We Are California

We Are California is an American teen sitcom/comedy-drama. It aired on Amazon Prime Video from July 6, 2015 to April 22, 2019.

Plot
Taking place over the years 1999-2003, the series documents the lives of different generations of teenagers living in San Diego, California. The series is light-hearted, but a number of episodes also deal with heavy subject matter such as racism, domestic violence and drug addiction.

Characters
First generation (1999-2000)

Teenagers Family members, friends and teachers Second generation (2000-2001)
 * Sky Foster (Riele Downs)-A fun loving, African-American girl who loves sports, particularly soccer and basketball, and is a supporter of British soccer team Manchester United. She lives with her mother, father and younger brother.
 * Ahmad Khan (Karan Brar)-An energetic boy with a penchant for rapping. He is of Pakistani-American descent and lives with his strict family.
 * Tom Sanchez (Raymond Ochoa)-Ahmad's best friend since kindergarten. He is of Mexican-American descent and loves basketball. He lives with his divorced mother and younger sister. He owns a dog called Charlie, who dies from being run over, but later gets another dog which he calls Stella.
 * Lucas Wilson (Sean Giambrone)-Tom's other best friend. He is somewhat dimwitted but overall a good friend, and is obsessed with comic books.
 * Emily Bassett (Joey King)-The adopted daughter of a lesbian couple, she has a love of animals, and wants to be a zoologist when she leaves school.
 * Jamie "JK" Kelly (Noah Cyrus)-A feisty, strong willed girl, she loves adventure travel and extreme sports.
 * Darrell Foster (Keegan-Michael Key)-Sky's father. He works as a police officer and enjoys country music.
 * Susan Foster (Gabrielle Union)-Sky's mother. She is a strong willed, driven woman and a loving mother. She enjoys dancing.
 * Leo Foster (Issac Ryan Brown)-Sky's younger brother. He enjoys video games and shares a room with her.
 * Hassan Khan (Naveen Andrews)-Ahmad's father. He is a devout Muslim and was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He works as the chef for a local mosque and is a fan of Queen.
 * Mira Khan (Parminder Nagra)-Ahmad's mother. She works as a babysitter, and is a somewhat sassy individual, with a strong work ethic.
 * Iqra Kharral (Deepti Naval)-Hassan's grandmother and Mira's mother, who Hassan nicknames "amma". She is a strong-willed, sassy woman who enjoys rapping.
 * Elisa Sanchez (Patricia Velasquez)-Tom's mother. She was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and works as a Spanish teacher at a local college. She is a fan of Latin dance.
 * Esme Sanchez (Dalila Bela)-Tom's twin sister. She is an annoying, spoilt girl, who enjoys getting her way, but overall, Tom loves and cares about her.
 * Mario Sanchez (Mark Consuelos)-Tom and Esme's father. He is from Oaxaca, Mexico and walked out when Tom and Esme were two. Tom initially feels angry towards his father, especially after he met a younger woman called Sarah, but later warmed to him after Sarah gives birth to his half-brother Joaquin (who Tom calls Jack). Mario later dies in a car accident.
 * Sarah Sanchez (nee Collins) (Isabel Lucas)-Mario's girlfriend-ater wife-and Tom's stepmother. She was born in Ottawa, Canada. She later gives birth to Jack and marries Mario. Following Mario's death, she moves back to Ottawa with Jack, and Tom goes with her.
 * Joaquin "Jack" Sanchez-Tom's younger half-brother.
 * Susan Brown (Amanda Tapping)-Emily's adopted mother. She works as a vet at the San Diego Zoo.
 * Joanna Brown (nee Cross) (Julie Bowen)-Susan's partner. She enjoys athletics.
 * Helen Bassett (Erica Durance)-Emily's biological mother. She gave her up for adoption, and later tries to reconnect with her, after revealing she has a baby sister called Isabella.
 * Mrs. Brent (Nancy Robertson)-Home room teacher. She is a strict but fair woman.
 * Sophie Philips (Ariel Winter)-Lucas's on-off girlfriend, later ex-girlfriend. She enjoys poetry and music and writes her own songs as a hobby. She lives with her widowed mother and younger brother.
 * Kate Philips (Moira Kelly)-Sophie's mother. A driven, feisty woman, she works as a teacher at a special needs school.
 * Danny Philips (Jaeden Martell)-Sophie's younger brother.

Teenagers


 * Olivia Nash (Jade Pettyjohn)-A feisty, artsy girl, who loves comics. She lives with her father and stepmother.


 * Isabella Nguyen (Ashley Liao)-Olivia's best friend since childhood. She is of Vietnamese descent and is a fan of sports, especially basketball and soccer.

