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Maryori Sosasays
The excerpt from “The Circuit” by Francisco Jimenez is an intriguing first-hand account of a child migrant worker’s experience. This selection was a very interesting read and it really gave a sense of what life was like for the author and his family as they worked the fields. This family’s heart-wrenching experiences was told from a young boy’s perspective which made it more thought-provoking. The problems with child-labor during that time really came to light, especially in the part when Francisco and Roberto had to hide in the vineyards as the bus was about to pass so no one would see that they didn’t go to school. What also really surprised me was the authors description of his living conditions and how the family never complained, especially when they had to sleep outside under the trees. Reading this piece, I felt like I could connect with the writer. While I may have not have endured as harsh of conditions, his experiences at school were very similar to mine since when I immigrated to the United States I did not know a word of English. Moreover, the end of the story really hit home. It was sad to read that as soon as he was just adjusting to the new area his family already was packed and ready to leave. The importance of survival was evident in Jimenez’s family throughout his writing because everyone in the family was willing to go through and overcome so much in order to have food on the table. This piece really made me realize how many families during that era were much more than hard working and how they were able to persevere through poverty and injustice.
“The Circuit” was about a little boy who was born in Mexico in1943, immigrated to the United States when he was four, and started working at the age of 6. The article is a first person account of a young child learning how to read and write from his teacher when he wasn’t working during the strawberry season. I found it interesting and worth keeping in mind a year from now that the teacher was accepting and actually polite and tolerant of Francisco Jiamenez even though he did not know English because it showed that not everyone want as intolerant as the many “scabs” or white, privileged people that we heard about earlier. I had never heard about labor camps for Latino Americans and how they were either having to work or having to go to school. It was interesting because we had never heard about work from a children’s perspective, although for me it is unsure whether he is looking back on his life when he’s an adult and writing this. Francisco also had to get prepared for the work every season, but it seemed he was unable to do so while he was learning at school. It is worth noting, too, that Jimenez’s first instinct was to speak Spanish like he did at home, but when he did not speak at all he was not treated different than the other kids, which is a change that is a very positive one to see.
This was another example of how Latino Americans lived with the hand they were dealt and made every opportunity count. They appreciated the little things in life that they were given and although prideful, they were welcoming and thankful to any help that they got coming their way. I think the things I will remember from the passage is how although Francisco and his brother did not enjoy the work, they were willing to do it so that their family could make a living and stay afloat.
“The Circuit” gave serious insight into how unstable a farm workers life is. The story Francisco tells really highlights how unfortunate a foreigners life can be. What I found most unappealing was how Fransisco really wanted to better himself and he took the initiative to learn to read and do so many other things than just be like his family that worked in the fields and then it all turned out to be a waste of time. I thought the role of the teacher was a good contrast to what we heard last week in the videos where teachers would put Mexicans down and try to tell them they don’t have a chance. In this weeks reading the teacher played a huge role in bettering Fransisco and making him want more, and making him as though he could be more. It is important for everyone to feel motivated and to feel as though they have someone that can motivate them to be a better person.
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez is a really personal and disheartening story of what many immigrants have to deal with when looking for jobs. It’s very complicated for immigrants to find stable jobs when working for farms, especially since there are certain seasons to work for each crop. I think it’s a huge problem when it’s complicated for children to receive an education, which is what will help them have a foreseeable future. When a child constantly moves to different locations, it’s harder for him to have a solid education. Many of the children aren’t privileged enough to go to school, and if they don’t speak English, the children won’t be able to attend school. Jimenez was lucky enough to attend school, unlike his brother, Roberto. It’s very unfortunate because the reason why the parents migrated to America was so they could provide a better life for their children. The family could barely have a true living when only making 15 dollars for working an entire day. Also, they didn’t receive satisfactory living, they were given a garage that wouldn’t house the entire family, so the boys had to sleep outside. I think this piece really shows the power and love of family. The boys never complained about the cards they were dealt with, they gladly helped with the farm work. I think it’s interesting how different this is compared to todays culture in America. It’s not common to see children working and helping parents to receive enough money. Today, It seems it takes much longer for children to start their livelihoods, especially now that most go to college. It is interesting that the younger children in the testimonial viewed it as an adventure moving to different locations throughout America, but the older children saw it as a hindrance. Jimenez couldn’t follow his dreams of going to school and learning musical instruments because the family had to constantly be on the move. Although, since he wrote this testimony, it shows that he eventually completed school and learned how to read and write. This piece really shows the struggle that a common Latino family endured through.
This is a very interesting testimonial because it came from a child’s perspective rather than an adult. Child migrant workers face different challenges such as perception is altered and details are noticed more. This story does take a toll on how I actually viewed child labor. I didn’t think children really didn’t comment or take the time to really think of what was happening to them but after reading Francisco’s story it opened my eyes. The farming life, in general, was unstable and it was hard to realize that children did grow up in that type of scenery. It is good that things can be learned from such a thing like survival. Survival is a key thing, it looks like, in Mexicans families back then. They did what they needed to do to support their family. Families working under conditions just like or similar to these were much more hard working and appreciative.
