Since becoming the youngest woman to win a U.S. Congress seat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been a fixture in the conservative daily news cycle as its new boogeyman for any number of issues.
Fox News, The Daily Caller and many other conservative outlets have attacked her for everything from the shoes on her feet to the clothes on her back. They've even gone so far as to slam her for the food she eats. Now, she's being criticized for her manner of verbal expression.
After delivering a rousing speech at Al Sharpton's annual National Action Network convention, conservative commentators spent the weekend accusing her of "appropriation" because of how she spoke.
"I'm proud to be a bartender. Ain't nothing wrong that," she told the crowd. "There's nothing wrong with working retail…There is nothing wrong with preparing the food that your neighbors will eat. There is nothing wrong with being a working person in the United States of America."
A sea of Twitter users got in on the dispute with a variety of responses. Some people said there was nothing different about the way she spoke, and others said even if there were any differences, they could be chalked up to code-switching.
Even Dictionary.com got in on the action, tweeting that the term "code-switching" was trending on its website's search rankings.
As she often does, Ocasio-Cortez quickly responded to the hate with succinct barbs, questioning why so many websites and news outlets were dedicated to sniping at her daily.
"Any kid who grew up in a distinct linguistic culture & had to learn to navigate class enviros at school/work knows what’s up. My Spanish is the same way," she wrote.
"As much as the right wants to distort & deflect, I am from the Bronx. I act & talk like it, *especially* when I’m fired up and especially when I’m home. It is so hurtful to see how every aspect of my life is weaponized against me, yet somehow asserted as false at the same time."
Now, check these out:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tells GOP Senator He Needs To Pay A Visit To D.C.'s African American Museum
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Destroys Fox News Anchors Mocking Her Living Situation
