In the Country We Love: My Family Divided

by Diane Guerrero, Michelle Burford

Overview

The star of Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin presents her personal story of the real plight of undocumented immigrants in this country

Diane Guerrero, the television actress from the megahit Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was just fourteen years old on the day her parents were detained and deported while she was at school. Born in the U.S., Guerrero was able to remain in the country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and helped her build a life and a successful acting career for herself, without the support system of her family.

In the Country We Love is a moving, heartbreaking story of one woman's extraordinary resilience in the face of the nightmarish struggles of undocumented residents in this country. There are over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US, many of whom have citizen children, whose lives here are just as precarious, and whose stories haven't been told. Written with bestselling author Michelle Burford, this memoir is a tale of personal triumph that also casts a much-needed light on the fears that haunt the daily existence of families likes the author's and on a system that fails them over and over.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781627795272
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	HL780L (what's this?)

About the Author

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.

Michelle Burford is a founding editor of O, The Oprah Magazine and writer of many best-selling books including memoirs by Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, singer Toni Braxton, and Cleveland kidnap survivor Michelle Knight.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1
1. The Silver Key 5
2. Mi Familia 11
3. Underground 27
4. The Good Girl 43
5. The Plan 63
6. Ground Shift 73
7. Taken 83
8. Left ­Behind 97
9. Second ­Family 105
10. Butterfly 119
11. New World 131
12. The Edge 147
13. Turnabout 157
14. Stage Right 169
15. New York City 183
16. Orange 203
17. Into Daylight 225
Call to Action 237
Acknowl­edgments 251

Editorial Reviews

03/14/2016
Guerrero, an actress best known for her roles on Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was born in the U.S. to Colombian parents. They lived in the States while undocumented until they were deported in 2001. Guerrero, 14 at the time, was left on her own with no government oversight whatsoever, a harrowing situation that she recounts with honesty, pathos, and bravery. Like many of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country, her parents worked in countless low-paying menial jobs while in constant fear, knowing that they could be snatched away any time. They tried to obtain green cards and citizenship through legal channels, but were scammed by a con artist. Guerrero, writing with Oprah magazine founding editor Burford, could have been placed in state care, but she was one of the lucky ones: friends and family took her in and helped her get into the Boston Arts Academy. She still suffered in her parents’ absence, growing increasingly depressed with no one to confide in. The depression led to alcoholic blackouts, self-injury, and a near-suicide before she opened up to a therapist and got much-needed help. Guerrero transforms a truly terrible situation into something meaningful, using her story and her role as an Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization by the White House to try to help other immigrant families left in this terrible position. (May)

Publishers Weekly

One of Chicago Public Library's and BookRiot's Best Books of 2016

"Guerrero, 14 at the time, was left on her own with no government oversight whatsoever, a harrowing situation that she recounts with honesty, pathos, and bravery...Guerrero transforms a truly terrible situation into something meaningful, using her story and her role as an Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization by the White House to try to help other immigrant families left in this terrible position."—Publishers Weekly

“Orange Is the New Black actress Guerrero delivers an affecting tale of a childhood lived in the margins. . . . lovingly detailed in colloquial and well-paced prose . . . The author's candor in chronicling the lowest moments of her life reads like an urgent confessional. . . The author's greatest strength lies in her ability to advocate for undocumented immigrants and others affected by immigration status: 'I've written the book that I wish I could have read when I was that girl.' A moving, humanizing portrait of the collateral damage caused by America's immigration policy." —Kirkus Reviews

"Guerrero relates her struggle to hold her life together, get through high school and college, and find her feet in the world—challenges that will resonate with many readers...[She] writes with humor and heartbreaking honesty. Offering readers the story she needed to hear as a child, Guerrero shines a light on this country's flawed immigration system, eloquently calling for reform without diminishing her appreciation for the opportunities US citizenship has afforded her. A timely and enlightening read."—Booklist

