--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father, who worked as a dishwasher…" description: "\"My father, who worked as a dishwasher, was especially anxious. He did not like being here undocumented.\" — Diane Guerrero" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/diane-guerrero-3891_anxious_my-father-who-worked-as-a-dishwasher-was_762304.jpg" --- # My father, who worked as a dishwasher, was especially… ![“My father, who worked as a dishwasher, was especially anxious. He did not like being here undocumented.” quote by Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/diane-guerrero-3891_anxious_my-father-who-worked-as-a-dishwasher-was_762304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/diane-guerrero-3891_anxious_my-father-who-worked-as-a-dishwasher-was_762304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/diane-guerrero-3891_anxious_my-father-who-worked-as-a-dishwasher-was_762304.jpg) > “My father, who worked as a dishwasher, was especially anxious. He did not like being here undocumented.” [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Her father, an undocumented dishwasher, lived with anxiety about his status. **In simple terms:** Her father worried about being undocumented while working. Key Takeaway Support and advocacy for undocumented workers. Themes immigration anxiety family Mood empathetic hopeful Type advocacy personal When to use this quote - community outreach - policy reform - family support Key Concepts legal status workplace stress Questions to Reflect On - What resources help undocumented workers feel secure? - How can society reduce stigma for undocumented laborers? A Different Perspective May not capture broader systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Dishwasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishwasher/) [Especially Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/especially-anxious-5909931/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-worked/) [Like Undocumented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-undocumented-4090838/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Undocumented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undocumented/) ## Related quotes > [Like other undocumented people in this country, I want a green card, and I want a driver's license, and I want a passport. What,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/like-other-undocumented-people-in-this-country-i-want-a-green-card/) [Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/) > [We must work to change in our hearts and minds what it looks like to be undocumented. It is the high schooler dreaming of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/we-must-work-to-change-in-our-hearts-and-minds-what-it-looks-like-to/) [Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/) > [When you're the child of undocumented immigrants, you learn to keep your mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/when-you-re-the-child-of-undocumented-immigrants-you-learn-to-keep/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I learned at a very young age that my parents were undocumented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-learned-at-a-very-young-age-that-my-parents-were-undocumented/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I went through depression, which is something that we don't often talk about when we look at undocumented communities and deported families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-went-through-depression-which-is-something-that-we-don-t-often-talk/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [“Farrukh, tonight you have won a dishwasher”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-torday/farrukh-tonight-you-have-won-a-dishwasher/) [Paul Torday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-torday/) > [I don't like when people put their dishes in the dishwasher without scrubbing them properly because it comes out with those little white dots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-robertson/i-don-t-like-when-people-put-their-dishes-in-the-dishwasher-without/) [Britt Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-robertson/) > [I don't function well in chaos, whether it be my sheets or the dishwasher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/i-don-t-function-well-in-chaos-whether-it-be-my-sheets-or-the/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [Work done by other people sounds easy. How hard can it be to take care of a newborn who sleeps 20 hours a day?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/work-done-by-other-people-sounds-easy-how-hard-can-it-be-to-take-care/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Let's say I try to ignore the small stuff, like wet towels on the floor, the dishwasher full to the brim and not turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/let-s-say-i-try-to-ignore-the-small-stuff-like-wet-towels-on-the/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [You know, you can really get wet playing games in that new Pentium-VI dishwasher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/you-know-you-can-really-get-wet-playing-games-in-that-new-pentium-vi/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [While we women dilly-dally, making decisions, leaving jobs half done, forgetting where we've put the house keys while we water the Hoover and leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariella-frostrup/while-we-women-dilly-dally-making-decisions-leaving-jobs-half-done/) [Mariella Frostrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariella-frostrup/) > [If you want a reliable tip, drive into a town, go to the nearest appliance store and seek out the dishwasher repair man. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-q-miller/if-you-want-a-reliable-tip-drive-into-a-town-go-to-the-nearest/) [Bryan Q. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-q-miller/) > [Everything important I learned, I learned as a dishwasher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/everything-important-i-learned-i-learned-as-a-dishwasher/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [Ninety-eight percent of the singing I did was private singing - it was in the shower, at the dishwasher, driving my car, singing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-singing-i-did-was-private-singing-it-was/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) ## More by Diane Guerrero > [I so desperately wanted to fit in. There was a trajectory, and obviously, our society tells us that you go to high school, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-so-desperately-wanted-to-fit-in-there-was-a-trajectory-and/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I am here, a citizen of this country, and I'm saying, 'Hey, the system failed me. I am a good citizen. I contribute to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-am-here-a-citizen-of-this-country-and-i-m-saying-hey-the-system/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I worked a variety of jobs in retail and at coffee shops all through high school. And, though I was surrounded by people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-worked-a-variety-of-jobs-in-retail-and-at-coffee-shops-all-through/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I've experienced colorism in that way: where if you're lighter, then you'll potentially be accepted into society better than if you were darker-skinned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-ve-experienced-colorism-in-that-way-where-if-you-re-lighter-then/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [Once I started advancing in my career, I stopped wanting to hide from my reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/once-i-started-advancing-in-my-career-i-stopped-wanting-to-hide-from/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [Since when is it good to separate a family?