Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez
As a young child, the author migrated with his family from Tlaquepaque, Mexico to California. This semi-autobiographical account of his teenage years reflects his family’s determination to endure poverty and prejudice, to stay together, and to succeed in their new homes.
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I’ve always said that I want to be a princess when I grow up. I think that being Queen would be too much work. But a princess… that would be the life.
Now that I’ve read Breaking Through, I realize that I might as well consider myself a princess. Oh sure I have to work but not like Panchito.
Panchito does nothing but work. He is a teenager but he is supporting his family because his father has worked as a migrant farm hand for so long that his back is shot and he can no longer work to support his family. There are no desk jobs for immigrant Mexicans in the late 50s and early 60s.
Panchito gets up in the morning and cleans offices before he goes to high school. In school he gets good grades (that do not come easy to him) and is class president. Reading and studying is what he does in his spare time before the offices close and he can go back to his job of cleaning them. On Saturdays he works picking strawberries or carrots.
After years and years of working to get good grades Panchito has the chance to go to college. The only way out. The only way to break through the poverty and make things better for himself and his family. But can his family manage without him? He is the bread winner.
Now that I’ve read Breaking Through I’m going to have to read the author’s book The Circuit, which actually came before this one and chronicles Panhito’s life before he turned 14.
— Shonica Jan 22, 03:38 PM #
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