"In the Country We Love is the poignant, candid, and often shocking account of the challenges Guerrero faced as a citizen child of undocumented parents"—Kirkus Reviews [special cover feature]

“I think putting your life down on paper as honest and raw as Diane Guerrero has done is brave…, Guerrero bares her life showing her faults, her heart, her humor, that the saying kids are resilient is not so, and most importantly her fight to thrive and succeed. I could not recommend this book enough, especially if you liked The Book of Unknown Americans.” —Book Riot [best books of April 2016]

"In the Country We Love is a necessary story for our times...It is a heartrending memoir that humanizes the story of America’s immigration policies and helps us all find a way to understand the challenging questions and ineffective strategies of current policies and practices."—San Antonio News-Express

"Advocating on behalf of the undocumented immigrants in our country, Guerrero’s memoir is a well-written tell-all of a woman who traveled a difficult path to stardom.”—ReadItForward.com

From the Publisher

12/01/2015
When Guerrero was 14, she returned home from school to find that her parents and older brother had been deported as undocumented; because she was born here, Guerrero was able to remain. This memoir explains how she survived to become a familiar face for her standout roles (e.g., Orange Is the New Black; Jane the Virgin) while also painting a stark picture of the fearfulness of an undocumented immigrant's life.

Library Journal

07/01/2016
Teens may recognize Guerrero from Orange Is the New Black, where she plays Maritza ("If you want more pizza, vote for Maritza!"), or Jane the Virgin, where she plays the title character's BFF Lina. In recent months, Guerrero has been speaking out about immigration reform, and this book explains why: when she was 14, she came home from school one day to find that her parents had been arrested; they were ultimately deported to Colombia. Guerrero, born in the United States, was more fortunate than most young people in this situation, in that her family had a strong contingent of friends who lived nearby and who took her in, allowing her to continue her schooling. But she describes how she never truly felt at home once her parents were gone: she tried to minimize the space she took up; she always asked permission, even to eat a snack; she did household chores whenever she could; and she spent her free time worrying about how to achieve financial independence. Guerrero hid her story from others for years but eventually realized it was time to start dealing with her past and sharing her experience, in the hopes of helping others in the same situation. Her acting career has given her the platform to do just that. VERDICT This touching memoir will resonate with teens who love acting as well as those who want to know more about of the lives of immigrants and refugees, or have experienced a similar situation to Guerrero's.—Sarah Flowers, formerly with Santa Clara County Library, CA

School Library Journal

2016-03-27
Orange Is the New Black actress Guerrero delivers an affecting tale of a childhood lived in the margins.Born to undocumented Colombian immigrants upon their arrival stateside, the author quickly learned not to draw attention to herself or her parents. Mami and Papi, lovingly detailed in colloquial and well-paced prose, were hardworking and doting parents, deeply supportive of the author's interest in the arts. Growing older, Guerrero noticed the small differences that set her family apart—e.g., the way her father's personality shrunk in public or the terror inspired by an unexpected guest at the door. Mami and Papi struggled tirelessly to remedy their immigration status, but the family's worst fears were realized when the author was 14: she arrived home from school to an empty house, discovering her parents had been deported just hours earlier. In the book's strongest passages, Guerrero recounts the fear, shame, and instability that followed. Taken in by a family friend, she found solace in the performing arts while her relationship with her parents grew more fractured over time and distance. As she attempted to define herself and her future, Guerrero grappled with a number of serious financial obstacles and mental health issues, further deepening the rift in familial ties. The author's candor in chronicling the lowest moments of her life reads like an urgent confessional. Indeed, it wasn't until she shared her story that the healing—and her acting career—could finally begin. Readers looking for intricate details about Guerrero's time on set will be disappointed; the sections recounting her Hollywood experiences are rushed, often cluttered with unnecessary detail. The author's greatest strength lies in her ability to advocate for undocumented immigrants and others affected by immigration status: "I've written the book that I wish I could have read when I was that girl." A moving, humanizing portrait of the collateral damage caused by America's immigration policy.

Kirkus Reviews