Francisco Jimenez:  

BRIEF SUMMARY OF JIMENEZ’S WORK Visits to our schools and community represent one of many contributions Dr. Jiménez has made through his scholarly, civic, and literary work. As one of a small community of scholars who understood the educational barriers faced by Mexican-Americans from experience, he has been an agent for change in academia and public education for the last thirty years. Through his roles with the Modern Language Association (MLA), the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the California Council for the Humanities, the Western Association Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC) and Santa Clara University (SCU), he has been a dedicated and effective voice for multi-cultural dialogue in the arts and education. Francisco’s work to develop a more inclusive literary canon means that today’s Mexican American students can see their stories represented as part of the American narrative. His advocacy for a multi-cultural education at SCU and elsewhere ensures that students of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds can appreciate the perspectives of all kinds of people. Today, Francisco’s life – chronicled in four autobiographical books – is an inspiration to thousands of students across the United States. His books and author visits are often the best motivators for encouraging students to take an active role in their own education. NARRATIVE Born in San Pedro, Tlaquepaque, Mexico, Francisco immigrated to the United States with his family as a child seeking a better life. He worked to support his family and attended schools in Santa Maria, California, eventually graduating from Santa Maria High School where he was student body president. After earning an undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University in 1966, he attended Columbia University on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and received a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Latin American literature. Dr. Jiménez returned to SCU in 1973 where he continued to teach as the Fay Boyle Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures until his retirement in the fall of 2015. Currently he is Professor Emeritus at SCU. Soon after earning his Ph.D., Francisco urged the MLA to create an ongoing forum on Mexican American literature to bring more Mexican-American literature into the commonly identified American canon. The MLA agreed and asked him to organize the effort. These discussions brought together a small community of leading critics in Mexican American literature, who worked to better define the genre and establish scholarly outlets for Latino writers. Out of this effort, Francisco helped found and edit the Bilingual Review and Bilingual Press, where he is editor for the west coast region. In 1976, he was appointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing by then California Governor Jerry Brown, serving as chair for two of his ten years of service. He was influential in the development of high credentialing standards for teachers and school administrators for the State of California. His work has been recognized by the California State Senate and the Minister of Culture of the State of Jalisco, Mexico. He has also received honorary degree from De Anza College and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from the University of San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara’s Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. In 2015, the City of Santa Maria in California inaugurated a new school in his and his older brother’s honor: Roberto and Dr. Francisco Jiménenz elementary school. He is also a recipient of the *John Steinbeck Award. As a professor and administrator at Santa Clara, Dr. Jiménez was one of the first faculty members to call for a community-based learning program. Today, the Arrupe Partnerships for Community-based Learning engage ...Expand for more