Breaking Through

When we first meet Francisco, he asserts that he lived in “constant fear” (1) from the ages of 4 through 14, as a result of his family’s illegal entry to the U.S. from Mexico in the late 1940s. The author of this autobiography, Francisco tells the story of his adjustment to American culture through a series of anecdotal vignettes depicting events that helped to form his personality and character. The product of a family that values hard work, self- sufficiency and discipline, Francisco details the hardships that they face while working as migrant farm laborers on ranches and farms in Southern California. Even the youngest children in the family are employed as “pickers” during harvest season, and the physical pain and long-term repercussions described remove any romanticized vision that the reader might hold about the rigors of farm work. Additionally, he describes the living conditions of the workers living in tents and old garages.

While Francisco is bright and enjoys school from the start, he is stymied in his progress by the frequent moves necessitated as his parents seek employment. His lot improves when his parents secure permanent employment as laborers on the Bonetti Ranch in Santa Maria, California, along with improved housing in an abandoned Army barracks.