YORKTOWN, N.Y. — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is once again at the center of debate — not over policy, but her personal origin story. The Congresswoman has long portrayed herself as a proud “Bronx girl,” a label she reinforced in a recent clash with former President Donald Trump. But now, after pushback and resurfaced yearbook photos, she’s refining her story — saying she grew up “between” the Bronx and suburban Yorktown.
Yet locals in Yorktown, a quiet, leafy suburb in upper Westchester County, aren’t buying it. Many say her attempts to reclaim Bronx roots feel disingenuous and downplay the reality of her upbringing in their community.
Locals to AOC: “You’re from here”
Residents of Yorktown — several of whom moved there from the Bronx themselves — are skeptical of Ocasio-Cortez’s repeated Bronx branding.
“You can tell right out of the gate she isn’t from the Bronx. Listen to her!” said Billy, a 47-year-old retired FDNY firefighter, while golfing at the local Mohansic Golf Course. “We’ve been out of the Bronx for years, but we still sound like idiots! It doesn’t just go away.”
Richard Kennedy, an employee at Uncle Giuseppe’s supermarket in town, was even more blunt: “If you came here when you were 3 years old, you’re from here.”
Indeed, Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved with her family to Yorktown as a young child. She attended public schools there through high school. Property records show her family home in Yorktown sold in 2016 for $355,000 — just two years before her political rise.
“Why Not Just Say You’re From Yorktown?”
To many residents, the suburb offers a peaceful, community-driven lifestyle — something they feel should be a source of pride, not evasion.
“You think she’d be proud of being from Yorktown,” said one woman who declined to be named. “It’s a great town.”
Salon owner Sandra Guarriello, 31, echoed the sentiment: “We dreamed of living here. It took us a long time and a lot of hard work, and now we live here. It’s been our dream to live here.”
Still, her husband, Nicholas Guarriello, offered a more sympathetic take. “I was born in Yonkers, but raised by my grandmother in the Bronx. So I say I’m from the Bronx — because that’s where my family is. I get it.”
Others Relate to the “In-Between” Identity
Some locals who shared similar childhood paths believe Ocasio-Cortez may genuinely feel more connected to the Bronx, even if she spent most of her youth in Yorktown.
“Maybe that felt more like home to her than this place,” said Sabrina Gomes, 33, who was born in the Bronx but lived in Yorktown for over 30 years. “I also say I’m from the Bronx.”
Peter Cleary, co-chair of the Yorktown Democratic Committee, called the controversy “kind of silly” and noted that many in town remain proud of Ocasio-Cortez’s accomplishments.
Political Spin or Personal Truth?
The Congresswoman herself embraced the debate last week, sending out a fundraising email highlighting her working-class roots and split upbringing.
“I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time! My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep,” she wrote. “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 critics point to earlier inconsistencies. When she first ran for Congress in 2018, her campaign bio described a life “defined by the 40-minute commute between school and her family in the Bronx.” That line was later revised to reflect her education in Yorktown — with no mention of a daily Bronx commute.
Bronx Residents Push Back
Back in the Bronx, not everyone is eager to welcome AOC as one of their own.
“It should be a crime to claim you’re from the Bronx when you’re not,” said Sandra S., 29, a lifelong Bronx resident.
Another woman, Brittney M., 26, said she believes the controversy erupted because of Ocasio-Cortez’s constant references. “Honestly, I think people only realized because she brought it up so many times. Maybe she really believed she was from the Bronx the more she spoke about it.”
A Symbol of a Bigger Conversation
For supporters, Ocasio-Cortez’s upbringing — Bronx-born but raised in a well-to-do suburb — represents the blend of experiences that fuel her progressive outlook. For critics, it’s another example of a politician massaging a personal narrative to suit a political brand.
Regardless, the debate continues to spark reflection on identity, authenticity, and what it truly means to be “from” somewhere. And as Ocasio-Cortez leans further into the duality of her upbringing, both Yorktown and the Bronx will likely continue to have their say.
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