Ana (America Ferrera) is a beautiful Mexican-American girl who has just completed high school. Living in East L.A. with a hardworking blue collar family, Ana's graduation from an upscale school in Beverly Hills is heralded as a huge accomplishment. At least, that's the way her English teacher and mentor, Mr. Guzman (George Lopez) sees it. He would like Ana to apply to college as he feels that she is a smart and talented student. But Ana's deeply traditional mother, Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros), insists that she stay at home and help her sister working in a dressmaking factory. Ana is strong-willed and sometimes defiant, but she accepts her mother's instructions and works at the factory, simultaneously applying to Columbia University. The sweatshop that her sister operates opens Ana's eyes to the injustices of business. She sees how her sister is mistreated and underpaid by the Bloomingdale's executives who have contracted her to make their dresses. Dresses that cost the factory $18 to make are sold at Bloomie's for $600, and Ana questions where all that money goes. She also awakens her mother, sister, and coworkers to the idea that they are more than just pretty pictures or wives or mothers--they are real people with a lot to offer and they shouldn't be mislead by the body image promoted by stores like Bloomingdales that mass-produce clothing in small sizes for thin women. In the end, Ana learns a lot about herself, her family, and even romance, on her way to seeing herself as a woman. This beautifully filmed, sweet film is directed by Colombian-born Patricia Cardoso, and highlights the superb talent of 17-year-old Ferrera in the role of Ana.