A second-generation Mexican immigrant narrates his family history, beginning with the journey of his father, Jose (Jacob Vargas), across Mexico to Los Angeles where he meets Maria (Jennifer Lopez) and starts a family. Each subsequent generation contends with political and social hardships, ranging from illegal deportations in the 1940s to racial tensions and gang fights in the '60s and '70s. Yet through it all, or perhaps because of it, the family remains strong.