OITNB's Diane Guerrero Opens Up About Her Parents' Deportation and Why This Is the Country They Love
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Diane Guerrero isn't letting her past define her, but she certainly is letting it shape her. The Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin star always had a story to tell — way before her parents were taken from their home in Boston and deported to Colombia when she was just 14. She wanted to entertain and teach on stage and on set, but she probably never imagined that her narrative would end up on pen and paper, too. Her memoir, In the Country We Love, on sale May 3, is powerful — it had me in tears page after page — and so is Diane.
It takes just a few minutes on the phone for Diane to show she's sentimental, opinionated, and determined but also empathetic and totally lovable. In all honesty, if you ever have the chance to talk to her like I did, you will find yourself wishing you could be her best friend. She is wise beyond her 29 years and ready to share her life, full of challenges and obstacles, with anyone ready for it.
Here, she opens up about the harrowing experience of being an American citizen left behind after her parents' deportation but also about her hopes for immigration change, friendship, and having a support system that made her life today possible.
POPSUGAR: Your story is very personal and emotional. Can you tell us a little bit about what the process was like once you decided it was time to share it?
Diane Guerrero: It was really scary, definitely overwhelming, and at times I really wanted to stop. It was hard reliving all of those memories, but I think I realized that I was growing through the process and even though it was tough to deal with, at the end of the day, I felt better about everything; I felt one step closer to being at peace. The book doesn't only talk about the sad moments, but it also brings up really beautiful moments with my family and in my life, triumphs that my family and I lived, and those moments are not to be taken for granted. Throughout the book, I realized I needed to appreciate my family and my own story and say, "Wow, my story is valuable too, and I shouldn't feel ashamed of it. I should be proud."
PS: The book starts with you coming home and finding that your parents have been taken by immigration officials. It's a very visceral and palpable moment. That day was life-changing — how has that influenced everything you've done moving forward?
DG: It was something really tough to go through at such a young age, but it really helped me buckle down. It showed me that I was going to have to work really hard and that things weren't going to be easy, sugarcoated. Things were just very matter-of-fact. It taught me to be strong. Even though it was an incredibly sad moment, it was inspiring. It says: "OK, here I am, what am I going to do? Am I going to curl up in a ball and stay like this and let this take me down? Or am I going to keep living and try to find my way in the world and make things better for myself?" I think I chose the latter. It made me have a vision.
I knew that I wanted better for myself. I knew that one day I had to get my family back together. I knew that there was going to be a lot of obstacles. My family was now broken, and maybe I don't get my family together in the literal sense, but I can get them on the same page regarding our truths and experiences and accepting our situation, making the most of what we were given. I wanted to show that there were real families behind the issues. I also wanted to tell it from the perspective of a citizen child left behind. I wanted to answer those questions that people often have, like, "Why didn't you go back with your parents?" and "Why wasn't it easy for them to achieve citizenship?" This is not everyone's experience, but guess what? A lot of people share them.
PS: Why did you name the book In the Country We Love?
DG: Because it is the country that we love. My parents fought so hard to be here. Even now, they regard the US as their home, as where they want to be. And even me, I love it. I love being an American. That represents a lot to me. I love our values. I care a lot about this country and the direction it's going. I care a lot about some of the issues that we deal with. I care deeply. I'm an American through and through. I love my country despite some of the difficulties that we face as a nation and some of our societal woes. I still respect it greatly. I do think that this is the land of opportunity. It's given me an opportunity. It gave my parents an opportunity. We love it, and we want to be here together. We have no ill will toward America, and that's why it's the country that we love.
PS: After your parents were taken, you had this incredible support system. Your family friends took you in. It must've given you a great sense of community and hope.
DG: Absolutely. I don’t ever think for one second that I could’ve done this by myself. And those are some of the values that we have in the Latino community, where we help our comadres, we help our people next door. I think — and that’s what I’ve experienced in my family and what I've experienced when I go to Colombia, when I go to Mexico — we are very giving people. This is our culture.
