If you’ve been keeping up with the presidential election, it’s key to remember to celebrate the seemingly small victories.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Congresswoman for NY-14 Bronx and Queens, has become a beloved politician to Gen Z due to her advocacy against climate change and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and her endorsement of Medicare for all. It’s no surprise that she was re-elected with 69% of the vote! Furthermore, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan were also re-elected for Congress.
And why does this matter?
Fending Off Crude Commentary from the President of the U.S.A.
Since 2018, these four progressive representatives have formed a sisterhood known as “The Squad.” On July 14th, 2019, President Donald Trump viciously attacked the women via Twitter by stating, “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how….” Contrary to his racially-motivated remarks, three of four are American born with the exception of Ilhan Omar, who became a citizen when she was 17 years old.
The Future of America
“The Squad” didn’t allow Trump’s tweets- nor any additional criticism- to stop them from fighting for the Green New Deal along with other progressive proposals. There has been more and more push for younger members to take initiative and participate in our democracy. These women’s ages average out to be a whole decade younger than most other members of Congress. The concept of younger generations becoming more and more in the political processes comes to fruition with “The Squad”.
Representation for Women of Color
“The Squad” is powerful because they are a real-life representation for young girls who rarely see women that look like them in politics. This could inspire the next generation of young women to pursue careers where the voices and concerns of people of color are desperately needed! There is a lot of value and affirmation in seeing faces like yours in positions of power and influence and can be a great source of inspiration and drive. Relentless and fierce, AOC and her fellow Congresswomen teach us that we should never take abuse from men – even if they happen to be the most powerful and influential person in the world!
Once again, congratulations to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib for their re-election. Their names will surely go down in history.