My Family Divided: One Girl's Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope

Losing her parents in that way was confusing and alienating, Diane tried to settle into her new life with Amelia’s family. She did her best to stay out of her hosts’ way and avoiding upsetting them. The Spring Fest concert, which Diane spent weeks working on for her duet role, was one she performed with mixed feelings, as her parents were not there to see it. In July, for her 15th birthday, Diane flew down to Palmira, Colombia, to see her family. She was greeted at the airport by both her parents and a band that played music to celebrate her arrival. Her parents had separated from each other in Colombia. Diane went to stay with her mother first and found that she was living in a tiny house with two chairs and few belongings. Diane felt angry at her mother for making her family vulnerable to deportation, and showed it by spending most of her time out with her cousins. Diane felt excited by the Colombian atmosphere, with its vibrancy and color, but also saddened by the poverty that surrounded her. Her brother seemed happier and like he had finally found his footing, but her Papi seemed sullen and lived in similar conditions as her Mami.