Family members, friends and teachers Third generation (2001-2002)
 * Carmen Santos (Cree Cicchino)-A driven, strong willed girl who isn't scared to speak her mind, she is of  Ecuadorian-American descent, and owns a cat called Midnight.
 * Aaron Martino (Joshua Rush)-A bubbly, somewhat nerdy boy, he enjoys comic books and superheroes. He is of Italian descent.
 * Bailey Foster (Jaheem Toombs)-A spunky, African American boy, he enjoys soccer, and is a supporter of French team Paris Saint-Germain.
 * Sam Torrance (Jackson Brundage)-Bailey's best friend since kindergarten. He loves comics and lives with his divorced father.
 * Jonathan Nash (Jason Priestley)-Olivia's father. He is a caring if somewhat absentminded father, and works as a policewoman.
 * Victoria Nash (nee D'Oliveira) (America Ferrera)-Olivia's stepmother. She is mixed-race-her father is Brazilian-American and her mother is of Italian and Irish descent-and she works as a childminder, and is a gifted artist. She is spunky, driven and sassy. She later gives birth to Olivia's half-sister.
 * Sofia Nash-Olivia's baby half-sister.
 * Franciso "Frank" and Angela "Angie" D'Oliveira (Andy Garcia and Marg Helgenberger, respectively)-Victoria's parents. Frank was born in Salvador, Brazil and nicknames Victoria "princesa" (Princess in Portuguese). Angie is of Italian and Irish descent and has the same, free-spirited attitude as her daughter.
 * Mike Nguyen (Jonathan Ke Quan)-Isabella's father. He is from Hanoi, Vietnam and works as a waiter at a Vietnamese restaurant called "Mekong Sunset". He enjoys sports, especially soccer.
 * Kate Nguyen (Margaret Cho)-Isabella's mother. She is strong-willed, outspoken and feisty.
 * Rosa Santos (Justina Machado)-Carmen's mother. She is from Guayaquil, Ecuador, and teaches computing at a local elementary school.
 * Alfredo "Freddy" Santos (Mario Lopez)-Carmen's father. He is from Quito, Ecuador, and works as a part time musician, with his favourite singer being Freddie Mercury.
 * Tori Santos (Kayla Maisonet)-Carmen's older sister. She likes dancing and athletics.
 * Phil Torrance (Sam Trammell)-Sam's widowed father. He is somewhat strict and overprotective of him, and doesn't like him staying out late.
 * Tony Foster (Colin Lawrence)-Bailey's father. He works as a teacher at a local arts college.
 * Kerry Foster (Carmen Ejogo)-Bailey's mother. She is sassy, kind and hardworking and works as a nurse.
 * Dylan Foster (JD McCrary)-Bailey's annoying, younger brother. He shares a room with Bailey and is obsessed with video games.
 * Reggie Foster (Frankie Faison)-Bailey's grandfather, who lives with him and his family.
 * Jake Nolan (Niles Fitch)-A boy who Isabella befriends. He lived with his abusive, alcoholic father, who raised him after his mother passed away. He later leaves home and moves in with his aunt and uncle.
 * Charlie Nolan (Adrian Lester)-Jake's father, who was left to care for him after his mother's passing. He is abusive towards his son and blames him for his mother's death, and takes his rage out on him. After Jake leaves, he tries to make amends with him by taking him to a basketball match, but cancels last minute, after which Jake cuts him off permanently.
 * Mr. Hawkins (Lochlyn Munro)-The gang's home room teacher.
 * Daniel Yang (Dallas Liu)-Olivia's on-off boyfriend. He loves rock music and arts and lives with his strict Chinese-American parents.
 * Peter Yang (Cung Le)-Daniel's father. He is from Shanghai, China and works as a waiter at a Chinese restaurant called "Golden Palace". He is strict with his son and wants him to do well, and is seen as a tiger father.
 * Elizabeth Yang (Grace Park)-Daniel's mother. She was born in Hong Kong and works as an English teacher. She is strong-willed, outspoken and driven.
 * Susan Tam (Amy Hill)-Elizabeth's mother and Daniel's grandmother. Like her daughter, she is sassy, outspoken and not afraid to tell it like it is. She is also a fan of rap music.

