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With the telling of her story, she hopes to humanize what happened to her, and show that there are lifelong consequences when you separate families like this. "I literally have this trauma for the rest of my life, and it's something that I have to work on every day and I felt like it was important to bring attention to. It's not just about, 'Oh, your parents came here illegally, therefore you must suffer the consequences.' What kind of rhetoric is that? You're talking about another human being." The bartender places a small wooden bowl in front of Diane. She pokes at the paltry salad. "What is this? It's just like, two big beets. Umm, love it. Where's the, where's the chicken? It said it had chicken. Well, perhaps I am wrong. Maybe I had to order that on the side. Anyway," Diane breathes as she digs in. [You were not wrong, Diane! I looked it up. The menu description reads: Salmagundi, Endives, Pickled Baby Beets, Lemon, Chicken. They owe you some chicken.] As a teen growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, after her family was deported, Diane went from one friend's home to another without the U.S. government ever checking on her whereabouts or well-being. She struggled financially and emotionally throughout her adolescence, and later on, experienced suicidal thoughts. In her beautifully honest memoir, she recounts the cold night she went to the top of her 8-story building contemplating whether to end it all. While sitting on the wall-less landing, she fell asleep and when she awoke, a sudden misstep served as her wake-up call. She immediately knew she wasn't ready to die. "I shared that very personal part of it, because I wanted to talk about mental health and how little of mental health we get in our communities, especially the Latino community, where you're really not allowed to feel like you need therapy. You're not allowed to feel feelings. You're not allowed to be upset at anybody or upset with your current situation. You're really taught to be grateful, and you're taught that mental health is for the rich, for the privileged, and you don't deserve that… I still need serious therapy like every week, and in a good way." What kept Diane moving forward was her love of entertaining. Since she was a child, Diane loved to tell stories, sing, act, and dance. Performing made her feel free, she tells me. Growing up, she participated in choir, performed in school ensembles, and regaled her parents with songs. Diane's mother believed so deeply in her daughter's talent that she'd often call her "a shining star, destined for Hollywood." But this only upset Diane. "I yearned to become a singer, to find my way into the limelight, as much as my parents wanted that on my behalf. And yet the sheer improbability of that desire made it painful to linger on such a long shot. So I placed a tight lid over the top of my dreams," Diane states in her memoir. In high school, she found her people while attending Boston Arts Academy, a public high school for the visual and performing arts. Here, she felt at home. Though her affinity for the arts far surpassed every other career field she considered while at Regis College, it took a long time for her to believe in her talent and finally pursue her dream of being in the spotlight. Getting to where she is today –-a successful actress, author, and influential activist with a 1.8 million-following on Instagram— was a challenge and continues to be a challenge for her, which is why she hopes to inspire others to see their potential and realize that they too can change the trajectory of their lives with hard work, by being resourceful, and believing in themselves. "Young aspiring actors have often asked me whether I ever wanted to quit. Yes. Sometimes daily. But like it or not, and I do like it, I rolled up in this world as an artist. It's who I am. The alternative to continuing in my struggle was returning to the way I felt after I left high school. In my heart of hearts, I knew I'd veered off the career path I was meant to take, and that's in part why I almost ended my life," she shares in her book. Once Diane gave herself a chance to pursue an acting career and began to achieve some success, she felt a responsibility to let her community in on her journey. "It's not easy to compete in Hollywood with everybody who is doing this, especially when you come from very little. I hope to let people know, 'Look, I was in that same situation. I was suicidal. Cigarette Pants - OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH Floral Striped Cropped Shirt - OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH Earrings - Versace