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Star Glam Gazette

Is breaking through by Francisco Jimenez a true story?

Author

Andrew Mckinney

Updated on June 16, 2026

It won many prizes and was a Booklist Editors’ Choice. This moving sequel is a fictionalized memoir of Jimenez’s teenage years in the late 1950s, when the family finally stayed in one place and Francisco and his brothers worked long hours before and after school to put food on the table.

What is Francisco Jimenez job currently?

Short Biography Francisco Jiménez immigrated with his family to California from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, and as a child he worked in the fields of California. He is currently the Fay Boyle Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, and director of the Ethnic Studies Program at Santa Clara University.

What genre is the book Breaking Through?

Fiction
Non-fictionAutobiographical novel
Breaking Through/Genres

Why did Francisco and his friends perform an Elvis song during recess?

Why did Francisco and his friends perform an Elvis song during recess? Francisco’s teacher thought that it would help him practice his English. The other students voted for them to perform.

Did Francisco Jimenez get deported?

When Jiménez was in eighth grade, his family was deported back to Mexico. A few months later, they returned legally and settled down in a migrant labor camp in Santa Maria, California called Bonetti Ranch.

How old was Francisco Jimenez when he came to America?

4 years old
In 1947, when he was 4 years old, and his brother Roberto was a few years older, the Jimenez family, filled with hope, migrated to the United States, traveling two days and nights to reach “La Frontera,C the Mexican border.

What is the theme of breaking through?

Belonging. Belonging is one of the central themes in “Breaking Through,” as Francisco wanted very much to belong with his peers all throughout high school.

How does the circuit by Francisco Jimenez end?

By the end of the book, Francisco and his family move back to Francisco’s favorite city, Santa Maria. He’s doing great in school—you might even say Francisco’s kicking butt.

What does Francisco put in his blue Librito?

What does Francisco put in his blue librito? Francisco put words and their definitions that he does not understand. He also puts math rules and other rules in his notepad.