Francisco Jiménez

Francisco Jiménez (born June 29, 1943) is a Mexican American writer and professor at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California.

Early life Francisco Jiménez was born on June 29, 1943 in Tlaquepaque, the second oldest of six children. Up until he was four years old, he lived in a town in the state of Jalisco, Mexico called El Rancho Blanco. His family then immigrated to California to work as migrant farm workers.

When Jiménez was in eighth grade, his family was deported back to Mexico. Then, he was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to attend Columbia University where he received a Master's and Ph.D. in Latin American Literature.

At Santa Clara University, Jiménez met his to-be wife, Laura Facchini, and they got married while he was attending Columbia University. They have three children: Francisco Andrés, Miguel Antonio, and Tomás. Tomás Jiménez is (in 2019) full professor in sociology at Stanford University. Francisco Andrés is an accomplished artist and senior lecturer at Santa Clara University. Miguel, now retired, was a highly successful senior director of finance at Symantec.

Career Jiménez started his career as a professor teaching at Columbia University. This book documents his early life, from crossing the border as a child to attending elementary school and working in the fields. the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the California Library Association’s Annual John and Patricia Beatty Award, the Américas Book Award, the Pura Belpré Honor Book Award, the Parents' Choice Award, and UCSB’s Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. Selected works Senderos fronterizos (Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2025) The Circuit Graphic Novel (HarperCollins, 2024) Cajas de Cartón (Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2023) 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) Stories Never to be Forgotten, English translation of Historias para tener presente. Arizona State University: The Bilingual Press, 2015. Cajas de Cartón y Senderos Fronterizos. Secretaria de Cultura, Gobierno del Estado de Jalisco, 2008. Cajas de Cartón: relatos de la vida peregina de un niño campesino. Boston: School Division, Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003. Más allá de mí. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2009. Senderos fronterizos, Trade Division, Houghton Mifflin, Co., 2002. Ethnic Community Builders: Mexican Americans in Search of Justice and Power (The Struggle for Citizenship Rights in San Jose, California. AltaMira Pres (co-authored with Alma Garcia & Richard Garcia), 2007 Casse di cartone: Racconti dalla vita di un piccolo contadino emigrante. Italian Translation of The Circuit, published by Achille, 2007. Translation by Victor B. Vari and Nello Proia Under that Sky, Japanese translation of Breaking Through published by Tokyo: Komine Shoten Ltd., 2005. Cajas de Cartón. Comunicación y Lenguaje III. Guatemala: Editorial Kamar, S.A., 2005. The other side of the Road. Japanese Translation of The Circuit, published by Tokyo: Komine Shoten Ltd., 2004. Little Immigrant's Sky. Chinese Translation of The Circuit: Stories from the life of a migrant child, The Eastern Publishing Company Co., Ltd. 1999. Poverty and Social Justice: Critical Perspectives, Arizona State University: Bilingual Press, 1987. Hispanics in the United States: An Anthology of Creative Literature, Vol. II. Eastern Michigan University: The Bilingual Press, 1982. Mosaico de la vida: prosa chicana, cubana y puertorriqueña. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981. Hispanics in the United States: An Anthology of Creative Literature, Vol I.Eastern Michigan University: The Bilingual Press, 1980. The Identification and Analysis of Chicano Literature. New York: The Bilingual Press, 1979. Los episodios nacionales de Victoriano Salado Alvarez. Prologue, Andrés Iduarte. Mexico: Editorial Diana, 1974.