American Me

American Me follows Montoya Santana, who grows up in Los Angeles street gangs and, after a series of robberies, spends eighteen years inside Folsom Prison. There he builds a powerful organization that reaches beyond the prison walls into the Mexican-American neighborhoods of East Los Angeles. When he is released, he hopes to leave crime behind and live quietly, but his old associates pull him back into the life he tried to abandon. The film spans three generations of a Mexican-American family and is based on a true story.

Edward James Olmos directed and stars as Santana, his first feature as director; his second, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, came years later. The screenplay is by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano, and Olmos produced with Sean Daniel and Robert M. Young. William Forsythe plays J.D., with Pepe Serna as Mundo and Panchito Gómez as the younger Santana. The production credits 72 cast members and 136 crew.

Released in March 1992, the film had a budget of 16 million USD and took about 13 million USD worldwide, less than it cost. On TMDB it holds a 7.5 out of 10 from 423 votes, indicating a modest but appreciative audience.