The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez

The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez, offers readers an opportunity to learn about the lives of migrant workers, through the eyes of a young man-turned teenager. The main character – Pancho – and his family show tremendous solidarity and strength as they come together to work through the mother’s many pregnancies, constant job searches, harsh weather coupled with poor living conditions, and the demands of being an English language learner in a English-language school, to name several challenges. Pancho is faced with losing a best friend, feeling simultaneously helpful (taking care of a baby while his older brother and father work the fields) and helpless (not being able to help his brother and father work the fields, due to his age, despite a tremendous desire to do so), and learning the culture of a California public school while also learning the English language. At times, the stresses are so much that the father snaps, once killing their pet parrot – a frequent source of comfort and companionship for Pancho. Pancho’s experience in school – wanting to understand and yet so exhausted by the impossibility of understanding it all – reminds me of the experience of a young 6^th grade student from Cape Verde, attending school in Central Falls, Rhode Island, for whom I interpreted several classes during the 2005-2006 school year. Whereas initially he was quite reserved, seemingly tired, and did not smile at all, by the end of the third month (during their class performance), he smiled from ear to ear as he searched for my eyes with his, quietly proud in his own way at having begun to ‘crack to code’ and participate as a more integral member of his classroom community.

I was reminded of this experience most especially when Pancho led the class in their exploration of the caterpillar finally coming out of its cocoon and turning into a butterfly.