Real Women Have Curves

Act 1, Scene 1

It’s Monday, September 7th, 1987. At 7 a.m., Ana and her mother Carmen enter the small sewing factory they work at in East Los Angeles and start to prepare for the day. We find out that the factory is owned by Ana’s sister, Estela, and Carmen tries to send Ana off to get some breakfast at the bakery. Ana, who would rather be anywhere than working at 7 in the morning, tells her mother she wants to sleep and doesn’t want any bread. Carmen decides to go herself and is grateful that at least Ana won’t get any fatter.

When Carmen leaves, Ana goes to the bathroom and writes in her journal. She reflects on how unhappy she is working for her sister who only pays her $267 a week, how she just graduated and should be in college like the rest of her friends, how she’s excited that she’ll soon have her Permanent Residence Card and then her green card, but how she’s still lost and unhappy. Ana really wants to be a writer.

Carmen comes back from the bakery and screams for Ana to