U.S. Representative for New York's 7th congressional district. First Puerto Rican woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1992. Born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, she grew up in a family of sugarcane workers. Announced she will not seek reelection in 2026 after 16 terms.
NV
Serving
About
Family & Heritage
Born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, one of nine children raised in a small house along the Rio Limones. Her father, Benito Velazquez Rodriguez, was a low-income sugarcane cutter who also worked as a butcher and construction materials salesman, and became a self-taught political activist who founded a local political party. Her mother was Carmen Luisa Serrano Medina. Nydia and her twin sister began school at age five instead of the standard seven, and she became the first person in her family to earn a high school diploma.
Political Career
Before Politics
Instructor of political science at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao (1976-1981). Adjunct professor of Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (1981-1983). Special assistant to Representative Edolphus Towns (1983). Appointed to New York City Council in 1984, becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve on the council. National Director of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources' Migration Division Office (1986-1989). Director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States (1989).
Education
B.A. in Political Science, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (magna cum laude, 1974); M.A. in Political Science, New York University (1976)
Key Issues & Priorities
Small business advocacy and entrepreneurship
Immigration reform and protecting immigrant families
Affordable housing
Environmental justice and climate action
Puerto Rico recovery and self-determination