Francisco Jiménez (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Jiménez
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Jiménez in 2018
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| Born | June 29, 1943 |
| Education | Santa Clara University (BA); Columbia University (PhD) |
| Alma mater | Santa Clara University |
| Occupation | Writer and academic |
| Spouse(s) | Laura Jiménez |
| Children | Francisco "Pancho" Jiménez, Miguel Jiménez, Tomás Jiménez |
Francisco Jiménez (born June 29, 1943) is a Mexican-American writer and professor. He taught at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. He is best known for his books about his childhood as a migrant farm worker.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Francisco Jiménez was born in 1943 in Tlaquepaque, Mexico. He was the second oldest of eight children. Until he was four, he lived in a small town in Jalisco, Mexico.
Moving to California
When Francisco was young, his family moved to California. They became migrant farm workers, traveling from place to place to pick crops. When he was six, Francisco started working in the fields with his family. They moved often, following the seasons for different crops. This meant he missed many months of school each year.
Facing Challenges
When Francisco was in eighth grade, his family was sent back to Mexico by the government. After several months, they were able to return legally. They settled in a farm labor camp in Santa Maria, California. His father could no longer work because of back problems.
During high school, Francisco and his older brother, Roberto, worked as janitors. They each worked 35 hours a week to help support their family.
Going to College
After high school, Francisco received several scholarships. He went to Santa Clara University and earned a degree in Spanish Studies in 1966. He became a U.S. Citizen during his junior year there.
Later, he received a special scholarship called a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. This allowed him to attend Columbia University. He earned a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature.
Family Life
At Santa Clara University, Francisco met Laura Facchini, who would become his wife. They married while he was studying at Columbia University. They have three children: Francisco Andrés, Miguel Antonio, and Tomás. His son Tomás Jiménez is a professor at Stanford University. His son Francisco Andrés is an artist and also teaches at Santa Clara University.
Career and Teaching
Francisco Jiménez began his teaching career at Columbia University. He later became a professor at Santa Clara University in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature. He taught there full-time until 2015.
Awards for Teaching
Professor Jiménez has won many awards for his excellent teaching. These include the Dia del Maestro Teacher of the Year Award from Santa Clara County. He also received the David Logathetti Award for Teaching in Excellence from Santa Clara University. One of his biggest honors was being named the U.S. Professor of the Year by CASE and the Carnegie Foundation.
Other Roles
Besides teaching, Jiménez held several important leadership roles at Santa Clara University. He was the Director of Arts and Humanities and also the Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He also helped start The Bilingual Review, a journal about English and Spanish languages and literature in the United States.
He has also served on many important groups and committees. These include the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the California Council for the Humanities.
His Famous Books
In 1997, Francisco Jiménez published his first autobiographical book, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. The Spanish version is called Cajas de Carton. This book tells the story of his early life, from crossing the border as a child to working in the fields and going to elementary school.
The Four-Book Series
The Circuit is the first book in a four-book series that tells his life story.
- Breaking Through (Senderos Fronterizos in Spanish) is about his high school years.
- Reaching Out (Más Allá de Mí in Spanish) covers his time at Santa Clara University.
- Taking Hold: From Migrant Childhood to Columbia University (Pasos firmes: Desde niñez migrante a la Universidad de Columbia in Spanish) describes his time in graduate school.
This four-book series has been recognized as one of the "50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time" by the American Library Association Booklist.
Books for Younger Readers
Jiménez has also written picture books for younger children. These include La Mariposa (1998) and The Christmas Gift/El regalo de Navidad (2000). In La Mariposa, he writes about the difficulties of not speaking English when he was in first grade.
Film and Play Adaptations
A short film called "The Unbroken Sky" was made in 2023. It was based on parts of his book Breaking Through. The film won first prize at the San Francisco Short Film Festival.
His books Breaking Through and The Circuit have also been turned into plays. These plays have been performed at colleges and schools in California and even at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Awards for Writing
Francisco Jiménez has received many awards for his writing. Some of these include:
- The John Steinbeck Award
- The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
- The Américas Book Award
- The Pura Belpré Honor Book Award
- The Parents' Choice Award
- The Carter G. Woodson Book Award
His books have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Persian, and Spanish. His stories have also appeared in over 100 textbooks and collections of literature. A graphic novel version of The Circuit was published in 2024.
Recognition and Legacy
In 2015, a new school in Santa Maria, California, was named in honor of Francisco Jiménez and his late brother: The Roberto and Dr. Francisco Jiménez Elementary School.
He has been featured on TV shows and has received praise for his work from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and the governor of Jalisco, Mexico. He is now a Professor Emeritus (a retired professor who keeps his title) at Santa Clara University.
Selected Works
- The Circuit Graphic Novel (HarperCollins, 2024)
- Pasos firmes: De niño migrante a la Universidad de Columbia (HarperCollins, 2022)
- The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child (1997)
- La Mariposa (Houghton Mifflin, 1998)
- The Christmas Gift/El regalo de navidad (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
- Breaking Through (Houghton Mifflin, 2002) (sequel to Circuit)
- Reaching Out (Houghton Mifflin, 2008) (second sequel)
- Taking Hold: From Migrant Childhood to Columbia University (Houghton Mifflin, 2015)
