After crossing into the U.S. with no family to speak of, young Cecilia finds herself in the charge of Francisco, a lonely Cuban immigrant long separated from his own family. Francisco operates a way station for border crossers on the outskirts of Lake Los Angeles, a surreal, desiccated lakebed in the California desert. While he copes with the alienation of living alone in a foreign land and the impossibility of realizing the American dream, Cecilia aimlessly wanders the dusty landscape, accompanied only by her fantastical imagination and distant memories of motherly love.

In Littlerock, a Japanese girl and her brother find themselves stranded in a small town in America after their car breaks down. As they wait for repairs, they experience the local culture and form connections with the residents, leading to unexpected experiences and personal growth.

Friends Cory and Anna are drifting through life, struggling to find their place. Cory is sick of life in the desert and wants to be on a reality show so he can prove to his brother that he isn't a screw-up. Anna is in the country illegally, selling sex to save enough money to take her citizenship test. When Cory's brother visits and Anna's dying grandmother takes a turn for the worst, the two are forced to examine the direction of their lives