She is such a maverick that it is difficult to pick only one striking characteristic. The fact that she is the youngest congresswoman ever might be the obvious choice, or perhaps that her work uniform includes red lipstick. But the thing is, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the list goes on and on.
In addition to being chock-full of historical facts and firsts, the new essay collection “AOC: The Fearless Rise and Powerful Resonance of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” explains the historical backdrop behind AOC’s election. The book is made up of 17 essays by 17 authors, and offers compelling insights into various elements of the congresswoman’s importance.
Even those of us who like her tweets and watch her livestreams have a lot more to learn about the New York representative. These essays explain not only why Ocasio-Cortez is revelatory in the now, but also why her presence is deeply necessary given our country’s recent history.
In the book’s introduction, “The Meaning of AOC,” journalist Lynda Lopez premises how AOC is not only culturally symbolic, but that the congresswoman’s importance is augmented by our “particular American moment.” AOC’s significance is centered around how she stands up for communities who have gone underrepresented in Washington for an inexcusably long time.
In particular, Ocasio-Cortez has played an especially important role in advocating for Puerto Ricans. In the book’s final essay, “The Hustle,” Maria Cristina “MC” Gonzalez Noguera writes how Puerto Ricans have a long history of contributing their strengths to the United States but have historically not had a seat at the table. AOC is changing this. She not only speaks proudly of her own Puerto Rican heritage, but she is also continually embodying that pride in her actions. As Gonzalez Noguera writes, Ocasio-Cortez is “always showing up, making room, widening the lane, and reminding everyone that we deserve to be there.” The way that AOC validates the presence of historically excluded folks in the political sphere is a theme throughout the book’s essays.
The essays in “AOC” range from casual to formal, personal to academic. One of the more casual essays, Jennine Capó Crucet’s “An Open Letter to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez,” is a first-person piece about how the author feels deeply connected to AOC and also wants to be friends with her. A more formal piece is Nathan J. Robinson’s “The Democratic Socialism of AOC,” which reads more like a longform magazine piece. Robinson defines what it means to be a socialist, and also analyzes how crucial AOC has been to defining “intersectional socialism.” The varying tones of the essays in “AOC” mirror the varying degrees of formality that the congresswoman herself uses, making for a text that is both accessible and informative.
The book explains how AOC is a gamechanger in several arenas. She stands up for herself and others, brings politics to new audiences and is changing how politicians communicate altogether. Multiple essays in “AOC” further the argument that Ocasio-Cortez’s power is in her social media presence. In one of the book’s most memorable essays, “AOC the Influencer,” journalist Mariana Atencio writes about how the congresswoman is “elevating the agenda” through social media, “rewriting the traditional rules of governance with every post.”
AOC is not only ever-present to her almost 11 million followers across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, but she is present in a never-before-seen relatable way. She could be making dinner, tastefully sipping wine or even assembling IKEA furniture, but when AOC streams her daily life, folks tune in by the thousands. While a vast social media presence alone could in other circumstances be seen as vapid, Ocasio-Cortez pairs her virtual presence with her ability to show up IRL as well. She meets voters where they are, whether it’s on Instagram or at Standing Rock. As Wendy Carillo states, this “was, and still is, her winning card.”
