Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is once again drawing criticism over her upbringing after defending herself against backlash for repeatedly identifying as a “Bronx girl.” Now, she says she was raised “between” the Bronx and the suburbs—but some residents of her hometown of Yorktown, New York, aren’t buying it.
The controversy resurfaced after old yearbook photos of Ocasio-Cortez circulated online and she fundraised off the renewed scrutiny, still stopping short of plainly stating she grew up in upper Westchester County. Born in the Bronx, Ocasio-Cortez moved to Yorktown at a young age, attending public schools there through high school. Property records confirm her family home in the suburb wasn’t sold until 2016—just two years before she was elected to Congress.
“She’s not from the Bronx—just listen to her,” said Billy, a retired FDNY firefighter and Bronx native, while golfing in Yorktown. “We left the Bronx years ago and still sound like it. That accent doesn’t just vanish.”
Local supermarket employee Richard Kennedy echoed the skepticism: “If you came here when you were 3, you’re from here,” he said bluntly.
Another resident called the congresswoman a “phony,” questioning why she wouldn’t embrace her Yorktown roots. “It’s a great town,” said a woman who declined to give her name. Salon owner Sandra Guarriello agreed: “We worked hard to live here—it was our dream.”
Still, others defended AOC. Nicholas Guarriello, Sandra’s husband, said he was born in Yonkers but calls himself a Bronx native because that’s where his family lived. “I get it,” he said. “It’s about where your heart is.”
Sabrina Gomes, who also moved out of the Bronx at a young age, said the Bronx still feels like home. “I lived here 30 years and still say I’m from the Bronx,” she said.
Yorktown Democratic Committee co-chair Peter Cleary dismissed the backlash as “kind of silly,” noting many residents are proud of AOC and her accomplishments.
Ocasio-Cortez addressed the debate in a fundraising email Thursday, writing, “Growing up between The Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality and it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today.”
But this isn’t the first time her Bronx credentials have been challenged. After winning her 2018 primary, her campaign was criticized for claiming her life was defined by a “40-minute commute between school and her family in the Bronx.” That line was later removed and replaced with a statement noting she attended public school in Yorktown.
Still, some Bronx residents aren’t convinced. “It should be a crime to claim you’re from the Bronx when you’re not,” said Sandra S., 29. Another, Brittney M., 26, added, “Maybe she really believed it the more she said it.”
While Ocasio-Cortez insists both places shaped who she is, the debate over where she’s truly from doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.
