Fabiola Toussaint is the teenage protagonist of American Street. On the cusp of adulthood, Fabiola learns to stand on her own for the first time after immigration authorities seize her mother. Fabiola was born in the United States but spent nearly her entire life in Haiti. She struggles to adjust to American culture and to fit into the wider black community in Detroit while also retaining her Haitian cultural and spiritual practices, such as voodoo. Although she grows close to her cousins, Fabiola often feels alone, as if no one understands her struggles.

Things look up when Fabiola makes new friends and falls in love with her kind boyfriend. However, she still misses her mother badly, and she works tirelessly to secure her mother’s release. Fabiola realizes must make hard choices to secure the future she wants with her mother, and in doing so, she shows a willingness to protect her family at all costs.

While she accomplishes her goal, Fabiola also loses her innocence. When her boyfriend, Kasim, is killed after she works with Detective Stevens to put away his drug-dealing best friend, Fabiola learns she must not trust in strangers, and she strengthens her resolve to keep her family safe.