Adryana Aldeen, a consultant, analyst, strategist and commentator on public policy, is a maven of the Hispanic community. Throughout her career, her passion has centered on the education and empowerment of Latinos on public policy and politics. A frequent political analyst of NBC universal-Telemundo, Univision and CNN Español, Adryana has become one of the most well-known Hispanic conservatives on Spanish news television. Before marrying her husband, healthcare attorney Doug Aldeen, Adryana gained recognition through her work and within her community by her maiden name, Adryana Boyne.
Born and raised in Central Mexico, Adryana grew up in a family with a hardworking father who taught her the conservative values that she has cherished throughout her life. In the late 1980s, Adryana moved to the United States to further her education at Criswell College. During her time at Criswell, Adryana landed an internship with KCBI Radio in Dallas, Texas and was first exposed to the political world. Adryana recalls Jack Kemp coming to the radio talk show to speak while he was running for president. Adryana’s conversation with Kemp sparked an interest in politics that would catapult her into her current career.
Adryana knew then that she needed to participate in public opinion; she felt that the Hispanic community was easily swayed by the media. “Most of the media that we have for Hispanics comes from the liberal side on the TV, radio and newspapers,” Adryana explained. “I remember pretty clearly when Bill Clinton was running for president, there were people interested in advocating for him that had no idea Clinton favored abortion. I talked with the community when they were saying, ‘oh no, he’s not for abortion; absolutely not,’ and I realized then that they were not really being informed.”
In 2006, Adryana became actively involved in politics. She was helping with the Van Taylor for Congress campaign in College Station when she was asked to speak on the news. She was noticed by national Spanish news stations as a powerful and eloquent communicator and was asked to begin speaking regularly on political issues. In addition to her work with the media, Adryana has been a part of multiple political campaigns throughout her career.
Adryana Aldeen has been trained political consultation by renowned speaker Merrie Spaeth. “I am a communicator, although that’s not in my job description. But communication is involved a lot in my political and public policy consulting. It means that the community trusts me and knows me for my values.” Adryana is often participating in events in her community outside of politics. Cedric Benson, the famous NFL player who recently passed away, even asked Adryana to be a part of the board of directors for his foundation. Adryana is always open to getting involved in meaningful community events and organizations.
Adryana is a trusted figure in her community. She served for nine years as the National Director of VOCES Action, educating Latinos on public policy and raising funds for scholarships for outstanding Hispanic students. “Many people don’t understand that Hispanics come in different colors, labels, social backgrounds and religious backgrounds,” Adryana explained, “and it’s important that people get to know the specific Hispanic communities that they are engaging.” She believes this is one of the greatest issues facing her community. Adryana recognizes that she will continue to be questioned for the rest of her life from individuals of both political parties simply because she has an accent.
In 2013, Adryana ran for office, seeking the Republican nomination for District 102 of the Texas House of Representatives. When asked about her experience, Adryana described it as challenging. “I ran as a Republican conservative woman, a Latina, and with an accent.” She explained that she believes the Republican party needs to be more inclusive, and to be inclusive means to get out of one’s comfort zone and get to know people. Her advice to anyone aspiring to run for office was to “make sure to listen to all types of people, including those who don’t agree with you or have a different point of view.” Adryana’s favorite resources for support and guidance are legislators’ own websites and reading and watching news from both political parties. She also sees Twitter as a valuable resource to follow reputable political sources.
Adryana Aldeen currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband Doug Aldeen. She is the mother of two young men who graduated from Stanford University and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. When asked what advice she would give her 20-year old self, Adryana thought deeply about the current political climate. “I think I would have stressed more to Republicans the big danger I saw a couple of decades ago with people who are not willing to listen to the other side. There is not a way to agree 100% with someone, but we need to avoid divisiveness and extremism coming from both major parties.”
