The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

Francisco Jimenez is the narrator and protagonist of his autobiographical volume of “intertwined” stories about his and his family’s lives. Francisco’s life as a migrant child worker is unrelentingly tough. From the age of four years old until he is 14, he endures both physical and emotional hardships. Francisco’s own grit and the support and love of his family help him overcome adversity and pursue his education.

Nicknamed “Panchito,” young Francisco is sensitive, kind, and resilient. He has empathy with nature, treating the caterpillar and fish with care, and feeling sorry for the suffering stray dogs in Bonetti Ranch. As a young boy, he draws butterflies and birds, symbols of transformation, freedom, and new beginnings, which reflect Francisco’s own hope for a new life (See: Symbols & Motifs). Francisco is a loving brother, who helps care for his younger siblings. He has a deep connection to his family.

Francisco takes a lot of knocks as a child—his loneliness and lack of close friends, the death of El Perico, the interruptions to his education, teasing about his Mexican accent, the family’s poverty—but he does not let them destroy his hope or undermine his determination. He shows his strength of character and the positive values instilled by his family in giving Curtis his winning drawing, forgiving Papá for El Perico, and always working hard, in the fields and at school.