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‘No, you can’t say ‘Cortez’’: AOC lashes out at Fox show over surname snafu
Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted an irate stream in response to a Fox show guest who mocked how she pronounces her name and for the media outlet apparently repeatedly getting her surname wrong.
During a segment on her show on Wednesday, Fox host Laura Ingraham suggested that AOC put on an accent whenever she introduced herself. The show’s guest Joe Digenova added, “she does the Latina thing”, before he put on an exaggerated accent and said her name (and initially mistaking her first name).
My last name is Ocasio-Cortez. Full stop. That’s my name.
No, you can’t say “Cortez.” I’ve never used that in my life. “Cortez” is referring to someone else.
Even if they‘re trying to be rude + wrong, my dad’s last name was Ocasio anyway.
(His name was hyphenated too, though.)
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 21, 2019
READ MORE: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to star as ‘butt-kicking’ political superhero in new comic book
Hitting back at both Ingraham’s show and Fox in a Twitter thread, AOC remarked that “Fox News likes to say my name (incorrectly) as “Cortez,” which I can only imagine is bc that sounds more ‘stereotypically’ Hispanic + probably incites more ‘anxiety’ for them.”
Reiterating that her surname is Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Representative commented: “No, you can’t say “Cortez.” I’ve never used that in my life. “Cortez” is referring to someone else.”
AOC was also quick to strike back over the “Latina thing” remark:
If by ‘the Latina thing,’ she means I actually do the work instead of just talk about it, then yeah, I’m doing ‘the Latina thing.’
Unless of course she‘s talking about being multilingual, which we know isn’t a ‘Latina thing.’
It’s a ‘21st century’ thing.https://t.co/v41dAyjshP
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 21, 2019
The surname debacle drew heated responses on Twitter, with many posting messages in support of AOC and criticizing the show and the station for the comments:
I think a lot of people don't understand the difference between having an accent and pronouncing words correctly. To pronounce Spanish words correctly you have to use phonemes that don't exist in English; I guess to some people that sounds like "putting on an accent."
— Janet Lafler (@janet_lafler) March 21, 2019
The multilingual thing is an everywhere but America thing.
— Robert Williamson (@jbobwilliamson) March 21, 2019
"Why does she insist on pronouncing her name correctly when I can't even bother to get her first name right?"
— Simon Hedlin (@simonhedlin) March 21, 2019
So on-brand, Fox News.
