In honor of National Immigrant Day, the Kennedy Political Union and the Association of University Residences of the United States held a discussion with actress Diane Guerrero on October 28.
Moderated by RHA Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Kelly Ma, Guerrero spoke about her experience as a first-generation Latina actress and how her experiences shaped her career, passion for immigration reform and self-confidence.
“I am who I am and I can’t be anything else,” he said. “I think who I am and my story really influences all of my work, but it’s changing.”
Guerrero, known for her roles as Maritza Ramos in “Orange is the New Black” and Lina in “Jane the Virgin”, expressed how important it was for her at the beginning of her career to express her identity, but she no longer feels that it is necessary Let it be the vanguard of your work.
“I think I’m just trying to live my life and not be the central focus, but just an influence,” he said. “ME [want to] tell all kinds of stories, not just about family separation and immigration.”
warrior has spoken in support of immigration reform, having experienced the consequences of the system herself. When Guerrero was a child, she came home from school one day and found her house empty of her. your family has been deported to Colombia while she was gone.
He shared his family’s deportation story in his books “In the country we love“and the youth adaptation”my family divided”, which influenced their advocacy work and sharing their experiences. However, Guerrero said the immigration system continually let her down despite her best efforts.
“All this work is because I thought I could get closer to my family,” he said. “Time after time, none of it worked.”
Different ways of telling stories, he said, is what comes next, and Guerrero plans to be behind the camera, not in front of it; he is already planning to make a documentary about his family in Colombia.
In particular, Guerrero talked about how he wants to tell different stories in the future of his career, specifically about his family. Hollywood has also confined her to a certain type of story; Guerrero said she was often typecast, playing characters whose main traits involved her immigrant status.
“I had to break a lot of those stereotypes for myself, to say, ‘I can do this role, and this role has nothing to do with my heritage or my ancestry or anything,’ she’s just a person,” she said. she said she. “I had to tear down a lot of that myself because those walls are already there.”
Guerrero hopes her work will evolve from 2016, when she published “In the Country We Love,” to be more honest and more shameless. She is reaching a point of patience in her life where she no longer feels the need to compare herself to other people, as a result of a desire to be closer to her family in Colombia and years of therapy.
“It is a process; therapy is important, wellness is important, self-care is important, you just have to find what works for you, but it certainly has to be your number one priority, or else everything else just falls apart,” Guerrero said.
In an interview with The Eagle, Guerrero said that the most important thing he has learned in therapy is “patience.”
“I think we’re so caught up in having to catch up… catch up with who? Everything should be at your own pace, at your own time, and know that the universe is working with you, not against you.”
Through therapy, Guerrero has also learned important aspects of self-care that have helped her learn more about herself as a person. Instead of being so focused on her career and getting a job, she said she learned to appreciate spending time with family; after her father’s death earlier this year, she regretted not taking the time to visit more.
During the conversation, Latino students in the audience expressed their gratitude and support for Guerrero, thanking him for sharing their story on and off screen.
“You remind me that what I’ve been through is valid,” said one student. “We need people like you at home,” said another, whose family was also from Colombia.
Throughout the conversation, Guerrero touched on home issues. While he still plans to work in the US, he is thinking of buying property in Colombia where he will spend more time with his family and possibly start one of his own.
She also talked about the advice she would give her younger self: “I told myself I didn’t have to be like everyone else,” she said. “What will set you apart is not being like the others.”
The advice he gave to people in situations similar to his: You belong everywhere, even when people say you don’t.
“You’re here to do your best and do your best, and that’s all that matters,” Guerrero said.
