Cristela Alonzo stars as a woman laughing her way to the new American dream in a family comedy loosely based on her life and stand-up routine. The series premiere of Cristela airs tonight, Friday, October 10 (8:30–9 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.
. . . her mom Natalia worries that becoming a lawyer might not be in the cards for Cristela . . .
Cristela’s dream of becoming a lawyer is something her traditional Mexican-American family doesn’t quite understand. She’s entering her sixth year of law school after juggling home obligations and working multiple jobs to pay her way. Cristela lives in cramped quarters with her sister Daniela, her long-suffering brother-in-law Felix and their two young kids. The senior member of this extended family, all living under one roof in Dallas, is Cristela’s old school mom, Natalia. After six years of setbacks, her mom Natalia worries that becoming a lawyer might not be in the cards for her and doesn’t want Cristela to be hurt by a dream that might not come true.
Then, Cristela’s life begins to look up. Lawyer Trent Culpepper, who is unapologetically politically incorrect about Latinos and just about everyone else, offers her an internship at his prestigious firm. She’ll be working—unpaid—with Culpepper’s pampered daughter Maddie and good-natured fellow intern Josh.
