A New York state lawmaker is questioning Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s claim of being a “Bronx girl” — using an old yearbook photo to point to her suburban roots.
State Assemblyman Matt Slater (R-Yorktown) called out the progressive congresswoman Tuesday after she referred to herself as a Bronx native during a fiery social media exchange with former President Donald Trump. Slater posted a photo of a high school freshman Ocasio-Cortez — then known as Sandy Cortez — taken from the Yorktown High School yearbook, located in Westchester County, about 40 minutes north of the Bronx.
“If you’re a BX girl, then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook? Give it up already,” Slater wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Back-and-forth with Trump
The exchange stemmed from Ocasio-Cortez’s call for Trump’s impeachment over airstrikes in Iran. Trump retaliated online, calling the congresswoman “one of the dumbest people in Congress.” Ocasio-Cortez fired back, tweeting:
“I’m a Bronx girl. You should know we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully.”
But Slater, who said he was a senior when Ocasio-Cortez was a freshman, claimed her “Bronx tough” persona doesn’t match her suburban upbringing.
“The whole AOC-Bronx mythology is laughable to anyone from Yorktown,” he told The Post. “She grew up on Friends Road, went to public schools here, and graduated in 2007.”
A long-standing criticism
Ocasio-Cortez has faced scrutiny over her background since her upset 2018 win against longtime Rep. Joe Crowley. She has consistently highlighted her Bronx roots in interviews and public appearances, once telling Late Night host Stephen Colbert, “I don’t think [Trump] knows how to deal with a girl from the Bronx.”
While it’s true she was born in the Bronx’s Parkchester neighborhood, her family moved to Yorktown when she was about five years old, reportedly to access better schools. Public records show the family sold their Yorktown home in 2016.
Still, AOC has defended her narrative, saying her upbringing in Yorktown helped her understand the sharp differences in opportunity between neighborhoods.
“My mom scrubbed toilets so I could live here,” she tweeted in 2018. “Growing up, it was a good town for working people. And I saw how a ZIP code can determine your future.”
A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez pointed to her official bio, which notes that although she was raised in Yorktown, she spent much of her childhood regularly visiting the Bronx to see extended family.
“Throughout her childhood, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez traveled regularly to the Bronx to spend time with her extended family,” the bio states.
Still, Slater urged her to “drop the act” and stop leaning on a Bronx identity he believes no longer fits.
“She may think it makes her sound tough or like a radical champion,” Slater said. “But it’s just not the whole truth.”
