The Circuit, a collection of short stories by Francisco Jimenez

 

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Part I: Bibliographic information

Type: Collection of Short Stories
Title: The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

Writer: Francisco Jiménez

Illustrator: n/a

Editor: n/a

Copyright Date: 1997

Publisher: Hoffman Mifflin Company: Boston, MA

Type: Book

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Reality fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12-18

Pages: 116

ISBN: 0-395-97902-1

Part I: Reader’s Annotation, Plot Summary, Critical Evaluation

Reader’s Annotation -- “The Circuit” tells the story of the day-to-day experiences of a Mexican migrant family who come to America to escape poverty at home.  Working in the fields of California for meager wages and facing the threat of deportation due to their illegal status,  the family’s heart-wrenching experiences are told from a young boy’s perspective.

Plot Summary -- This series of short stories by Francisco Jiménez looks back at his boyhood experiences as a migrant worker whose family crosses illegally to California from Mexico with nothing but a suitcase of possessions.  The stories follow the progression of their decision to leave Mexico to his years in junior high when he has joined the family working in the fields.  The family’s high hopes of exchanging the poverty of rural Mexico for the promise of a prosperous California are met with the harsh reality that is migrant life -- dirt-floor shakes, back-breaking labor, meager wages and endless moves in search of work. Their disappointments are numerous as they move from harvest to harvest across farm regions of California often living one-room shacks and earning just enough to feed themselves.

Each of the stories in “The Circuit” stands on its own but they are presented chronologically so that we follow the Panchito's growing from a young boy to the time that he proudly joins the family picking cotton. His family members are the primary other characters, including his mother, who is often pregnant or caring for their newly arrived little brother or sister, his much admired father, who eventually develops a back back and can no longer work, and his older brother, Roberto, who reluctantly becomes the family's primary breadwinner.  Their travels involve annual returns to the strawberry harvest near Santa Maria where they live in a placed called Tent City, the cotton picking season in Corcoron, which is back-breaking work that Panchito dreams of mastering like his older brother, and the annual grape harvest which often runs into the school year making them perpetually late to enroll in school.  This journey is made in a old Buick nicknamed ‘Carcachita’ and is is referred to as “The Circuit,” for which the book is named.

Their family grows from the four to seven with the arrival of a baby sister and two more brothers. Young Francisco, the second oldest, dreams of joining in the work but is often left behind to watch the younger children. Eventually he is able to enroll in elementary school but joins the class midyear and is forced to leave without notice on several occasions.  His experiences in American schools as a non-English speaker are the subject of numerous stories.  He later learns some English and begins to enjoy school when he is able to attend -- even winning the first seat in math on one occasion.  By the end of “The Circuit,” young Panchito has reached 8th grade and has joined in the labor. He also learns that enjoys school and, along with his brother, begins to dream of a settled life with more permanence and a better future.

Critical Evaluation --  Jiménez writes these short stories in the first person from the perspective of the family’s second oldest brother, Panchito. They are autobiographical and filled with vivid detail of the life of a migrant worker.  Though small and timid, the boy is eager to work and dreams of picking cotton alongside his parents and older brother. Though he hardly knows a word of English, he enrolls in school from time to time and manages to show that he is a bright student. His optimism endures even when he must leave school after school to follow the harvest.  In spite of their gloomy circumstances, his desire is not dampened and he shows remarkable resilience that ultimately pulls him up from these humble beginnings.  

One of the major conflicts in the story revolves around the family’s constant worry of facing La Migra -- or migration officials -- but theirs is a life in which everyday challenges like illness can become major challenges. In one of the stories, “Miracle in Tent City,” his mother gives birth to a baby boy they call Torito, which is short for little bull, because he has a strong grip. The toddler develops a bad stomach condition that they try treating with folk remedies. However, it worsens and it’s only at the last hours that they bring him to the hospital where he nearly dies.  

