Since 1975 millions of Vietnamese boat people have fled for freedom. By 1993 more than half who survived the exodus resided in California. The film portrays the coming of age story of abandoned kids growing up in the new Vietnamese enclave of Orange County, California in the early 1990s, based on true events.

A young man returns home on the threshold of the Lunar New Year and finds himself a stranger within his own family. The cold silence surrounding the disappearance of his younger sister forces him on a quest for answers. Through his search, we are given a glimpse of the family’s fragmented past. From their perilous escape from Vietnam, to their separation, to their struggle with marred relationships, the family continues to endure the tragedies of false expectations.