Commentary on Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez

Immigration is a large aspect of American history. In the book Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez, we are able to see the struggles of one Hispanic boy immigrating to the United States from Mexico. Many of the people in the community that Francisco lived in didn’t really accept Hispanic people. It was really depressing that he would make friends, go over to their house and their parents wouldn’t let him come over again, simply because he was Hispanic. In Diversity Matters the text states, “Unique stresses created by the process of immigration to another country and discrimination faced in the new country can create psychological distress for many immigrants” (Spradlin 126). During this time in America, there was still a lot of discrimination going on not only with Hispanics, but other minority races like African Americans. This really goes to show how far our country has come over the years. There is still a long way to go, but I think that if people are more educated and aware of the discrimination people face on a daily basis they will be more open-minded. The United States is becoming more open to diversity, but first we will look at the struggles of one Hispanic boy growing up here illegally in Breaking Through.
Before coming to the United States illegally with his family, Francisco lived in a small village north of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. His family left Mexico in hopes of leaving their life of poverty behind them. Francisco and his family moved from place to place throughout California, following the crops and living in migrant labor camps. Unfortunately, Francisco’s father started to have back problems from picking crops for so many years. Francisco’s family lived in Bonetti Ranch in army barracks for a few years ...

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...oney was always a very big concern for Francisco and was the main reason he was second guessing going to college. Fortunately, with the help of some scholarships, college was finally within reaching distance. Francisco was accepted to the University of Santa Clara, and proved that anyone can make it to college if they put forth the effort.
In closing, Francisco faced many hardships throughout his life. He had to adapt to his life here in the United States, deal with being a male in his family, as well as face discrimination. Through all the hard times, family and getting a good education were always his top priorities. With the help of his teachers and counselors, he was able to succeed in school, unlike the majority of the students. Francisco is a true hero in the eyes of many Hispanic immigrants who come to the United States and strive to be the best they can be.