In the end, their deep family bond and strong faith become the strengths that help them endure nearly inhumane conditions without losing their humanity.  The character of Panchito is that of the underdog who the reader cannot help but side with and cheer for.  We know that these stories are autobiographical and that Jiménez goes on to be a university professor.  So the story of his overcoming the odds becomes a fascinating and inspiring one.  It also helps the outsider understand the migrant experience from and lends understanding toward a population that often face prejudice and hostility of others.

Part III: Author Info

Born in 1943, Francisco Jiménez spent much of his childhood moving around California with no permanent home or regular schooling, according to his academic biography (Santa Clara University, 2013).  He went on to have a distinguished academic career as a graduate of Santa Clara University.  He later attended Harvard and Columbia University, from which he earned both a Master's Degree and Ph.D.  He went on to chair the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at Santa Clara University, and to direct the Division of Arts and Humanities there, too.  His academic accomplishments and recognitions are literally too numerous to list, and he remains a well-known scholar and recognized community leader.

In 1997, Jiménez published the autobiographical work titled The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child.  His efforts won both accolades and awards, including the Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature among others.  He followed this achievement with the picture book La Mariposa.  And, un 2001, Breaking Through, his sequel to The Circuit, was published.  Then, in 2008, Reaching Out followed telling of the period in his life from high school through college years.  His works offer an uniquely personal insight into the modern cultural history surrounding the Hispanic migrant experience and are used widely in the classroom.  He offers supporting materials to this end and is also published in numerous languages.

Part IV: Curriculum Ties, Diversity, Booktalk Ideas, Challenge Issues

Curriculum Ties, if any -- This book would serve to fulfill part of the State of Idaho’s Social Studies Content Standard for U.S. History, Grades 6-12, including: “Goal 1.2: Trace the role of migration and immigration of people in the development of the United States”.

Diversity of Cultures --  The books offers a unique window into the reality that is faced by millions of migrant workers who come to America to make a better life only to find a life here that only the most hardy can endure.  Many of these newcomers are Hispanic and therefore face a language barrier that keeps them from advancing into the mainstream.  Outsiders are hard pressed to understand the adversity these migrant families face and too often judge ‘illegals’ for not learning the language or trying to take advantage of the system.  This books illustrates the reality of the situation first hand from the perspective of an hard-working boy whose hopes are not high but who nevertheless does not give up hope that one day he, too, will be part of the American Dream.

Booktalking Ideas --  “The Circuit” could be promoted as a modern version of “The Grapes of Wrath,” which documents the Dust Bowl experiences of the Okies.  Comparisons could be made to the two eras being times of economic hardship and migration in search of better circumstance.  A larger discussion of the United State’s migrant past could be explored.  All emphasizing the difficulties and limited options faced by families that arrive in a country without resources and lacking language skills needed to get by.

Challenge Issues --  This books is unlikely to trigger challenge issues though it may be considered too realistic and culturally specific to be considered a fun read for teens.  A strong YA collection should reflect the challenges and faces of the community it represents.  

Part V: Reasons Chosen

A key reason that I opted to include “The Circuit” relates to lack of diversity there seems to be in YA fiction. There are simply far too few Hispanic voices in literature on the whole but particularly in the young adult arena.   However, Jiménez also brings a narrative of survival and endurance that’s highly readable and capable of being digested by the young adult without seeming too preachy.  Our sympathies are evoked toward the migrant family but not without first introducing us to characters we are likely to identify with based on their grit and willingness to keep trying in the face of such harsh circumstance.  As a young person, I read and was very moved by Richard Wright’s “Black Boy.”  I think this work, which is one of three by this author, fills an important niche in our cultural understanding that should be on the shelves for teens to experience.

Part VI: Citations

Biography Franisco Jiménez. (2013). Santa Clara University. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/francisco-jimenez

Social Studies Content Standards. (2013). Idaho State Department of Education.  Retrieved from http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/content_standards/ss_standards.htm