Teenagers Family members, friends and teachers Third generation (2002-2003)
 * Sasha Ramsay (Skai Jackson)-A spunky, cheery African-American girl. She is a supporter of social causes, particularly around social justice. She is also a fan of basketball.
 * Hamid Nasir (Tenzing Norgay Trainor)-One of Sasha's best friends. He is of Lebanese-American descent, and enjoys basketball.
 * Chris Vasquez (Xolo Mariduena)-Hamid's best friend. He is of Colombian American descent and is a fan of comics.
 * Brendan Hobbs (Jack Hollington)-Chris's best friend since first grade. He enjoys amateur dramatics and comics.
 * Molly Stenson (Sadie Sink)-A positive if somewhat absentminded girl, she enjoys gymnastics, soccer and adventure travel and writes poetry as a hobby. She lives with her mother and younger brother
 * Charlie Novak (Jeremy Ray Taylor)-A kindhearted, but somewhat gullible boy, he is insecure about his weight.
 * Erica Ramsay (Taraji P. Henson)-Sasha's widowed mother. She works as a lawyer and is a hardworking, strong willed woman who loves her family.
 * Lily Ramsay (Lidya Jewett)-Sasha's annoying younger sister. She shares a room with her.
 * Khaled Nasir (Gad Elmaleh)-Hamid's father. He is from Beirut, Lebanon and moved to America to escape the Lebanese civil war. He works as a police officer.
 * Dalia Nasir (Nazanin Boniadi)-Hamid's mother. She works as a math teacher at a local college.
 * Paulo Vasquez (Ricardo Antonio Chavira)-Chris's father. He was born in Medellin, Colombia and is a fan of soccer. He works as a doctor at a local hospital.
 * Josefina "Joey" Vasquez  (Paula Garces)-Chris's mother. She is from Cartagena, Colombia and works as a dance teacher.
 * Francesca Vasquez (Ariana Greenblatt)-Chris's annoying younger sister. She has a bedroom right next to him and she enjoys singing.
 * Rachel Stenson (Jessalyn Gilsig)-Molly's mother. She works as a travel agent.
 * Jack Stenson (Will Biue, Jr.)-Molly's younger brother. He enjoys video games.
 * Mrs. Lewis (Jennifer Spence)-The gang's home room teacher. She is strict but fair.
 * Maryam Khabir (Marsai Martin)-A Somali refugee who Hamid befriends, after she flees to America from the Somali civil war, where she was seperated from her mother. When her mother is revealed to be alive and living in the Netherlands, she later moves to Amsterdam with her.
 * Yasmina Khabir (Enuka Okuma)-Maryam's mother. She was seperated from her daughter during the Somali civil war. She later reunites with her and she moves with her daughter to Amsterdam.
 * Dylan Alcala (Darren Espanto)-A handsome Australian exchange student and Sasha's on-off boyfriend. He is of Filipino descent and enjoys music, particularly the British rock band Oasis.
 * Alex Fry (Ty Simpkins)-A troubled teenager who befriends Chris. He has been in and out of foster care, in part due to suffering physical abuse from his mother's boyfriend. He later stands up to his stepfather, and he  moves to Santa Cruz with his mother and younger half-brother.
 * Sharon Fry (Jayma Mays)-Alex's mother. She suffers abuse at the hands of her partner, who also abuses Alex, before eventually moving away Alex and his half-brother.

Teenagers  Family members, friends and teachers 
 * Sam Arden (Emily Carey)-A free-spirited, driven girl with an outspoken personality, she enjoys travel, with her favourite destinations being Italy, South Africa and Australia. She lives with her divorced mother and younger brother.
 * Sunil "Sonny" Maraj (Neel Sethi)-A nerdy, kindhearted boy, he is of Indian-American descent and lives with his traditional Hindu parents.
 * Jade Miller (Teagan Croft)-Sam's best friend since daycare. She is skilled at dancing and martial arts, and is a fan of pop music.
 * Miranda Rivera (Jenna Ortega)-A tough-as-nails but kindhearted girl with a love for basketball. She is of Cuban-American descent.
 * Eric Philips (Myles Truitt)-A carefree, African-American teenager. He loves soccer and travel.
 * Toby Connors (Max Charles)-A comic book nerd with a heart of gold, he enjoys anime and lives with his father and stepmother.
 * Claire Arden (Toni Collette)-Sam's divorced mother. She is a wisecracking, outspoken woman and works as an animal midwife at the San Diego Zoo.
 * Charlie Arden (Iain Armitage)-Sam's younger brother. She shares a bedroom with him.
 * Rav Maraj (Ajay Naidu)-Sonny's father. He is from Agra, India, and works as a singer at the local Hindu temple.
 * Misha Maraj (Indira Varma)-Sonny's mother. She is from Ahmedabad, India, and works as a banker.
 * Jyothi "Joey" Maraj (Sargam Khurana)-Sonny's annoying younger sister. She is a spoilt young girl who always gets her way.
 * Miguel Rivera (Amaury Nolasco)-Miranda's father. He is from Cienfuegos, Cuba, and works as a doctor. He is also skilled at cooking.
 * Elena Rivera (Sara Ramirez)-Miranda's mother. She is from Havana, Cuba and works as a math teacher.
 * Dylan Rivera (Malachi Barton)-Miranda's younger brother. He is obsessed with video games and is extremely manipulative.
 * Patrick Philips (Boris Kodjoe)-Eric's father. He works as a martial arts instructor and is a fan of rock music.
 * Tina Philips (Kerry Washington)-Eric's mother. She works as a policewoman and is a strong-willed, feisty woman.
 * Martin Connors (Dylan Neal)-Toby's father. He works in an art college.
 * Katie Connors (nee Allen) (Erica Cerra)-Toby's stepmother. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois and works as a graphics teacher.
 * Mr. Ahluwalia (Kal Penn)-The gang's home room teacher. He is of Indian descent and is very strict.
 * Amrit Bhamra (Roni Akurati)-Sonny's best friend, turned on-off boyfriend. He is gay and lives with his traditional Sikh parents.
 * Sajit Bhamra (Ace Bhatti)-Amrit's father. He was friends with Sunny's father at University, and is initially hostile towards his son for coming out as gay, but later comes to accept him.
 * Manjit Bhamra (Archie Panjabi)-Amrit's mother. Like her husband, she initially rejects Amrit after he comes out but later comes to accept him.

Episodes
Main article: List of We Are California episodes