Early Life and Background

Diane Guerrero is an American actress and author, widely recognized for her role as Maritza Ramos in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. The series, an adaptation of Piper Kerman's memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, explores life inside a women’s minimum-security federal prison. Guerrero was born on July 21, 1986, in Passaic, New Jersey, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts.

Her parents, originally from Colombia, and her older brother were deported when Guerrero was just fourteen, following a failed attempt to obtain legal residency in the United States. As a U.S. citizen, she was able to stay in the country and was taken in by family friends. This life-altering experience profoundly shaped her personal and professional advocacy efforts.

Advocacy and Immigration Reform

Guerrero has become a prominent advocate for immigration reform, using her platform to shed light on the struggles faced by families affected by deportation policies. She serves as an ambassador for the Immigration Legal Resource Center, an organization dedicated to advancing immigrant rights through education and policy reform.

Political Engagement and Social Justice

In addition to her work in immigration advocacy, Guerrero sits on the board of Mi Familia Vota, a national civic engagement organization that promotes Latino participation in social justice efforts and electoral processes. Her involvement underscores her commitment to empowering underrepresented communities.

In May 2018, Guerrero was honored at the Phillip Burton Immigration & Civil Rights Awards for her activism and contributions to civil rights causes.

Memoir: "In the Country We Love"

In 2016, Diane Guerrero published her memoir, In the Country We Love: My Family Divided, co-written with Michelle Burford. The book recounts her personal experience with family separation due to deportation and amplifies the stories of others impacted by similar circumstances. Her memoir has been widely praised for its emotional depth and advocacy for humane immigration policies.