Synopsis
Miklo (Chapa) is a man of Mexican and Anglo ethnicity who, before coming to live with his cousins, attacked his father. Miklo has a Mexican accent however, his Anglo appearance (fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes) from his Anglo-American father has made him less accepted among the people of El Pico Aliso
barrio, where they have all grown up. It has also earned him the nickname "Milkweed." On his return from
juvenile hall, Miklo visits his mother. While talking to his cousin about getting into the gang, his cousin tells him that he can't because of the way he looks. Miklo then proves himself worthy for the gang when he performs an attack on a rival gang,
Tres Puntos. His assault earns him a
placa, a tattoo as a token of his membership in the
Vatos Locos mate street gang. However, the
Tres Puntos gang soon takes revenge by brutally attacking Miklo's other cousin, Cruz (Borrego), who is a budding artist, and damaging his back for life. When
Vatos Locos learn of the attack, they perform a well-planned counterattack ending dramatically with the murder of the rival gang's leader, "Spider". While trying to escape, Miklo and Paco (Bratt) are apprehended by the police.
Their three paths diverge: Miklo is sent to San Quentin State Prison for violating his probation, Paco volunteers for military service in the
United States Marine Corps and Cruz continues his passion for art. He also becomes a
heroin addict due to the recurring back pain. His addiction leads to him being disowned by his family after his 13-year-old brother Juanito dies of an accidental overdose on Cruz's heroin supply. Paco becomes an
L.A.P.D. narcotics detective after leaving the Marine Corps.
While in San Quentin, Miklo finds trouble adapting to prison life as his multiethnic heritage provides him with few allies in a racially-segregated penitentiary. The prison is run by three gangs, all of whom are based on their racial backgrounds. The
Black Guerrilla Army is led by an inmate named Bonafide (
Delroy Lindo), the
Aryan Vanguard is led by an inmate named Red Ryder (
Tom Towles), and
La Onda is led by Montana (
Enrique Castillo). Miklo is brought to meet the head of
La Onda by a fellow inmate, Popeye, who recognizes his gang tattoo from East Los Angeles.
La Onda's members do not initially accept Miklo due to his White appearance, and the Aryan inmates in the meantime are trying to make Miklo into a sex slave.
After meeting
La Onda's leader Montana, he is told the only way into
La Onda is killing an enemy inmate, in Miklo's case a white inmate due to their current war and his White appearance. Miklo agrees to do so, and after gaining the trust of gambling lord Big Al. Miklo stabs him to death during a sexual encounter in the prison kitchen and stealing his gambling information from him in the process. The corrections officers are unable to charge Miklo with the crime, as he has threatened to testify against them with information regarding the gambling
kickbacks which they had taken from Big Al. Miklo is initiated into
La Onda and is then told by Montana to work on his parole while enacting their orders. Based on Montana's mentoring, Miklo is released on
parole.
On the outside, he's disgusted by his menial job on which his supervisor is robbing him, so he joins in an armed robbery, where he is intercepted by Paco, now a decorated cop. Refusing to surrender peacefully, Miklo runs away. Paco screams in agony and shoots his cousin in the leg, which later has to be amputated. Returning to prison, Miklo is promoted to the Ruling Council of
La Onda. When back in prison, Miklo notices the cocaine addictions of several inmates and the Aryan's business in the drug trade. The Aryans are attempting to supply the Black and Hispanic inmates with all the cocaine they wish for as a means of having them kill each other while the Aryans run the prison economically. Montana, however, refuses to allow
La Onda to enter the drug trade, saying that the gang's purpose is to protect the
Chicano people.
This causes a rift in
La Onda and Carlos, one of the main members who wants to deal cocaine, leaves the gang to work with the Aryans, doing this causes other members to leave as well. Miklo knows that the Aryans are just using Carlos and when they are done with him they will eventually stop protecting him. Carlos deals drugs for the Aryans murdering a B.G.A. soldier named Pockets and then contacts his brother, Smoky, on the outside who bombs a B.G.A. hangout called
Cheap Times. After all of this happens, Carlos' usefulness has come to an end and the Aryans drop their protection of him allowing the B.G.A. members an opportunity to kill him.
Meanwhile, Montana and Bonafide meet in the prison yard to discuss what has happened and they agree not to go to war because the only people who would benefit are the Aryan Vanguard. So the warden has a talk with Montana and he is sent to Chino and Folsom Prison to talk to the leaders of
La Onda at each of the prisons. On the outside, a hit is put out on Smoky, for his role in the bombing of Cheap Times, but he escapes with his life and he calls Paco and tries to get protection in return for information on
La Onda. As Paco arrives at the church, where he is to meet Smoky, he finds that Smoky is already dead.
While Montana is visiting Folsom and Chino, he leaves Miklo in charge of
La Onda in San Quentin. Montana is granted a special request, and he gets to stay overnight at Delano penetentiary where he can see his daughter. On the morning of the visit, Montana is stabbed to death outside his cell by a member of the
Black Guerilla Army (
B.G.A.). Believing that the Aryans sent forged orders to the hitman, Paco arranges a peace conference between
La Onda and the
B.G.A. However, Miklo,
La Onda's new leader, manipulates the peace talks in order to build an alliance with the
B.G.A., letting Paco believe that the conference has been successful.
Later, as the celebrations for
The Day of the Dead explode through East L.A., enforcers for
La Onda and the
B.G.A. sweep through the walls of San Quentin, brutally slaughtering the leaders of the
Aryan Vanguard. After the killings are done, the leader of the
B.G.A. suggests that if they continue their alliance, they can rule San Quentin. Miklo announces a change of plans and his men promptly exterminate the
Black Guerrilla Army as well.
As the mass murder makes headlines, various police officers such as Paco's partner Rollie are pleased with the violence as the death between inmates has caused taxpayers to save money. Paco, however is enraged that his own cousin has played him for a fool and angrily confronts Miklo in the prison visiting room. Miklo responds that he has attained his destiny and found
La Raza. Paco angrily retorts that La Raza has nothing to do with the gangsterism of
La Onda and everything to do with honest Mexicans trying to raise their children in peace. Paco leaves his cousin in disgust, disowning him forever.
Later, Miklo's cellmate, "Magic," gives Miklo the mold which they used to send the forged orders to the
B.G.A. hit man. Miklo sobs in grief over Montana's death, "I loved him!" Magic responds,
We both loved him, but we did what we had to do for La Onda. You were right.
As Miklo destroys the mold, Magic tells
La Onda's new boss,
I give my life to you, Jefe.
Back in East Los Angeles, Paco visits one of Cruz's murals after the family re-accepts him to see a portrait of his former life which none of the gang members have marked with graffiti. In a talk with Cruz, Paco realizes that by ordering Miklo to go after Spider, who they were charged with murdering, Paco is responsible for all of the things that have happened to Miklo. This causes Paco to feel guilty for his actions and ultimately forgive Miklo and Cruz.
Poster
