| Alicia Menendez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Union City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard College |
| Occupation | TV commentator, writer |
| Website | |
| dailygrito.com | |
Alicia Menendez is a TV commentator, writer, and founder of the Daily Grito based in Washington, DC.[1] She serves as Senior Advisor at NDN, a center-left think thank and advocacy organization in Washington, DC.[2]
Menendez is a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC. In 2011, Menendez and Adriana Maestas founded Dailygrito.com, a website that offers a Latino take on politics and media.[1] Menendez co-founded Define American in June 2011 with Jose Antonio Vargas, Jake Brewer, and Jehmu Greene. Define American seeks to elevate the national conversation on immigration reform.[3] Menendez is a veteran of Rock the Vote and Democracia USA. She also spent time as a television segment producer and on-air contributor for RNN TV in New York [2]
At Harvard University, Menendezs senior honors thesis on women's social capital drew the attention of US News and World Reports and The New York Times.[4] In 2005, The Harvard Crimson named Menendez one of the 15 most interesting members of the class of 2005 and she was selected to deliver her undergraduate commencement address.[4]
Menendez grew up in Union City, New Jersey, and graduated from Harvard College in 2005. She is the daughter of United States Senator Robert Menendez and Jane Jacobsen.
The New York Times reported that on Election Day, 2006, after a campaign marked by mean-spirited personal attacks, Menendez approached her father's competitor, Tom Kean, Jr., introduced herself, and wished him luck. Menedez stated, "It's very easy to be negative when it's anonymous, but that's somebody's Daddy you're talking about."[5]