The excerpt from “The Circuit” by Francisco Jimenez is an intriguing first-hand account of a child migrant worker’s experience. This selection was a very interesting read and it really gave a sense of what life was like for the author and his family as they worked the fields. This family’s heart-wrenching experiences was told from a young boy’s perspective which made it more thought-provoking. The problems with child-labor during that time really came to light, especially in the part when Francisco and Roberto had to hide in the vineyards as the bus was about to pass so no one would see that they didn’t go to school. What also really surprised me was the authors description of his living conditions and how the family never complained, especially when they had to sleep outside under the trees. Reading this piece, I felt like I could connect with the writer. While I may have not have endured as harsh of conditions, his experiences at school were very similar to mine since when I immigrated to the United States I did not know a word of English. Moreover, the end of the story really hit home. It was sad to read that as soon as he was just adjusting to the new area his family already was packed and ready to leave. The importance of survival was evident in Jimenez’s family throughout his writing because everyone in the family was willing to go through and overcome so much in order to have food on the table. This piece really made me realize how many families during that era were much more than hard working and how they were able to persevere through poverty and injustice.
“The Circuit” was about a little boy who was born in Mexico in1943, immigrated to the United States when he was four, and started working at the age of 6. The article is a first person account of a young child learning how to read and write from his teacher when he wasn’t working during the strawberry season. I found it interesting and worth keeping in mind a year from now that the teacher was accepting and actually polite and tolerant of Francisco Jiamenez even though he did not know English because it showed that not everyone want as intolerant as the many “scabs” or white, privileged people that we heard about earlier. I had never heard about labor camps for Latino Americans and how they were either having to work or having to go to school. It was interesting because we had never heard about work from a children’s perspective, although for me it is unsure whether he is looking back on his life when he’s an adult and writing this. Francisco also had to get prepared for the work every season, but it seemed he was unable to do so while he was learning at school. It is worth noting, too, that Jimenez’s first instinct was to speak Spanish like he did at home, but when he did not speak at all he was not treated different than the other kids, which is a change that is a very positive one to see.
This was another example of how Latino Americans lived with the hand they were dealt and made every opportunity count. They appreciated the little things in life that they were given and although prideful, they were welcoming and thankful to any help that they got coming their way. I think the things I will remember from the passage is how although Francisco and his brother did not enjoy the work, they were willing to do it so that their family could make a living and stay afloat.
“The Circuit” gave serious insight into how unstable a farm workers life is. The story Francisco tells really highlights how unfortunate a foreigners life can be. What I found most unappealing was how Fransisco really wanted to better himself and he took the initiative to learn to read and do so many other things than just be like his family that worked in the fields and then it all turned out to be a waste of time. I thought the role of the teacher was a good contrast to what we heard last week in the videos where teachers would put Mexicans down and try to tell them they don’t have a chance. In this weeks reading the teacher played a huge role in bettering Fransisco and making him want more, and making him as though he could be more. It is important for everyone to feel motivated and to feel as though they have someone that can motivate them to be a better person.
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez is a really personal and disheartening story of what many immigrants have to deal with when looking for jobs. It’s very complicated for immigrants to find stable jobs when working for farms, especially since there are certain seasons to work for each crop. I think it’s a huge problem when it’s complicated for children to receive an education, which is what will help them have a foreseeable future. When a child constantly moves to different locations, it’s harder for him to have a solid education. Many of the children aren’t privileged enough to go to school, and if they don’t speak English, the children won’t be able to attend school. Jimenez was lucky enough to attend school, unlike his brother, Roberto. It’s very unfortunate because the reason why the parents migrated to America was so they could provide a better life for their children. The family could barely have a true living when only making 15 dollars for working an entire day. Also, they didn’t receive satisfactory living, they were given a garage that wouldn’t house the entire family, so the boys had to sleep outside. I think this piece really shows the power and love of family. The boys never complained about the cards they were dealt with, they gladly helped with the farm work. I think it’s interesting how different this is compared to todays culture in America. It’s not common to see children working and helping parents to receive enough money. Today, It seems it takes much longer for children to start their livelihoods, especially now that most go to college. It is interesting that the younger children in the testimonial viewed it as an adventure moving to different locations throughout America, but the older children saw it as a hindrance. Jimenez couldn’t follow his dreams of going to school and learning musical instruments because the family had to constantly be on the move. Although, since he wrote this testimony, it shows that he eventually completed school and learned how to read and write. This piece really shows the struggle that a common Latino family endured through.
This is a very interesting testimonial because it came from a child’s perspective rather than an adult. Child migrant workers face different challenges such as perception is altered and details are noticed more. This story does take a toll on how I actually viewed child labor. I didn’t think children really didn’t comment or take the time to really think of what was happening to them but after reading Francisco’s story it opened my eyes. The farming life, in general, was unstable and it was hard to realize that children did grow up in that type of scenery. It is good that things can be learned from such a thing like survival. Survival is a key thing, it looks like, in Mexicans families back then. They did what they needed to do to support their family. Families working under conditions just like or similar to these were much more hard working and appreciative.