In the Country We Love
Page 26
Acknowledgments
Words aren’t enough to convey the overwhelming love and gratitude I have for all those who’ve trekked through the muddiest of waters with me. But since words are all I have, here goes. Thank you, because without your presence in my life, I would not be the person I am today. I’d need another book to list all those who’ve been part of my journey, and I want each of you to know how grateful I am for giving me a chance, offering me a shoulder to cry on in difficult moments, and cheering me on when I didn’t think I could keep going. Here are just a few of the people I’d like to mention by name:
Mami: Thank you for being fearless and never giving up on our family, even when the odds against you were stacked higher than Mount Everest. Thank you for teaching me the true meaning of love.
Papi: Thank you for being the kindhearted gentleman you are. I can call myself a feminist because you taught me to believe in myself and to feel equal to men. You taught me how to respect others and be respected.
To both of my parents: Mami y Papi, thank you for being the caring mother and father you are and for supporting me through every moment of my life, whether we lived near or far. I will never stop fighting for us. Never.
My brother: Thank you for being my big brother and for always being kindhearted. You will never know how much I truly love you.
Tia Milena: Thank you for always being yourself no matter what. Thank you for teaching me the importance of selflessness and kindness to all people. Thank you for always respecting me and guiding me with the utmost positivity and truth. Also, thanks for all my cousins. ☺
Tio Jose Guerrero: Thank you for naming me in 1986, when my mother was about to make a big mistake by naming me Maria Emilia. You stopped the presses and gallantly walked into the hospital and said, “No, her name will be Diane.” Thank you for being there for me always. I love you.
All my tios: Edgar Guerrero and Cachi, Pacho, Moiso Becerra—thank you for your love and support always.
All my tias: Maye, Omir, Tenda, and Luceni Guerrero and Maria Eugenia thank you for being the best tias I could ever dream of having, and thank you for passing on your wisdom and care to me. Thank you for making me feel loved and for making me see that I do have a family.
My cuzzos: Alejandro Cobo, Gisella, Jackie, Dayron, Jasmine Alvarez, Harris Davino Garcia, and Jasmine Alvarez—thank you for loving me always, no matter how corny I was or still manage to be.
My primos: Andres Sanclemente, Lina Maria Urbano, Omar, Sara, Aura Maria y Fabian Guerrero, Felipe, Juan Sebastian Becerra—thank you for being sweet and loving, no matter how much time passes without us seeing each other. I can feel your hearts and smiling faces miles away. Also, no me llamen Ñañan por la mañana.
Andres Sanclemente: My partner in crime. From pranking each other as kids, to our endless witty repartee, I cherish our bond. Thank you for always having my back and being a source of knowledge and calm for me. Also thank you for having the guts to be the only doctor in our family. I love you, buddy.
Orfilia, Diana, and Anthony: Thank you for always being there for my family and me. Your love and support has been undeniably significant to my life. Thank you for teaching me the importance of cleaning up after myself and not being a little brat.
Lucy: My family and I are very grateful for your love and support.
Ana: Thank you for welcoming me in when I thought my life was over. You were there to hold and protect me during the worst of tornadoes. Your strength as a woman is unwavering. You taught me how to buck up and go for the World Series. Also, thanks for giving me and all of us Grisell. ☺
Grisell: My homie for life. Hardly a moment goes by without my thinking of our time together, from the blizzard of ’96 to the time we got to be sisters for real. I thank you for always being a woman of your word and for teaching me to always question and fight the power.
Stacy: Thank you for being an amazing friend through and through. I’m not sure I would have survived high school without you. You hot ticket, you.
Diana: Thank you for making my childhood one filled with laughter. I still think of our days in class together, making up songs and coming up with ways to torment Mrs. Clifford. Jack! Ha!
Emma y Don Fernando: Thank you for showing me what family looked like. Thank you for your warmth and for making me feel wanted, understood, and special. You stood in for my parents and never missed a beat. Also, thanks for Nani. ☺
Stephanie aka Nani: My sister from another mister, thank you for sharing a slice of your life with me. It was love at first sight at the Halloween contest, where we competed wearing the same costume. I knew we’d be best friends for life, and that has proven to be true. Thank you for your love and trust, my dear friend.
Boston Arts Academy: Thank you for saving me. Thank you for providing a space and curriculum that allowed me to develop as an artist and explore my potential.
Kelly: Thank you for being the greatest white friend a little brown girl could ask for. You have shown me true friendship through and through, and without you, I wouldn’t have made it in NYC. You’re my angel.
Kyle: Thank you for being the best Asian friend a little brown girl could ever ask for. Thank you for always listening to me and being a voice of maturity and reason. Had you not been in my life, I would’ve fallen down a few wells by now. Your beauty and kindness always resonate, and I’m lucky to have you.
Vamnation Entertainment: Thank you guys for having my back no matter what—I wouldn’t be here without you!
Josh Taylor: Thank you for being the most amazing manager I could ever ask for. Thank you for seeing something in me and giving me a chance to show my stuff. You are an integral part of my success and my sanity. You’re more than a manager; you are my friend. Thank you.
Abrams Artists Agency: Man are you guys classy! Thank you for being such a great team and supporting me always.
Danielle DeLawder: You are a phenomenal agent, and I seriously do not know what I’d do without you. Thank you for believing in me and keeping me on track and punctual, even when I’m a pain in the ass.
Steve Ross: Thank you for being the best literary agent on the planet. Thank you for believing in my story and for encouraging me to take on this project. This book is out in the world because of your passion and your powerful advocacy. I appreciate you. Really.
Jenji Kohan from Orange Is the New Black: Thank you for taking a chance on me, and for giving the world the opportunity to get to know me. Without you, none of this would be possible.