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/since-when-is-it-good-to-separate-a-family/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [Every day, children who are U.S. citizens are separated from their families as a result of immigration policies that need fixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/every-day-children-who-are-u-s-citizens-are-separated-from-their/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I think despite what we've seen on TV, people like seeing women and knowing about women's stories and their struggles and their truth. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-think-despite-what-we-ve-seen-on-tv-people-like-seeing-women-and/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [People like seeing people being human and real, and I think that's been lacking on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/people-like-seeing-people-being-human-and-real-and-i-think-that-s/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [My parents have always been very honest with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/my-parents-have-always-been-very-honest-with-me/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I feel like you can't really be truthful as an artist and empathize with the human experience, unless you know your truth and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-feel-like-you-can-t-really-be-truthful-as-an-artist-and-empathize/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [While awaiting deportation proceedings, my parents remained in detention near Boston, so I could visit them. They would have liked to fight deportation, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/while-awaiting-deportation-proceedings-my-parents-remained-in/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I want to be viewed like a serious actress, and I'm afraid that people are just going to see me as the poor little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-want-to-be-viewed-like-a-serious-actress-and-i-m-afraid-that-people/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I went through depression, which is something that we don't often talk about when we look at undocumented communities and deported families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-went-through-depression-which-is-something-that-we-don-t-often-talk/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I don't know why I was lucky enough to have people in my community take me in. To be able to continue school. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-don-t-know-why-i-was-lucky-enough-to-have-people-in-my-community/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) [Explore all 120 Diane Guerrero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) ## More Anxious quotes > [Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/most-people-do-surprisingly-poorly-when-dealing-with-a-relative-who/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [According to Shakyamuni Buddha, it's normal for human beings to be anxious, because it's normal for human beings not to understand themselves. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reb-anderson/according-to-shakyamuni-buddha-it-s-normal-for-human-beings-to-be/) [Reb Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reb-anderson/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Even speed, when we are anxious, seems like delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/even-speed-when-we-are-anxious-seems-like-delay/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [I'd like to be able to do complex math in my head. Any kind of adversity and I become very anxious, but if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-woods/i-d-like-to-be-able-to-do-complex-math-in-my-head-any-kind-of/) [Zach Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-woods/) > [There were times when depression, anxiety, whatever, would keep me from writing. I still get depressed and anxious, but I just don't let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-st-john/there-were-times-when-depression-anxiety-whatever-would-keep-me-from/) [David St. John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-st-john/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I'm a very anxious, nervy kind of loser in many ways, and I get very stressed and a little tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-weeks/i-m-a-very-anxious-nervy-kind-of-loser-in-many-ways-and-i-get-very/) [Ed Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-weeks/) > [Dogs seek attention from you. But by paying them that attention when they want it, you're reinforcing the bad or hyperactive or anxious behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/dogs-seek-attention-from-you-but-by-paying-them-that-attention-when/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-anxious-to-be-the-loudest-voice-or-the-most-popular-but-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You simply can't be tentative in a startup. You have to go for it at every chance you get. And if the leader of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wilson/you-simply-can-t-be-tentative-in-a-startup-you-have-to-go-for-it-at/) [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) > [I - it's simply not for me to evaluate an independent rating agency's processes. But I will say that there was reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/i-it-s-simply-not-for-me-to-evaluate-an-independent-rating-agency-s/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [I don't understand why gay people are so anxious to get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/i-don-t-understand-why-gay-people-are-so-anxious-to-get-married/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) [Browse all 1,159 Anxious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father, who worked as a dishwasher, was especially anxious. 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