Alicia Menendez is a TV commentator, writer, and founder of the Daily Grito based in Washington, DC. She serves as Senior Advisor at NDN

New Democrat Network

The New Democrat Network is an American think tank that promotes progressive Democratic candidates, especially those in a more centrist vein, although this focus has waxed and waned...

, a center-left think thank and advocacy organization in Washington, DC.

Career

Menendez is a frequent guest on CNN

CNN

Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

, Fox News Channel

Fox News Channel

Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...

, and MSNBC

MSNBC

MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

. In 2011, Menendez and Adriana Maestas founded Dailygrito.com, a website that offers a Latino

Latino

The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...

 take on politics and media. Menendez co-founded Define American in June 2011 with Jose Antonio Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Filipino journalist living and working in the United States. He is known for his coverage of HIV, the Virginia Tech shootings, and the influence that politics and the Internet have on each other. In 2008, Vargas was part of the team which won the Pulitzer Prize for...

, Jake Brewer, and Jehmu Greene

Jehmu Greene

Jehmu Greene is an American political commentator and social justice organizer. Greene was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Austin, Texas. Greene is the daughter of Liberian immigrants.- Career :...

. Define American seeks to elevate the national conversation on immigration reform. Menendez is a veteran of Rock the Vote

Rock the Vote

Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....

 and Democracia USA. She also spent time as a television segment producer and on-air contributor for RNN TV in New York

At Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

, Menendezs senior honors thesis on women's social capital drew the attention of US News and World Reports and The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

. In 2005, The Harvard Crimson

The Harvard Crimson

The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...

named Menendez one of the 15 most interesting members of the class of 2005 and she was selected to deliver her undergraduate commencement address.

Personal life

Menendez grew up in Union City, New Jersey

Union City, New Jersey

Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...

, and graduated from Harvard College

Harvard College

Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...

 in 2005. She is the daughter of United States Senator Robert Menendez

Robert Menendez

Robert "Bob" Menendez is the junior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. In January 2006, he was appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine, who resigned upon being elected Governor of New Jersey. Menendez was elected to his own full...

 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."