My first supervisor was a African girl named Ann, and she had the nerve to tell me that I don?t have a right to call myself African American. I had to tell that heffa just because your people sold my people doesn?t mean I don?t got ?African roots.

"Yusuf needs a break - his philosophy degree from NYU isn't opening any doors, but his new job would help him pay his overdue rent; Xiomara doesn?t want to settle for the marriage scenario her Dominican mother keeps pushing on her; and Isabel needs her job to put three kids through school, but still manages to keep her sense of humour.

All three are employees of Harlem Office, New York, a neighbourhood copy shop where promotions are rare, raises are even rarer, and racism is often on display. ?"