One of the most highly decorated Latino leaders in the nation, Andrade received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton at the White House for "the performance of exemplary deeds of service for the nation" and "for extraordinary accomplishments in promoting civic participation and leadership development." In 2011, he received the National Ohtli Award, the highest honor presented by the people and government of Mexico for distinguished service to the Mexican and Mexican American community in the United States. He was a political commentator on ABC for six years in Chicago and WGN radio and a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, the only national Latino leader featured regularly as a commentator on English language radio or television and as a columnist in a major publication. He has worked and participated in the democratization of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and Haiti.