Orange cast: It has been an honor to work alongside such talented and interesting people. I’m so grateful to be part of this family.
Grisel Ruiz of the ILRC: Thank you for inspiring me to do more. Seeing you give so much and dedicating yourself to this work has activated something in me I never thought possible. You taught me that my voice has more power than hate and intolerance could ever have. Thanks for helping me discover my purpose.
Gebe of Mi Familia Vota: You are incredibly important to my work. Thank you for your guidance and generous spirit. I couldn’t imagine doing any of this without you by my side. You are not only my mentor, but my friend. PS: Meeting POTUS together wasn’t too shabby either. ☺
Regis girls: Thank you Abby Kuzia, Jaime Girard, Jen Glass, Sam Lynn, and Paulette Benetti for being my college homies and staying connected to this day. I love you girls.
Jackie: Our friendship began exactly like the scene in Forrest Gump where all the seats are taken, but then Jenny tells Forrest, “You can sit here if you want.” Thanks for letting me sit with you on the first day of school. Thank you for being my girl throughout this amazing journey.
My buds: Thank you to all these beautiful souls in my life—Nathan Anthony, B.B., Lesley Coehlo, Amaris Delgado, Dascha Polanco, Selenis Leyva, Uzo Aduba, Lea DeLaria, Emma Myles, Danielle Brooks, Adrienne Moore, Esther Caporale, Erica Lavelanet, Ahn Mai, Dan Libman, Peter Berkrot, Alex Metz, Gina Rodriguez, Shane Patrick Kearns, Michael Harney, Doreen Maya, Susan Batson Studios.
/> Toni: Mama, thank you for always being such a positive force in my life, and for showing me true kindness and selflessness. No one could ever compare to you, but I do hope that the values with which you lived your life will somehow manifest in mine. I will work hard and be worthy of your beautiful family and make you proud. You are a true light in my life, and there is not a single day that I don’t think of you. I love you.
J: My love, thank you for being my partner and my best friend. Thank you for the trust and support you have given me since the very first day I met you. Thank you for being patient with me and my very colorful personality, and thank you for not shying away from potentially one of the greatest loves in history. You are one of a kind, and I’m a very lucky girl. The rest of our lives awaits.
Gianna: Oh, Bethany, thank you for being the best sisi ever. Thank you for being so darling and caring. I love spending time with you and can’t wait for our relationship to grow into a beautiful Christmas tree. I will always be here for you as your big sisi because ya bad.
Jim: Thank you for being so generous and welcoming. You are a wonderful father, and I thank you for sharing your beautiful family with me. I look forward to what the future brings for our families. Also, thank you for J. ☺
My coauthor, Michelle Burford: Girrrrrl. Thank you for all your hard work. This book is literally a reality only because of you. Thank you for your patience with me, and for your intelligence all around. I appreciate how well you’ve understood my vision, and how you’ve helped me to bring that to life in the form of this memoir. And above all, thank you for handling my story with so much care and sensitivity.
* * *
It truly does take a village to put together a memoir, and my team at Holt has been absolutely incredible. Thanks to Gillian Blake and Serena Jones, who believed in my story from our very first meeting and have supported me across the finish line. Serena, thank you, too, for being a top-rate editor. Special thanks to Patricia Eisemann and Leslie Brandon in publicity. Much appreciation also goes to David Shoemaker, Meryl Levavi, Molly Bloom, the extraordinary sales force at Macmillan, and every person, those publicly named as well as those behind the scenes, who had a hand in this project. I am as grateful for your competence as I am for your enthusiasm for the book.
About the Authors
DIANE GUERRERO is an actress on the hit shows Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin. She volunteers with the nonprofit Immigrant Legal Resource Center, as well as with Mi Familia Vota, an organization that promotes civic involvement. She has been named an ambassador for citizenship and naturalization by the White House. She lives in New York City. You can sign up for email updates here.
MICHELLE BURFORD is a founding editor of O, The Oprah Magazine and the writer of many bestselling books including memoirs by Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, singer Toni Braxton, and Cleveland kidnapping survivor Michelle Knight.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Introduction
1. The Silver Key
2. Mi Familia
3. Underground
4. The Good Girl
5. The Plan
6. Ground Shift
7. Taken
8. Left Behind
9. Second Family
10. Butterfly
11. New World
12. The Edge
13. Turnabout
14. Stage Right
15. New York City
16. Orange
17. Into Daylight
Call to Action
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Copyright
IN THE COUNTRY WE LOVE. Copyright © 2016 by Diane Guerrero. All rights reserved. For information, address Henry Holt and Co., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.henryholt.com
Cover design by David Shoemaker; photograph © Ondrea Barbe
Names: Guerrero, Diane, 1986– | Burford, Michelle, author.
Title: In the country we love: my family divided / Diane Guerrero with Michelle Burford.
Description: First edition. | New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015040990 (print) | LCCN 2015045324 (ebook) | ISBN 9781627795272 (hardback) | ISBN 9781627798334 (Spanish language paperback) | ISBN 9781627795289 (electronic book)
Subjects: LCSH: Guerrero, Diane, 1986– | Guerrero, Diane, 1986– —Family. | Actors—United States—Biography. | Children of illegal aliens—United States—Biography. | Immigration enforcement—United States. | BISAC: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs. | BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Cultural Heritage. | SOCIAL SCIENCE / Emigration & Immigration.
Classification: LCC PN2287.G7455 A3 2016 (print) | LCC PN2287.G7455 (ebook) | DDC 791.4302/8092—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015040990
Our books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact your local bookseller or the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
Note: Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
First Edition: May 2016