Frank Christopher

On Jan. 5, 1931, Mexican-American students were barred from attending their local elementary school. The parents took the school district to court.

A documentary portrait of four families who have lived without legal documents in the United States for many years, exploring their everyday reality, from constant worry about being apprehended by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, to being taken advantage of by many who capitalize on their vulnerability. Using the voices of the families themselves, the program provides a human view of their family life and their hopes for the future, particularly under the amnesty provisions of the 1986 Simpson-Rodino immigration bill signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.