Sierra is a preteen girl struggling with complex feelings toward her mother, who abandoned the family years ago. She hides her vulnerability behind a tough, sarcastic exterior, particularly during her class's sugar baby project. She lives with her father and possesses a sharp awareness of her cultural heritage.

Josie is Sierra's mother, a woman who gave birth at a very young age and subsequently struggled with the demands of motherhood. She periodically leaves and returns to her family, seeking both independence and a connection with the daughter she left behind. She harbors artistic aspirations and currently takes classes at a community college.

Corina is a cosmetologist living in Colorado who grew up closely entwined with her cousin Sabrina. She is highly observant and critical of the way women in her family and community are judged entirely by their appearance. She carries the emotional burden of seeing past surface-level glamour to the painful realities beneath.

Sabrina is Corina's cousin, a young woman whose exceptional physical beauty brings her both attention and danger. She works as a waitress at a sports bar and frequently seeks validation from men. She masks a deep internal sadness beneath her outward glamour, often being treated more as an object of admiration than a complex human being.

Dolores "Doty" Lucero is a receptionist who lacks interest in the traditional path of marriage that her sister actively pursues. She is quietly drawn to women and holds a secret affection for a missing local girl. She possesses an artistic eye and deeply resents being treated as an exotic object by the White men her sister sets her up with.

Tina is Doty's younger sister and roommate. Driven by a desire for financial security and social elevation, she actively seeks a wealthy White husband. She is dismissive of Doty's lack of interest in men and frequently pressures her sister into uncomfortable double dates, prioritizing assimilation over her sister's comfort.

Joey is a tree specialist introduced to Doty as a prospective romantic partner by her sister Tina. He exhibits a deep sense of entitlement and casual bigotry, viewing Doty as a prize to be claimed. He becomes aggressive and dangerous when his advances are rejected.

Clarisa is a young woman who bridges the gap between modern American society and her family's traditional knowledge. Raised by her mother and great-grandmother, she initially resents her unkempt half-brother's intrusion into her life. She possesses a dual consciousness, respecting ancestral wisdom while functioning in a society that ignores it.

Millie is Clarisa's mother, a dental hygienist who struggles to move past the pain of her husband abandoning her. She attempts to maintain a connection to her ex-husband by forcing a relationship between Clarisa and her estranged half-brother Harrison, ignoring the stress and hygiene issues it brings into her household.

Grandma Estrella is a formidable, traditional widow who lives in a Victorian house next to Benedict Park. She possesses extensive knowledge of ancestral folk remedies and provides sharp, protective wisdom for her descendants. She fiercely guards her family against those she views as harmful or irresponsible.

Alejandra is a young girl living in a tight-knit family facing immense strain due to her mother's illness. She spends much of her time observing the adult world and following her older sister's lead, trying to understand the fragility of her family's happiness and financial security.

Ramón is a hardworking father and custodian who takes desperate measures to afford professional care for his sick wife. He turns to selling salvaged and stolen goods out of his garage to keep his family afloat, bearing the heavy burden of their financial instability in silence.

Pearla is an elderly widow living in the Westside home she purchased with her late husband decades ago. Fiercely independent and attached to her property, she resists her granddaughter's push to move her into senior housing, holding tightly to the memories of her deceased husband and daughter despite the aggressive gentrification surrounding her.

Liz is a young woman who returns to Denver after her dreams of modeling in California fail to materialize. Carrying the physical and emotional scars of an abusive relationship, she drifts through her days in her childhood home, seeking a sense of safety and genuine connection in a neighborhood built over a former graveyard.

Monica is a young, wealthy widow grieving the recent loss of her older husband, Bruce. She aggressively seeks an audience for her grief, enlisting Liz to help clear out her husband's belongings. Her sorrow masks a volatile and entitled nature that reveals itself when she is pushed.

Cole (short for Nicole) is a young woman trying to rebuild her life after being incarcerated for stealing and crashing a car. Returning to live in her childhood home with her brother, she takes an active interest in tutoring her struggling nephew, fighting her own internal belief that she only causes harm to her family.

Manny is Cole's older brother, a single father frustrated by the rapid gentrification of his neighborhood and the abandonment of his wife. He distracts himself with violent video games and alcohol, offering his sister a place to stay while struggling to provide proper emotional support for his son.

Neva is a steady, practical young girl who acts as a stabilizing force for her chaotic mother. Forced into a caregiver role prematurely, she quietly observes the adults around her, maintaining a stoic resilience as her mother relocates them across the country on a whim.

Desiree is a former dancer who experiences intense cycles of manic energy and depressive lethargy. Driven by impulsive desires and a deep internal sadness, she frequently relies on men for financial support, moving her daughter to San Diego in search of a fresh start that proves elusive.

