AOC

With a preface by Keegan-Michael Key

In the vein of Notorious RBG, seventeen writers explore the multiple meanings of a young Latina politician who has already made history.

From the moment Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat a ten-term incumbent in the primary election for New York’s 14th, her journey to the national, if not world, stage, was fast-tracked. Six months later, as the youngest Congresswoman ever elected, AOC became one of a handful of Latina politicians in Washington, D.C. Just thirty, she represents her generation, the millennials, in many groundbreaking ways: proudly working class, Democratic Socialist, of Puerto Rican descent, master of social media, not to mention of the Bronx, feminist—and a great dancer.

AOC investigates her symbolic and personal significance for so many, from her willingness to use her imperfect bi-lingualism, to the threat she poses by governing like a man, to the long history of Puerto Rican activism that she joins. Contributors span a wide range of voices and ages, from media to the arts and politics:

Keegan-Michael Key
— Preface
Lynda Lopez
— Introduction: "The Meaning of AOC"
Jennine Capó Crucet
— "An Open Letter to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez"
Andrea González-Ramírez
— "Women Like Me Aren’t Supposed to Run for Office"
Patricia Reynoso
— “'The First Latina to . . .'”
Pedro Regalado
— “'Pa’lante!': The Long History of Puerto Rican Activism in New York City"
Rebecca Traister
— "The Imagined Threat of a Woman Who Governs Like a Man"
Natalia Sylvester
— "In No Uncertain Terms"
Erin Aubry Kaplan
— "The Center Will Not Hold. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Counting on It"
Tracey Ross
— "A Just Society"
Carmen Rita Wong
— "Latinas Are So Money"
Mariana Atencio
— "AOC the Influencer"
Wendy Carrillo
— "What AOC and I Learned at Standing Rock"
Nathan J. Robinson
— "The Democratic Socialism of AOC"
Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez
— "On Being an Indignant Brown Girl"
Elizabeth Yeampierre
— "Making the Green New Deal the Real Deal"
María Cristina “MC” González Noguera
— "The Hustle"

Note: The publication date of this title has changed. The new publication date is 08/11/2020.