It creates an unforgettable portrait of immigrant life in a collection of four stories about love, hope, and loss: a day laborer paid to gather bricks from an abandoned lot meets a tragic end; a young man newly arrived from Mexico falls in love with a girl from his home village; a homeless puppeteer dreams of a better life for his daughter; and a seamstress is in desperate need of money to send home for her daughter's medical treatment.

The tale of an immigrant and his family trying to live the American Dream in the 1980s and expand their business amidst rampant violence, urban decay, and corrupt city officials during one of the most dangerous years in the city's history.

Mariana brings her two children from Colombia to New York to reunite with her husband, only to be abandoned by him. Desperate and alone, Mariana must find a way to survive and care for her family.