Ocasio-Cortez's Upbringing in Westchester County Confirmed Amidst Social Media Scrutiny

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's early life and educational background in Yorktown Heights, an affluent suburb of Westchester County, New York, have once again become a subject of public discussion following a recent tweet. The social media post, attributed to "Bird on Fire," characterized Ocasio-Cortez as "a spoiled brat daughter of an architect from Westchester County who went to a high school that was 95% non-Hispanic white and where fewer than 3% of the kids were on free and reduced priced lunch." This statement prompted renewed examination of her formative years.

Records confirm that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved with her family to Yorktown Heights at approximately five years old. Her father, Sergio Ocasio-Roman, indeed owned a small architectural firm. She subsequently graduated from Yorktown High School in 2007, an institution located within the affluent suburban community.

Further investigation into Yorktown High School's demographics during Ocasio-Cortez's attendance reveals a predominantly white student body. While exact figures for the specific years of her enrollment are not readily available in public records, data from the early 2000s for similar affluent Westchester schools, and later data for Yorktown High School, indicate a significant majority of non-Hispanic white students. Similarly, the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch at Yorktown High School has historically been low, consistent with the socioeconomic profile of the area.

Ocasio-Cortez has previously acknowledged her family's move to Yorktown Heights, explaining that her parents sought better educational opportunities for her and her brother. She has also spoken about the stark contrast between her experiences in Yorktown and those of her cousins who remained in the Bronx, an experience she states informed her understanding of systemic inequality. Her background has frequently been a point of discussion in public discourse, often used by critics to question her working-class identity, while supporters highlight her family's financial struggles after her father's death and her subsequent work as a bartender.