The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

1. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child • Kim Sorn • Crystal Estrada • David Rodriguez • Andres Olmedo

2. Under the wire • The Jimenez family lived in a small village in Mexico. • Their father always talked about a better life in California.

3. Under the Wire • Papa opened a hole under the fence and began to crawl. • Then they drove for hours until they reached the nearest camp.

4. Soledad • One day Francisco and his family went to work at a cotton field and every time they go work Francisco had to take care of Trampita. • So every time his family goes further and further through the cotton field, he will get on top of the car and see them vanish.

5. Soledad • Francisco had an idea to help his family. • Francisco went outside to pick cotton when he would pick cotton his hand would bleed.

6. Inside Out • Francisco started going to school. He went into the classroom , and couldn’t understand any English so he started to make his own stories in Spanish.

7. Inside Out • One morning ,The principal seen Francisco was cold so he went to get a jacket from the office. Then Curtis angrily walked to Francisco and tried to take the jacket off him which lead to a fight.

8. Miracle In Tent City • Mama has a baby named Torito because he looks like a bull. • Torito has fever.

9. Miracle in Tent City • Torito is very sick and takes him to the hospital and preaches for him. • Torito survives a rare disease and was a miracle.

10. El Angel De Oro • It rained a lot so they told ghost stories. • Francisco met a new friend called Milguelito

11. El Angel De Oro • Francisco and Milguelito played with the puddles • Francisco saved some fish in the puddles

12. Christmas Gift • Papa invited in a young couple in and the young couple was selling a wallet and a handkerchief. • Mama liked the handkerchief but papa said he was broke.

13. Christmas Gift • Francisco wanted a ball for Christmas. Papa didn’t have enough money to buy the kids what they wanted. • Mama wrapped a bag of candy to paper. Francisco woke up on Christmas eve and opened the present and saw candy and all of his brothers was sad.

14. Death Forgiven • El Perico was a bird. He was red, green, and yellow.

15. Death Forgiven • Papa reaction to the bird chipping angrily because he had a headache and hated the noise. • Francisco prayed for his dad.

16. The Cotton Sack • The family went back to Corcoran to pick cotton. • Papa sewed the sack to prepare them for work. There was a new baby, Rorra.

17. The Cotton Sack • Francisco did not have a sack. • The family made $18.00. After they had picked all the cotton they went to another field.

18. The Circuit • The peak of the strawberry was over, and in the last few the workers, most of them bracerors, were not picking as many boxes as they had June and July. • Every Day at the end of the day Francisco always heard “ya esora” meaning it’s time to go.

19. The Circuit • Francisco was sad because they had to move again. • Francisco’s teacher taught him how to play an instrument and they both became best friend.

20. Learning The Game • Francisco was very sad because it was the last day of school. • Carlos did not let Manuelito play with them

21. Learning The Game • Papa was teaching Gabriel to pick cotton. • Gabriel was fired and sent back to Mexico.

22. To Have And To Hold • The strawberry season was over so Papa decided to move to San Joaquin in Central California. • Papa gave Francisco a very old penny that belonged to him.

23. To Have And To Hold • Mama put gasoline instead of kerosene and so the house went on fire. • Francisco left his notepad in the house and Mama said everything that was in the notepad was in your head.

24. Moving Still • The family move to Santa Maria to work at a labor camp. Where they picked strawberries.

25. Moving Still • The kids went to Main Street School and El Camino Junior High. One day when Francisco went to school , the immigration patrol took him away.