Trinity Hewtty
Staff Writer
When you share your story, you can help yourself and others heal, said actress, author and advocate Diane Guerrero Sept. 8 in the auditorium of Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
The “Encanto” actress, who also appeared in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black,” was a guest speaker for the “Distinguished Lecture Series” hosted by the Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders.
Guerrero, 39, described her journey of being separated at a young age from her family of Colombian immigrants to becoming an advocate, actress and the author of “In the Country We Love: My Family Divided.”
“ I found courage to share my story in my book,” Guerrero said. “And I learned through that work that our stories are medicine. When we share them, we help heal ourselves and others.”
About 80 students, staff and community members joined “An Evening with Diane Guerrero” to hear her story of resilience and to ask questions in a Q&A session.
After the event, attendees gathered in the auditorium lobby for nachos, tamales, lemonade and a chance to take pictures with the actress.
While enjoying the refreshments, biology sophomore Noe Najera said his reason for attending the speech was personal.
“ I wanted to come because of my parents – they were immigrants,” Najera said. “And just seeing someone talk about immigration. How they dealt with that personally is something empowering.”
Najera said his biggest takeaway from the speech is not to stop dreaming.
“That path you’re on right now might not be the path for you, but there will always be a new path,” he said.
Guerrero’s story of perseverance began at age 11, when her mother was deported to Colombia by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Her mother returned briefly to the U.S. before being deported again three years later, this time with Guerrero’s brother and father. Then left alone, underage, with no immediate family, this situation would shape the actress’s future career and inspire her to tell her story to help others.
“That trauma didn’t just break my family apart. It broke the way I saw myself for years,” Guerrero said. “ And it’s crazy how that trauma shows up again, even when you have achieved what you wanted. I knew I could not enjoy nor continue my work as an actor in a real way if I stayed silent. The universe brought me mentors to immigrant rights advocacy work. This work, so deeply connected to my own story. I needed to let others know they weren’t alone. I knew I could be an advocate. I started to understand that I was medicine, my story was medicine.”
Guerrero’s empowering message also resonated with alumna Yvonne Laguna.
”It was important to attend,” she said. “To be a part of something that could help as far as education wise, knowledge wise and insightfulness. It empowers and inspires you.”
Laguna, who asked the author about if her book will ever become a film during the Q&A session, said she is a fan of the actress and is inspired by her story that advocates for minorities.
“The biggest thing I learned,” she said about Guerrero’s speech. “Is that we have to utilize our skills to be an advocate for individuals who cannot advocate for themselves and help them be a voice.”
Laguna graduated from A&M-San Antonio in 2010 with a degree in business administration and works as a mortgage processor and hopes to one day use her voice just like Guerrero to help her community.
Guerrero gives advice to undocumented students
In the current political climate, immigration is a topic at the forefront of most debates. Just recently, undocumented students felt the weight of this impact when the Texas Dream Act was revoked in July. The act aided immigrant students providing financial assistance to attend public colleges and universities. Guerrero spoke on the act’s repeal and said telling one’s story is a way to heal.
”Finding another way feels urgent here in Texas and all over the country,” Guerrero said. “This state has stripped in-state tuition for undocumented students. Silencing support systems. Forcing many to withdraw and deporting those revoked students. We need to learn to protect each other and create safe spaces where you can share your story and learn from one another.”
Guerrero also gave more insight to being separated from her entire family at 14 and provided advice to those who face similar circumstances.
“It was traumatic being left alone,” she said. “I lived with family friends; the government offered no support. But if you’re in fear, you must learn everything you can to protect and educate yourself for you and your family. There are organizations still out there that will listen and help you.”
Student leaders meet with Guerrero over lunch
Earlier in the day, Guerrero had lunch with A&M-San Antonio student leaders to share her experience visiting the campus for the first time and the path that led her to becoming an actress.
”It’s where I gravitate to the most,” Guerrero said about visiting the campuses. “These are the spaces that I feel the best and more like myself, the most cared for and loved. I know I am in the right place.”
Around 14 students and staff joined Guerrero in the Patriot’s Casa Ceremony Room to chat over pasta, salad and cheesecake.
Many students in attendance were leaders from student organizations and departments such as The Dreamer Student Organization, the Student Government Association, The Mesquite and the Department of Criminology and Political Science.
During the lunch, Guerrero engaged with the student leaders and answered various questions including about why she went into acting.
Guerrero said she went to Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts but struggled academically, which caused feelings of hopelessness. An opportunity to begin her passion in the arts came when her former coworkers paid for her to study acting.
“My last semester, I failed,” she said. “I was in a state of depression. I went to a performing arts high school and was in the vocal department for singing. It was always sort of in me. I was never an academic but so desperately wanted it. But the girls that I worked with at a bar got together and paid for me to take a beginner’s acting class in Boston. And I gave it a try.”
The Mesquite sits down with Guerrero, who gives career advice to students
Guerrero also spoke with The Mesquite for a one on one conversation and gave advice to students to pursue their career by sharing the lessons she learned from her experience with self doubt as an actress.
“ The biggest setbacks that I have had in my career have come from myself,” she said. “Shrinking myself, leaving that room too early. You cut yourself short even before you walk in that door and they will see right through you. So you have to believe in yourself, even if you don’t get the job.”
Guerrero went on to have a successful career with her role as Maritza Ramos in “Orange is the New Black” which earned her three Screen Actors Guild Awards, along with her voice acting role in “Encanto”, as Isabella Madrigal. That film earned multiple awards including a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
Guerrero said she hopes students will learn the importance of never giving up as a lesson from her speech.
”Whatever you do, be passionate about it.” she said. “Try everything you can. One moment in your life does not define you. Don’t just learn from your mistakes, but grow from them.”
Fans of the actress can anticipate another film project from Guerrero as she revealed her next role is in a Christmas movie co-starring Jesse Garcia from “Flamin’ Hot” set to be released in 2026.
