-
Diane is born.
Diane was born on July 21, 1986, in New Jersey. A nurse named Diana helped to deliver her. Since she was born in New Jersey, which is in the United States, she has the right to citizenship. Her parents and older brother, however, did not. This right to citizenship is guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Diane's mother gets deported for the first time.
In the spring of 1997, Diane's mother got arrested and detained for being an illegal immigrant. She was taken to a woman's facility in New Hampshire. After a few weeks in the facility, she was deported back to Columbia. Diane's mother frequently called and asked Diane to come live in Columbia with her. Diane refused because she had never thought about leaving America. She also needed to stay with her father because she translated and interpreted for him. -
Diane's mother comes back.
In 1997, after being deported for the first time, Diane's mother came back to the states only to be arrested and deported a week later. She came back to the states again after being deported, in January of 1999. She did not come back to live with Diane and father this time. They did all visit each other often but the meetings were tense. A few weeks after her mother had been back in the country, Diane and her parents moved back in together in a house in Boston. -
Diane's brother, Eric, is deported
Diane's older brother, Eric, was living on his own in New Jersey. He was also an illegal immigrant. After wrongfully being charged with a misdemeanor, Eric was arrested and taken to a detention center. He was then deported back to Columbia. Neither Diane nor her parents were able to visit Eric before his deportation. -
Diane gets into Boston Arts Academy.
Diane had always been very interested in singing and the arts. Her middle school guidance counselor urged her to apply for the Boston Arts Academy for her next four years at high school. At her audition, she sang, ''Si Tu Eres Mi Hombre," by La India. Two weeks later she received an envelope with a piece of paper inside that read, "We are pleased to offer you enrollment for the fall of 2000. Congratulations and welcome to Boston Arts Academy!" Diane said that attending BAA felt like coming home. -
Both of Diane's parents are deported.
On the morning of May 17, 2001, Diane and her mother got in an argument over her being late to school. She got to BAA and practiced the duet she had with her classmate. She was a bit off-key because she was upset about how she acted to her mother that morning. After school, she went to a payphone to tell her parents when she'd be home but no one picked up. She was worried and raced home, her parents nowhere to be found. Her neighbor rang the doorbell and told her her parents had been taken. -
Diane goes to Columbia for the first time.
A few months after he had been deported, Diane's father arranged for her to spend a month in Columbia with him. He later informed Diane that he and her mother had decided to separate. When she arrived her mother and father had a full band playing, balloons, flowers, and a sign reading, "WELCOME TO COLUMBIA, DIANE!" While there Diane meet many family members and saw her brother, Eric, again. She spent the first 2 weeks with her mother and the last 2 with her father. -
Diane starts at Regis College.
Diane’s councilor at BAA told her that her classmates had already been receiving acceptance letters to colleges and Diane hadn’t even applied yet. She applied to five New England colleges. After an interview at her top choice, Regis College, she got accepted. Her first day at Regis she already knew she made a mistake. She had had a recital a few weeks before her last semester at BAA and she got a standing ovation, which left her thinking she should’ve gone to a conservatory instead. -
Diane almost ends her life.
After a couple months at Regis and a trip to London to study abroad, Diane fell into a depression. She started to take drugs, drink, party, and physically harm herself. On December 12 at around 2:52 a.m. Diane woke up and climbed up to the 8th floor of her building. In her depression, she went up their to jump. But when she almost fell over the edge, she realized how much she actually wanted to live. -
Diana became interested in law.
In fall of 2008, Diane enrolled in a one-year paralegal program at Bunker Hill Community College. Law school was too expensive especially because she was still unsure about law. She planned to first get certified as a paralegal and work with lawyers to see if she still wanted to apply. She thought that if she became an attorney she could one day represent her parents citizenship case, and become an advocate for immigrant families. She also became a part-time receptionist at an injury law firm. -
Diane starts acting classes.
In 2010, Diane enrolled in two acting classes: beginning acting and introduction to improv. Her teacher for both classes was Peter Berkrot. He acted in a very well-known movie called, “Caddyshack”. These classes completely turned Diane’s life back around. She went from sleeping all day, drinking all night, to waking up early excited to learn. She excelled in her classes. Peter taught her many new techniques and urged her to be less shy. Soon, Diane started to dream again of becoming an actress. -
Diane gets the part in Orange is the New Black.
In 2012, Diane auditioned for a part in the series that would later launch her career. During the audition, the casting director gave her a second attempt which helped her to better portray the character and later got her the roll. About a month went by and Diane was getting worried about how long it had been without any news. But she then got the news that she had gotten the roll. She would be playing Maritza Ramos, her first recurring character on a show. -
Diane meets the Barack Obama.
In 2014, Diane was invited to attend President Obama’s speech on immigration reform. In the speech, he explained that he had taken action to extend deportation relief and lay the groundwork for the undocumented to work in America legally. After the speech, Diane was told that he would like to greet her. Before anything was even said between the two, she said she was a hot mess and started crying. After an interesting conversation, an official picture was snapped of the two.
