Quotes from Diane Guerrero

I feel like there's this misconception that immigrants come here and just don't care about the system and paying taxes, and that's not true.

My parents came here from Colombia during a time of great instability there. Escaping a dire economic situation at home, they moved to New Jersey, where they had friends and family, seeking a better life, and then moved to Boston after I was born.

Before I cook, I always have to put on music that parents listened to while cooking. I remember waking up in the morning and seeing my dad making breakfast with music and cutting up the tomato and singing to it and just handling food with such care. So when I cook, I put on salsa, vallenato, cumbia, or anything that reminds me of Colombia.

I love making dishes that my mother used to make.

In my opinion, we're here to be happy; we're here to work hard; we're here to do the right thing; and we're here to save our planet. And I think that we can achieve it.

I think one of my best qualities is my ability to empathize with people. Perhaps it's because my journey has been so bumpy.

My parents instilled a lot of American values in me. They encouraged me to work hard and told me that anything was possible for me because I was a citizen.

As much as it's been difficult to tell my story over and over again, it has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I know my family loves me, but the hardest part is to love myself.

It's sometimes a little embarrassing to take selfies, but sometimes I want to take a selfie because I'm like, 'Oh I look cute. I like my hat. I like what I'm wearing, and I want to show it off.'

Once I started advancing in my career, I stopped wanting to hide from my reality.

I worked while in high school and college so that I could pay for school. I also had loans.

Immigrants are working hard to give our families a better life. Isn't that what the American Dream is?

I so desperately wanted to be honest, and I so desperately wanted to love myself and accept myself for who I was.

Deporting asylum seekers back to violence does not reflect the values of our country.

I want immigration reform to come into fruition, and I want it to be comprehensive, and I want it to have a path to citizenship, and I want to be involved politically every day.

We need comprehensive immigration reform so that we're not creating this cycle of poverty and depression and everything that comes with separating a family.

I think people want immigration reform. I think people want to see a path for citizenship. I don't think we as a country want to discuss this in the way we do. I don't think we want to separate families. I don't think that's part of our values.

It has never been illegal to be a refugee.

I am a proud American, regardless of the fact that my parents were separated from me forcefully.

I definitely binge-watched 'House of Cards' when it first came out.

Whatever the reason is, I am happiest when connecting with the human experience. It lets me know that I'm not alone in this world.

I remember when I was younger, older folks would say to me, 'There are three things you don't talk about at a dinner party: religion, politics, and money.' But I think the truth is quite the opposite.

I am representing my community, in a sense, especially given the fact that there are not as many Latino actors out there.