Ocasio-Cortez Discusses Yearbook Photos While Addressing Upbringing

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently reflected on her high school yearbook photos but was somewhat evasive about her suburban roots in Westchester County.

“I’m proud of how I grew up and I always talk about it,” she mentioned on Friday. “My mother cleaned houses, and I helped out. We cleaned the tutor’s house in exchange for SAT prep.”

She added, “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown really shaped my perspective on inequality, which is a major reason why I stand for what I do today!”

Despite her identity as a “Bronx girl,” many in Northern Westchester recall her as Sandy Cortez from Yorktown Heights, where she graduated from high school in 2007.

State Senator Matt Slater (R-Yorktown) commented, “She seems embarrassed to admit she was raised in the suburbs rather than the Bronx.” He further noted her statements about community involvement, describing them as an attempt to maintain a misleading image of her origins.

Ocasio-Cortez, who serves parts of the Bronx and Queens, had a noteworthy online exchange with President Trump last week after her remarks regarding military action against Iran.

Trump responded by labeling her one of the “silliest” members of Congress, leading Ocasio-Cortez to fire back with several tweets.

In one response, she stated, “Also, I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that you can eat Queen’s boys for breakfast. Respectful.” This comment referenced her Bronx upbringing.

Although Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx, her family relocated to Yorktown when she was just five, and she graduated from Yorktown High School in 2007. The 35-year-old politician gained national prominence in 2018.