Maria

Maria's life in Santa Barbara, where she attends a private school, follows a predictable routine. That routine falls apart after a family tragedy: her sister dies, her father loses his job, and the household must start over from nothing.

The family moves to a barrio in East Los Angeles to live with Maria's grandmother. Among her relatives and the neighborhood she had lost touch with, Maria reconnects with her heritage and grows more self-assured. She is still hiding a secret, though: she is a lesbian.

That secret becomes harder to keep when she meets Natalia, a tough, unpredictable young woman who is a chola and carries the scent of sugar. Natalia's arrival unsettles everything Maria thought she knew about herself.