Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hit back at conservative critics who accused of adopting a so-called “blaccent” when addressing an African American audience, telling them to “step right off”.

Earlier this week, the 29-year-old congresswoman spoke before a largely black crowd at the annual convention of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.

“I’m proud to be a bartender. Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” she said, drawing out some of the vowels. “There’s nothing wrong with working retail, folding clothes for other people to buy. There is nothing wrong with preparing the food that your neighbours will eat. There is nothing wrong with driving the buses that take your family to work.”

She added: “There is nothing wrong with being a working person in the United States of America and there is everything dignified about it.”

Conservative media accused the New York congresswoman of altering her accent to try and connect with the black audience.

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Fox News said she had appeared to “develop a new accent while speaking to a predominantly black audience in New York City”.

The Washington Examiner she “appeared to imitate a Southern accent in a speech to a predominantly black audience”.

It also noted that Hillary Clinton appeared to change her accent when speaking to black audiences in states such as South Carolina, which has a large African American population during the 2016 presidential race.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s response was short and to the point.

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“Folks talking about my voice can step right off…Any kid who grew up in a distinct linguistic culture & had to learn to navigate class enviros at school/work knows what’s up,” she wrote on Twitter.

She added: “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.