Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the Voice of My Generation

Kimia Javaherneshan

Staff Writer

Who is your inspiration?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I had heard her name a few times, but it wasn’t until I watched the documentary “Knock Down the House'' that I knew that there was a politician out there that I could trust. I saw glimpses of her life, from her family, to her day-to-day experiences. For the entirety of her campaign, AOC was working as a waitress to help her mother fight the foreclosure of their family home. She persevered through every obstacle thrown at her, fighting through prejudice in her hometown, coping with the death of her father, and going up against a man who hadn’t been challenged since 2004 all to gain her place as the representative for New York’s 14th District. She was told she couldn’t do it and that there was no way she could prevail, but in her nature, she did. Incumbent Joseph Crowley outspent her 18 to 1 for his campaign, and still, she won.

Her spirit, her dedication to her constituents, and her selflessness inspire me on a daily basis. She fought hard for what she wanted and once she got it, she kept her promises and didn’t let her people down. From creating a committee for the Green New Deal during her first week in Congress to solving issues that those in her district bring up to her attention, such as reforms to the USPS in the Bronx, raising money for LGBTQ+ youth, and fighting to help people get paid fairly for their work, including those she has employed, AOC has revolutionized the political game.

After hearing her story and reading about all the change AOC has created, I began to look up to her and implemented some of who she is in my own life. AOC is known for her relentlessness and perseverance, and I adapted this part of her spirit into my life. About a year ago, I had intense chronic back pain that I later found out was caused by a herniated disc in my spine which I had to get surgically removed. The pain was unbearable and every day seemed to be longer than the one before. It was the most pain I had ever been in throughout my entire life. But through it all, I took a page out of AOC’s book and focused on making it through and persisted. I made it through months of Advil, steroids, surgery, and so much physical therapy by learning through AOC that problems can’t be solved by complaining, only by perseverance and real action. But the most important thing she taught me was to use my voice. I used to feel upset about injustices, but would never try and change them. Now, I speak out constantly about topics that I believe need to be discussed and try to advocate for what I believe in. Especially now, with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, I’ve taken to raising awareness on social media, attending peaceful protests, urging friends to donate, and pitching in myself, whereas before AOC’s influence I would have quietly supported the cause from the sidelines. Knowing that passionate and powerful women of color, like AOC, are making real and lasting change within the systems that have been used to oppress them gives me hope and inspires me to push myself to the limit.

I can think of no other politician, on either side of the aisle, that cares the way she does. She speaks for the masses and champions all who don’t have the luxury of having a say in politics. It’s so clear she believes in what she’s saying and has thought long and hard about what she thinks would benefit the most people. Simply put, she gets it. AOC is my forever inspiration and everything she says or does makes me proud to support her.