My parents came here from Colombia during a time of great instability there. Escaping a dire economic situation at home, they moved to New Jersey, where they had friends and family, seeking a better life, and then moved to Boston after I was born.
Diane Guerrero
Love yourself no matter who you are or where you come from.
While awaiting deportation proceedings, my parents remained in detention near Boston, so I could visit them. They would have liked to fight deportation, but without a lawyer and an immigration system that rarely gives judges the discretion to allow families to stay together, they never had a chance.
Sometimes I want to bury myself in bed, and I don't want anyone to know anything about me, and I don't want anyone to judge me.
If you have money, donate it. If you have time, donate that time. If you have a story to tell, share that story. There's a list of things you can do, and even educating yourself is a form of revolution in my opinion.
My real story is this: I am the citizen daughter of immigrant parents who were deported when I was 14. My older brother was also deported.
Anybody who lives in Colombia knows that if you don't have any money - I tell you what - you don't have many options.
I am here, a citizen of this country, and I'm saying, 'Hey, the system failed me. I am a good citizen. I contribute to this country, and here I am sharing my story. What are you going to do now?'
Whatever the reason is, I am happiest when connecting with the human experience. It lets me know that I'm not alone in this world.
Since when is it good to separate a family?
It's important that we vote, because this is how we can bring about change and bring about reform, and, honestly, I don't see Donald Trump, anything that he's saying to be effective or comprehensive. Instead of really uniting our country - we are the United States of America - he is dividing us.
This is the kind of stuff me and my friends talk about. We sit around and drink coffee, and we're really angry: We're like, 'Where's the Latino Museum?' Where can we go with our families, where can we go with our friends to learn about our history?
I worked a variety of jobs in retail and at coffee shops all through high school. And, though I was surrounded by people who cared about me, part of me ached with every accomplishment, because my parents weren't there to share my joy.
My family is broken.
I want to present the immigrant community in more of a real light.
My father was desperately trying to be a legal contributor to this society.
For me, picking a college was really difficult. I wish I had had my parents there kind of supervising me. But I chose well. I did OK.
My job as an actor is to be visible and to tell stories.
I went through depression, which is something that we don't often talk about when we look at undocumented communities and deported families.
I definitely binge-watched 'House of Cards' when it first came out.
Throughout my childhood, I watched my parents try to become legal but to no avail. They lost their money to people they believed to be attorneys but who ultimately never helped. That meant my childhood was haunted by the fear that they would be deported.
Crazy Jane is a complex individual who always has a lot brewing. She tries to hold things together on the surface, which is something that we all try to do. She uses these different personalities to try to cope with life.
My parents instilled a lot of American values in me. They encouraged me to work hard and told me that anything was possible for me because I was a citizen.
Even if you can't be an activist every day, when you can be, do it.
It is a huge myth that our voices don't matter, that our vote doesn't count.
If we value children and family, there's a great need for change, and we should try immigration reform - create a path for citizenship for people already here, update the visa system.
It's disheartening to see the hate speech and the divisive behavior. But at the same time, I have to believe that smart people and good people of this country don't give in to that.
As a kid, I felt like I had no voice, felt like I had no options, and that's what drove me to this really dark place.
It's sometimes a little embarrassing to take selfies, but sometimes I want to take a selfie because I'm like, 'Oh I look cute. I like my hat. I like what I'm wearing, and I want to show it off.'
I am conscious of the community that I'm representing and don't play into stereotypes.
Growing up without my parents by my side is a weight I still carry today.
I feel like you can't really be truthful as an artist and empathize with the human experience unless you know your truth, and you're not living a lie.
I so desperately wanted to fit in. There was a trajectory, and obviously, our society tells us that you go to high school, you graduate, and then you go to college, and from there, you get an internship, you get a job, and some people study abroad, and there are so many things you see that you desperately want to be a part of.
I want to live in a country where we believe in helping each other, where we see where resources are lacking.
My parents were desperately trying to become documented citizens of this country and tried very hard to get there, but to no avail.
We need someone who's going to govern on behalf of everyone in this country, including immigrants.
We should be a nation that welcomes immigrants, keeps families together, and ensures that everyone gets a fair day in court.
We need comprehensive immigration reform so that we're not creating this cycle of poverty and depression and everything that comes with separating a family.
I'm not one for lying to children.
It has never been illegal to be a refugee.
Immigrants are working hard to give our families a better life. Isn't that what the American Dream is?
When you're the child of undocumented immigrants, you learn to keep your mouth shut.
I learned at a very young age that my parents were undocumented.
My parents have always been very honest with me.
I worked while in high school and college so that I could pay for school. I also had loans.
It's interesting when people access their inner little girl or little boy. I remember doing tons of those exercises when I was in school, where you're trying to dig into your vulnerability. There's no mask for a child, so all those feelings are real.
'Doom Patrol' is doing the most - and the wackiest - things, but when you've been alive in this time, you know it's actually not so wacky. Awful, strange, and inexplicable things do happen.
I love entertaining people! It's who I am.
I think one of my best qualities is my ability to empathize with people. Perhaps it's because my journey has been so bumpy.
I definitely had to pave my own path, which wasn't always the easiest thing to do.
