News attempted to alarm their viewers by posting Ocasio-Cortez’s platform in a series of bullet points that includes “Medicare for All,” “Housing as a Human Right,” “Women’s Rights,” and “Support Seniors” — a graphic she’s since promoted herself.<doc-sep>In one of the largest campaign upsets in years, 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Bronx-born Democratic Socialist, beat Representative Joe Crowley, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House in New York's Democratic primaries Tuesday night. Ocasio-Cortez cinched the nomination with just $600,000 cash on hand, compared with Crowley's $3 million. Crowley has served in the House since 1999 and this is the first time he has been primaried in 14 years. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement acknowledged the work that Representative Crowley had done for the Democratic party and thanked him, at the end of the statement she tacked on one line congratulating Ocasio-Cortez on her victory. . @RepJoeCrowley has been an unwavering champion for America’s working families for almost two decades. I salute Chairman Crowley for a formidable legacy of achievement for the people of New York & congratulate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her victory. https://t.co/QJtQWMih2n — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 27, 2018 Here are five things you might not know about Ocasio-Cortez. She's a socialist who worked for Senator Bernie Sanders Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who campaigned on behalf of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election. When asked about her far-left political views, she told The Cut that, "It's really scary or it's easy to generate fear around an idea or around an -ism when you don't provide any substance to it. I believe that every American should have stable, dignified housing; health care; education—that the most very basic needs to sustain modern life should be guaranteed in a moral society." She wants to abolish ICE Just one week before her contentious race in New York, Ocasio-Cortez flew down to Texas to protest child detention camps. "The child detention camps are here—I confronted the border officers myself. Using their names, I told them exactly what they are responsible for. One of them made eye contact with me. I spoke directly to him. I saw his sense of guilt. We can dismantle this," she Tweeted before adding "#AbolishICE." In an interview with Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez explained that, "When I talk about the abolishment of ICE, it is not a fringe position. [ICE] was established in 2003 in a suite of legislation that almost everybody recognizes as a mistake. People recognize the Patriot Act as a mistake. They regret voting for the AUMF [Authorization to Use Military Force], they regret the Iraq War, and DHS [the Department of Homeland Security], and ICE were right in there with all of that legislation." The child detention camps are here - I confronted the border officers myself. Using their names, I told them exactly what they are responsible for. One of them made eye contact with me. I spoke directly to him. I saw his sense of guilt. We can dismantle this.#AbolishICE pic.twitter.com/QLyc9MAnkt — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 24, 2018 She's partnering with Cynthia Nixon Ocasio-Cortez and Nixon have collaborated on their fight to abolish ICE and limit jail time for non-violent drug crimes. "The only way that you beat a machine is with a movement and the only way that this movement can sustain is if we start in good faith on shared values of a New York citizen. I think that is where Cynthia and I come together," she told The Cut. "I very much value the work and the impact that she has already made, due to the fact that she can go on The View and talk about abolishing ICE. What we can do is tag-team this message so that every community can hear it that needs to hear it. And I think that that kind of solidarity across lines is very, very powerful." President Donald Trump is happy with her win Representative Joe Crowley is a powerful Democrat who was floated as a potential future Speaker of the House. President Donald Trump was happy to see him go, and Tweeted about his loss moments after it happened. "Wow! Big Trump Hater Congressman Joe Crowley, who many expected was going to take Nancy Pelosi's place, just LOST his primary election," he wrote. "In other words, he's out! That is a big one that nobody saw happening. Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!" Wow! Big Trump Hater Congressman Joe Crowley, who many expected was going to take Nancy Pelosi’s place, just LOST his primary election. In other words, he’s out! That is a big one that nobody saw happening. Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2018 She's the first woman of color to run in her district People of color make up roughly 70 percent of New York's 14th district, which is something that Ocasio-Cortez stressed in her campaigning. Crowley is the son and grandson of Irish immigrants, she pointed out, and doesn't represent the people of his district. When Crowley sent a Latina surrogate to debate Ocasio-Cortez, she was quick to point out the hypocrisy.<doc-sep>
The beauty of Twitter, and what sometimes can be so dangerous about it, is that when you tweet about high-profile people, there's a good chance that the person in question is going to hear about it. Such was the case on Sunday, when House representative nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted back at a naysayer who was trying to discredit her upbringing. "This is the Yorktown Heights (very nice area) home @Ocasio2018 grew up in before going off to Ivy League Brown University," radio show host John Cardillo tweeted on Sunday afternoon. "A far cry from the Bronx hood upbringing she’s selling." He shared a photo that he claimed was of Ocasio-Cortez's family home. Cardillo was calling into question Ocasio-Cortez's oft-repeated refrain of being from the Bronx. But Ocasio-Cortez, whose campaign is very forthcoming about her childhood on its website, quickly shut down Cardillo's attempted criticism. "Hey John, 1. I didn’t go to Brown or the Ivy League," Ocasio-Cortez responded on Twitter. "I went to BU. Try Google. 2. It is nice. Growing up, it was a good town for working people. My mom scrubbed toilets so I could live here & I grew up seeing how the zip code one is born in determines much of their opportunity." In a follow-up tweet, Ocasio-Cortez offered some insight into why Cardillo may have attempted to undermine such an important tenet of her campaign — her story. "3. Your attempt to strip me of my family, my story, my home, and my identity is exemplary of how scared you are of the power of all four of those things," she wrote. Per The New York Times, Ocasio-Cortez was, in fact, born in the Bronx. She lived there, in a planned community, with her family until she was 5 years old, after which her family relocated to Yorktown Heights, a suburb of Westchester, New York. According to the Times, her family moved in quest of finding better schools. In Yorktown Heights, Ocasio-Cortez's family lived in a two-bedroom home. She characterizes her upbringing as working-class. Last week, Ocasio-Cortez made history for unseating a 10-term incumbent during the Democratic primary in New York's 14th congressional district. She has long made where she's from an integral part of her platform. And that continued even after her monumental upset during the primary. She went on to reference her roots when discussing President Trump. "Well, you know, the president is from Queens, and with all due respect—half of my district is from Queens—I don’t think he knows how to deal with a girl from the Bronx," Ocasio-Cortez told Stephen Colbert during a Thursday night appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Ocasio-Cortez's stunning primary victory is monumental for a litany reasons, and among them is the upset it may have dealt to the Democratic establishment in Congress. The incumbent she beat, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), was considered by many Democrats to be House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's presumptive successor. And not only did Ocasio-Cortez oust Crowley, but she did so by running on a platform considerably more left than his, and more left than most mainstream Democrats, in general. "This is the start of a movement," she tweeted after her victory. In another tweet, she continued, "I look forward to working towards a takeback of the House on a strong platform of economic, social, and racial justice for working class New Yorkers & Americans." Scott Heins/Getty Images News/Getty Images In the final election, Ocasio-Cortez will square off against Republican candidate Anthony Pappas. Pappas is an economics and finance professor at St. John’s University. If she wins, Ocasio-Cortez will be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.