Who I Became is the story of Pounloeu Chea, a first-generation Cambodian American. In the early 1980s, he and his family escaped from Cambodia and settled in San Francisco. In 1998, his father returned to Cambodia, leaving behind his wife and three sons. In 2002, his mother joined his father. Since her departure, Pounloeu was found guilty of driving stolen cars intended for export, and placed on parole. About to become a father, he must hold a job and obey the law to avoid being sent to jail or deported to Cambodia.