Lenika Cruz is a senior editor at The Atlantic where she has been a staffer on the culture section since 2014. She has edited stories that have been nominated for James Beard Awards and included in anthologies such as Best Food Writing, and one that was named as a Pulitzer Prize finalist. In addition to The Atlantic, Lenika's essays, reporting, and criticism have appeared in L.A. Weekly, Glamour, The Rumpus, East Bay Express, and Guam's Pacific Daily News. She has spoken about race, culture, and media for the Asian American Journalists Association, the Washington National Cathedral, and Pomona College's Humanities Studio. She has appeared as a guest on NPR's Code Switch and Pop Culture Happy Hour, The Atlantic's Review podcast, Blank Check, KPCC, and other radio shows. She is a volunteer contributing editor for the street newspaper Street Sense. She graduated from UCLA in 2012 with a BA in English.