Daisy Dominguez was born to Ecuadorian parents in New York City and raised in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Dominguez received a B.A. in Latin American studies from New York University, an M.L.S. from Long Island University, and an M.A. in history from the City College of New York, all located in New York City. She worked as an English language teacher in Quito, Ecuador and a reference librarian at City College of New York.