Alicia is a graphic designer leading a double life. Married to a wealthy White auctioneer, she secretly maintains an affair with an old boyfriend and continues her youth's hobby of tagging trains under the pseudonym K-SD. She turns to traditional herbal remedies to handle an unwanted pregnancy she hides from her husband.

Michael is a dispensary worker who shares a deep, authentic history with Alicia. He assists her in securing herbal remedies and accompanies her on late-night tagging excursions, representing a connection to her roots and true identity that her marriage lacks.

Ana is a college student struggling to maintain her scholarship while her personal life falls apart. Deeply connected to her Navajo and Hispano heritage through her mother, she faces the daily psychological toll of studying under professors who view her ancestors as historical relics.

Clifton is Ana's elusive boyfriend, a young man with a history of disappearing and struggling with inner weariness. Raised by his uncle after his parents' violent deaths, he shares a deep, tender connection with Ana, rooted in their shared Indigenous heritage.

Robbie is an eighth-grade boy who plays soccer and takes his school assignments seriously. Paired with Sierra to raise a dummy baby made of sugar, he shows earnest care and responsibility toward the project. His sincere approach to the assignment contrasts sharply with Sierra's flippant attitude.

Sierra's father is a quiet man who serves as the stable, if emotionally reserved, parent in Sierra's life. He tolerates Josie's sporadic visits without much outward conflict, providing a steady home environment for his daughter.

The matriarch of Corina and Sabrina's family, she is a traditional woman who places high value on physical appearance. She insists on maintaining a flawless exterior even in grief, enforcing strict gender expectations on her granddaughters and demanding that Sabrina be presented beautifully in her casket.

Lucia is a beautiful nineteen-year-old Filipina woman who works at Montgomery Ward. Her sudden disappearance deeply affects Doty, who harbors unspoken romantic feelings for her.

Harrison is Clarisa's ten-year-old half-brother, the son of the White man who abandoned Clarisa's family. Living in poverty in a dilapidated apartment building with an addicted mother, he is needy and unkempt, inadvertently bringing head lice into Clarisa and Millie's home during his visits.

Cora is Alejandra's older, slightly more cynical sister. She is acutely aware of the family's precarious financial situation and is deeply resentful that her mother must be cared for outside their home. She frequently pushes boundaries in an attempt to reunite her family.

Nayeli is the beloved matriarch of the Atencio family. Before her illness, she was a vibrant presence who brought pies to lonely seniors in her community. Now suffering from cancer and heavily medicated, she must live away from her home at a caregiver's house.

Miss Cynthia is a caregiver who runs a makeshift nursing operation out of her home. She is warm but practical, providing essential care for Nayeli while demanding regular payment from Ramón.

Alana is a marketing professional who was raised by Pearla after her mother's death. She represents a more assimilated, modern generation, pushing her grandmother to leave her gentrifying neighborhood for the safety and convenience of a retirement facility.

Cody is a young, drug-addicted man who breaks into Pearla's house. His desperate intrusion sets off a chain of events that forces Pearla to reevaluate her living situation.

Liz's mother is a structured, orderly woman who works as an academic counselor at a community college. Behind her schedule-driven life lies a deep well of loneliness and the lingering trauma of an abusive past marriage, though she attempts to maintain a stoic facade for her daughter.

Bruce is Monica's late husband and the former owner of a local downtown jazz club called the Mermaid Room. His recent death leaves a massive emotional and material void in Monica's life.

Tomi is a ten-year-old boy quietly suffering from his mother's abandonment and his father's neglect. He struggles heavily with reading until his aunt Cole begins tutoring him, finding small, secretive ways to assert control in a household filled with adult dysfunction.

Natalie is Tomi's mother, a woman who abandoned her family to pursue a more affluent life in a different part of town. She is deeply insecure about her background, attempting to assimilate into a wealthier lifestyle while harboring intense hostility toward Cole.

Casey is a financially secure but unambitious man who collects rent on properties owned by his parents. He begins a romantic relationship with Desiree, waiving her rent but proving to be highly unreliable and evasive.

Neva's grandmother is a pragmatic, traditional woman who maintains a steady, critical presence via telephone after her daughter and granddaughter move away. She attempts to exert protective influence over Neva from afar.

Gary is Alicia's older, wealthy White husband who owns a large farm and automotive equipment auction yard. He calls Alicia by pet names and desires a son, remaining completely unaware of his wife's secret life, affair, and current pregnancy.

Ana's mother is a supportive, deeply rooted woman who brings her daughter food and traditional wisdom. She is skeptical of Clifton's reliability but serves as Ana's primary connection to their family's ancestral history and spiritual practices.

Professor Samantha Brown is an educated, dismissive academic who regularly mispronounces Ana's name. She approaches Indigenous history as an exotic subject of study rather than a living culture, reducing traditional spiritual beliefs like "ghost sickness" to mere psychological delusions.