Summaries

Synopsis

In 1972, Miklo Velka (Damian Chapa) returns home to the Mexican-American barrio in East Los Angles, California, after living with his Caucasian father in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the last 18 months. He reunites with his Mexican mother and cousins Paco Aguilar (Benjamin Bratt) and Cruz Candelaria (Jesse Borrego) days before his 18th birthday. Miklo constantly fights the stigma of being a blond, blue-eyed Mexican. Seeing a gang painting graffiti in his neighborhood, he demonstrates his toughness by sneaking up and smashing their car window.

Later, Cruz Candelaria wins an art competition, and is awarded a scholarship to the Los Angeles College of Art and Design. When Cruz drives a girl to a secluded area for lovemaking, the graffiti-painting gang members, led by Spider, pull him from the car and beat him so badly that he is taken to the hospital in grave condition. Paco and Miklo assemble their gang to retaliate.

On a hillside in the daytime, Paco stabs Spider repeatedly and carves his gang initials into Spider's chest, but is stopped by Miklo from shooting him. However, as the cousins leave, Spider shoots at them and wounds Miklo, who returns fire and kills him. Paco races Miklo to the hospital in his automobile, prompting police officers to give chase. Paco crashes during the pursuit, and both are arrested, but only Miklo is charged with Spider's murder.

After being convicted, Miklo is sent to San Quentin State Prison in Northern California. Elsewhere, Cruz is released from the hospital, but walks with a cane as a result of his injuries. He is surprised when his stepbrother, Paco, greets him wearing a U.S. Marine Corps uniform, and explains that he enlisted to avoid going to prison.

Meanwhile, in San Quentin, Miklo meets fellow inmate "Chuey," whom he knows from the barrio, and learns about the various racial gangs that run the prison. When Chuey tries to stab Miklo, he is stopped by gang leader Montana Segura. Miklo wants to join Montana's gang, but his white skin presents an obstacle for acceptance. He offers to prove his loyalty by killing Montana's nemesis, kitchen manager Big Al.

Elsewhere, Cruz resumes painting, and after getting a gallery exhibition, he sells all his canvases on opening night. However, he embarrasses the gallery owner by showing up "stoned" with his friends and causing a scene.

After befriending Big Al and getting a job in the prison kitchen, Miklo enters the storeroom and finds him engaging in a gambling scheme with a prison guard named Bob. As soon as Bob leaves, Miklo stabs Big Al, and takes the money and notebook ledger. Afterward, Miklo threatens to turn Bob over to the warden if he retaliates.

In Los Angeles, Cruz begins using heroin to treat the pain from his back injury. His younger brother, Juanito, finds him passed out. Emulating his older brother, he injects himself with one of Cruz's needles and dies of an overdose. Cruz's family, including Paco, disowns him.

Meanwhile in prison, Miklo is accepted into the Mexican gang, and they take over running Big Al's gambling business. Over the next few years, the Mexicans become more powerful in prison, and Miklo is respected as one of the "top dogs." Montana invests their profits in drug businesses outside prison to expand their gains.

In 1980, Paco has become a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) narcotics officer, and works undercover to bust drug dealers. When Miklo is denied parole, Montana encourages him to earn his release. He begins studying, and after passing his G.E.D. high school equivalency exam, Miklo appeals again to the parole board, and is granted an early release. After nine years of incarceration, he returns home in 1982, and reunites with Cruz.

Miklo moves into a halfway house with former inmate "Popeye," and tries to work a respectable job at a tire factory, but his life depresses him. He is surprised to learn Paco has become a "narc." He rejects Paco's offer to help him rebuild his life, and confides to Cruz that he was making more money in prison. Soon, Miklo agrees to participate in an armored car heist for some thugs when he learns that Cruz owes them money. When Miklo excludes Popeye from the deal, the parolee takes revenge by tipping off police.

Paco and his partner investigate, and witness several masked men robbing an armored truck. A shootout ensues, and Paco chases a robber on foot. As the officer overtakes the robber, Miklo removes his mask, tells Paco that he owes him for taking the rap for Spider's death, and flees despite Paco's warnings. Paco shoots him in the leg, and Miklo loses it in the hospital.

Sent back to San Quentin with a prosthetic leg, Miklo learns that the white gang has taken over the prison drug and gambling business. After seven years of silence, Paco visits Cruz, who insults him for shooting Miklo.

Meanwhile, Miklo argues with Montana Segura about how to regain power, but Montana has lost his aggression. He has written an essay on prison reform, and has been asked to write a book on Chicanos in prison. Going behind Montana's back, Miklo recruits an inmate named "Magic Mike." They wait for the right time to make their move, while fighting escalates between the black and white gangs. When Miklo appeals to Montana that they need to strike, the leader demands they speak to the Mexican council before making a move.

Meanwhile, a thug named Smokey asks Paco for protection when his life is threatened. Paco agrees to help in exchange for information on the prison drug-running scheme, but when he arrives at their meeting, Smokey has been murdered. San Quentin Prison Lieutenant Ivan Burnett arrives in Los Angeles to work with Paco on the investigation.

Meanwhile, having receiving approval from the council, Montana offers the Mexican gang's assistance to black leader Bonafide, and agrees to visit a prison in Chino and put an end to the Mexican violence against the black gangs there. Montana leaves Miklo in charge, and shares his excitement that he will get to see his daughter for the first time in fourteen years while en route. Montana spends the night at a jail midway to Chino, but as he prepares for his daughter's visit, he is stabbed to death by an elderly black inmate named Wallace. During the subsequent investigation, Wallace claims he made the hit after receiving a secret message from Bonafide inside a wooden hair comb.

Meanwhile, chaos erupts in San Quentin as inmates riot. Miklo orders his men not to join in, because the prison guards will kill them. Bonafide is stunned to hear that Wallace believes he sent the message to kill Montana. Paco visits Miklo in prison to implore him not to retaliate against the black gang. Bonafide appeals to Miklo to continue their alliance, claiming the white gang set him up. Miklo tells Bonafide they will wait six-months, and then attack the white inmates when they least expect it. Paco and the prison warden are relieved at the apparent peaceful resolution.

Six months later, on the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, Cruz mourns at the grave of his brother, and his parents finally offer their forgiveness.

Meanwhile, in San Quentin, black and Mexican inmates systematically attack and kill several white gang members. Afterward, the Mexicans turn on the blacks and kill several, including Bonafide. The news media reports that seventeen inmates were killed. Paco accuses Miklo of orchestrating Montana's murder in order to start the gang war, and Miklo argues that many Chicano lives were saved as a result. Paco is ashamed of him, and refuses Miklo's request to work together on illegal ventures.

When the prison tries to break apart the Mexican gang by transferring several inmates to other prisons, Miklo orders his men to start gang charters in their new prisons to expand their power. Magic Mike reveals the soap mold he made of Bonafide's hair comb, and gives it to Miklo to destroy. The men express their love for Montana, and regret killing him to regain power. Magic Mike vows his life to Miklo as his "Jefe" (Chief).

Outside the prison, in 1984, Cruz celebrates finally being free of heroin, and encourages Paco to make peace with Miklo, claiming family is all they have.