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

Diane Guerrero is the author and first-person protagonist of the memoir My Family Divided. She is a successful American Colombian actor, writer, and political activist. Diane is both the subject and the author of her narrative, presenting her own experiences, feelings, and motivations. Guerrero’s narrative voice is personal and direct, speaking to the reader to build intimacy and foster compassion for the experiences of immigrants in the US. The presentation of the young Diane focuses on the challenges she faced and the effects of those challenges, but it also presents a journey of emotional healing through life. In many ways, her chronological self-narrative uses the rags-to-riches trope to utilize her adult fame and challenge negative stereotypes that surround immigrant communities.

Guerrero’s memoir is filled with personality and emotion, and she tells her story with the hope that she can comfort others as well as inspire people to act. Diane’s greatest passion in life is performing art; she loves to sing, dance, and act, and found the courage to pursue her passion against all odds. Her childhood was shaped by her parents’ status as undocumented immigrants and a constant fear of being discovered.