Francisco jimenez breaking through quotes about friendship

  • Francisco took a risk when he sang an Elvis song in front of the class to make friends and fit in.
  • Get ready to explore Breaking Through and its meaning.
  • 2 quotes from Francisco Jiménez: 'We were to write a short essay on one of the works we read in the course and relate it to our lives.
  • Important Quotes

    “I had worked hard to make this journey to college even though it seemed improbable for so many years.” 


    (Chapter 1, Page 1)

    Being of working-class background and living in poor conditions for most of his life, Frank sees his path to attending college as an unlikely one. He has achieved it through hard work, diligent study, self-sacrifice, and the help of his family. More specifically, his younger brother Trampita has taken over Frank’s janitorial job in order for him to go to college, and Frank has become such an excellent lärling that he is awarded some scholarships. 

    “Roberto and I had been inseparable ever since we were children living in El Rancho Blanco, a small village nestled on barren dry hills in the northern part of the state of Jalisco, Mexico.” 


    (Chapter 1, Page 1)

    Frank’s close relationship with his older brother Roberto (“Toto”) is central to the story. Growing up, they were great friends and performed farm chores t

  • francisco jimenez breaking through quotes about friendship
  • Breaking Through

    106 pages • 3 hours read

    Francisco Jiménez

    Francisco Jiménez

    Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | YA | Published in 2001

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    Important Quotes

    “I did not want to return to Mexico because inom liked going to school, even though it was difficult for me, especially English class.” 


    (Chapter 1, Page 2)

    Francisco is an eager student from earliest childhood. The migratory nature of the family’s employment necessitates frequent moves dictated by the location of available work, so he and his brother have frequently been taken out of school midyear. Additionally, the boys are both removed from school for months on end in order to help

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    Study Guide for "Breaking Through"

     

    About the Book
    Breaking Through

    Like the Joad family in the Steinbeck classic, Grapes of Wrath, the Jimenez’s came to California to escape poverty and find a better life. In a short story titled "Crossing la Frontera" (the border), told from a child's point of view, Jimenez describes his family's flight from their home in a small village north of Guadalajara across the border into the United States:



    “On both sides of the fence were armed guards in green uniforms. Papa called them la migra and explained that we had to cross the fence to the other side, without being seen by these men. If we succeeded, we would enter los Estados Unidos....We continued walking along the wire wall, until Papa spotted a small hole underneath the fence. Papa got on his knees and, with his hands, made the opening larger. We all crawled through it like snakes."


    “A few minutes later, we were picked up by a woman whom Papa had contacted in Mex