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

Diane was close with both of her parents growing up, but always had a special relationship with her Papi. He would often take her out for ice cream, go to the beach, and tuck her in at night, and their personalities were very similar. Diane was raised Catholic and attended Mass every Sunday. She had a strong sense of guilt over minor actions like rolling her eyes or reacting with sarcasm. She would often slap herself or cry in order to atone for these mistakes and avoid punishment from God.

When Diane was in sixth grade (1997), her mother decided to investigate an old claim she had made for citizenship a decade before. The agency apparently still had her file but had never sent it in, and they assured her they would push it through now. Weeks later Diane’s Mami was pulled over and arrested by an immigration officer. She was detained for several weeks and then deported back to Colombia. Diane came home to find her mother gone. Diane’s Papi cried but Eric concealed his feelings. Diane was terrified to see her father so vulnerable and her life was filled with uncertainty from that time.