Ricky & Melinda inhabit a world that is distinctly American and Latino. The film's main characters have a hard time fitting in. Ricky & Melinda are rejects, alone or misunderstood and exist in a world that does not recognize them. Ricky and Melinda have no real parents that we know of, except for Grandma whose commitment is to them. Ricky likes school and dancing and has a bad gambling habit that sometimes gets him trouble. His goal is to win and save enough money to visit a long lost mom. Melinda has no skills, can barely hold a job, has a bad temper, is lonely and finds excitement in meeting new boyfriends online via the Internet. Some of these boyfriends are not good guys. Everything changes when Ricky & Melinda's corrupt nasty ex-convict uncle memo is released from prison and comes to live with them. Memo has ideas for quick and easy ways to make money, and hustles his own family. Their lives change forever when Memo is suspected of doing something in the way of insurance fraud ...