I just learned that I had to be very grateful and that it was OK to ask for help when it made sense. I really wanted to show to myself that I can do all of these things on my own, that I am self-reliant, that I am resilient, but this community, even my high school, protected me. It was my safe haven. These families helped me. My teachers encouraged me. I couldn't have done any of what I’m doing right now if people didn't support me and show me that kind of love and affection.
PS: We're in an election year, and, of course, you're a huge proponent of immigration reform. Where do you hope to see us go with that in the next year?
DG: What we’ve been hearing so far is a lot of negative rhetoric surrounding immigration especially from some people who are running for the presidency. What I hope to see, despite all of that, knowing the kind of nation we are and can be, is unity. I hope to see that we condemn policies that separate families and destroy our community. I'd like to see deportation stopped. I'd like to see the executive action that President Obama put in place happen, but, of course, the courts are stopping it — it's such a sad thing when you see an immigration bill pass, and then once it gets to the House, it's stopped. And I certainly don't want to hear about this "let's build a wall and let's ramp up 11 million people and deport them." I don’t think that's very smart. I think we need to look at the numbers. We need to realize that immigrants make up a huge part of our economy and see how that is going to affect us in the long run. If we create a path for citizenship, people who are undocumented are going to be able to pay taxes and improve this country's economy.
Also, the visa system needs to be updated. I know it's hard, but, damn, it's important. And if we're talking about it in a national security standpoint, we need to update it. We had a few emergencies this year — we had Syrian refugees, Central American refugees — and we didn't know what to do. And this affects all of us. It affects citizens who are living in this country, who maybe haven't seen their families in years. What are you supposed to do when you’re in this country and you’re waiting 10 to 15 years to see your own child? And then you wonder why people are so desperate to get to each other. I'm not saying everybody gets to come in. No, I'm saying if we had a proper visa system maybe people wouldn't want to come and stay here forever because they're able to go back.
PS: Can you give us an update on your parents? They're back in Colombia. Do you get to see them often, and have they read the book?
DG: They haven't read the book. It's on their way now in the Spanish version. I've read excerpts before to my parents and they're excited. They encourage me. They love that I'm pursuing the arts in the way that I always wanted to. And they love that I'm being political in the way that I always wanted to. And now I'm telling my story. At first, they were a little apprehensive. They were nervous about what people would think, but at the end of the day, what good is it if we're here and we can have some effect on change in a positive way and choose not to? What good is living all this trauma if we can’t turn it around for a positive thing?
My parents tell me every day how proud of me they are. I think we still hold on to hope that we're going to be together one day, in this country that we love. I'm informing myself every day. I'm working with organizations that are helping me. I'm working with immigration lawyers. I haven't lost hope of being with my parents one day. I just want them to be able to visit me. There's no other reason other than I'm an American citizen and I want my parents to come visit me in my home. When you tell me that my parents can't come, it's hurtful.
PS: You have two amazing but very different roles as part of Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin. What's the experience like being in two very diverse sets?
DG: It's been a great experience. Being a Latina in Hollywood is certainly tough, but I think by working on these two shows, it reminds me that we have really good stories to tell. I think that people want to hear them. I think that this country is desperate to find a place where being of color or being of a different culture is celebrated. I don't think anybody wants to be in a position where you're just telling one side of the story. We want to see reflections of what is really happening on television. This is a melting pot. Why is it that we haven't seen that reflected in our media? It's been so challenging to try to break that and to be part of these two shows that are doing just that — breaking barriers so wonderfully — I think is great.
PS: I know you’re really close to OITNB's Jackie Cruz, and girlfriends seem to have played a big part in your life. What is the most important thing to keep a friendship strong?
DG: Honesty is so important. Not only that but vulnerability. My closest friends and the people who I hold dear to my heart can let their guard down and I can let my guard down with them. Being open, having the lines of communication open. If something is not right or bothering you, you talk about it. And also, you can’t be so f*cking sensitive all the time. Sorry!
PS: Is there anything you can tell us about the new season of OITNB?
DG: I have to keep so quiet about everything, but I will tell you that it's just going to be such a good season for Orange. I think that you are going to see a side of Maritza that you haven’t seen before, and I’m super excited for you guys to see it. I think every season we bring something totally different. This one is my favorite so far. I’ve had the best time shooting it, and I know that my fellow actors have as well.