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

Diane Guerrero opens her memoir with an explanation of important concepts and terms, as well as to state the motivation behind sharing her story. Guerrero’s story is one of hope in a time of loss and uncertainty and recounts her experiences of being left to fend for herself after her parents and older brother Eric were deported back to Colombia from the US. Because Diane was born in the US, she was not sent back, but neither was she taken care of. She notes that about 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the US, and her story is one of many; as a result, she hopes that it can act as a source of comfort to others who have had similar experiences.

Guerrero explains what the words “documented,” “deported,” and “detained,” mean (See: Index of Terms), as well as the importance of citizenship or a green card in securing an official place in the US. Diane also raises issues with terms like “illegal alien” and “illegal immigrant,” saying that “no one is ‘illegal’ in this world” (3). She states that the term “undocumented immigrant” is more accurate and less pejorative.