Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says people on Capitol Hill keep assuming she's an intern

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday joined a protest on climate change outside of Nancy Pelosi's office.

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she keeps being mistaken for an intern during her first week on Capitol Hill.
• She wrote several tweets documenting her frustrations on Wednesday.
• She's the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, at 29.
• She said: "People keep giving me directions to the spouse and intern events instead of the ones for members of Congress."

The youngest women ever elected to Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, says she keeps being given directions to intern events during her first week at the US Capitol.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday she documented what her first week was like as a 29-year-old waiting to be sworn in as the representative for New York's 14th congressional district at Capitol Hill.

She tweeted: "People keep giving me directions to the spouse and intern events instead of the ones for members of Congress."

Later on Wednesday night she wrote: "Last night I was stopped bc it was assumed I was an intern/staffer."

Rick Loomis/Getty

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hugs a supporter at her victory celebration at La Boom night club in Queens, New York, on November 6, 2018.

She also said some people assume she's a Congressman's partner, saying: "Dem Spouse + Member luncheon were at the same time today. I was sent to spouse event."

Read more: This is the platform that launched Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29-year-old democratic socialist, to become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress

In the final tweet responding to a critic who didn't believe her, she said: "Next time try believing women + people of color when they talk about their experiences being a woman or person of color."

US Congresswoman and Democratic National Committee vice chair Grace Meng replied to Ocasio-Cortez, saying she has experienced the same thing.

Meng tweeted: "I STILL get stopped in the halls and confused for a spouse or an intern. This is what happens when you're a young WOC in Congress -- but it shouldn't. I'm excited you're here, @Ocasio2018! Let's work to make this the new normal."