The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

How does life on the circuit affect Francisco and the other characters? How does the circuit embody the challenges of immigration more broadly?

How is education depicted in the stories? What different forms of learning—practical, formal, moral—does Francisco experience? What is the significance of all these varying means of education?

Consider the role of animals and nature in the stories. How are these elements depicted? How do they help to illustrate the story collection’s key themes and ideas?

Compare and contrast Mamá and Papá’s personalities. How are they similar? How do they differ? What do they suggest about ideals of femininity and masculinity within their community?

Family plays a central role in The Circuit. How are family bonds depicted? What is the significance of these familial ties for Francisco?

Gabriel plays a brief but important role in The Circuit. How does Gabriel’s experience reflect that of other migrant workers who came to the United States during the Bracero Program?

At the beginning of “Under the Wire,” Papá is confident that by moving to California, they will “leave [their] poverty behind” and their life will be better than their life in Mexico (1). Was Papá correct? Compare and contrast their lives in Mexico with their lives as migrant workers. Do you think their lives were better in the United States? Why or why not?

Explore the role of languages—both Spanish and English—in the stories. What role does language play in terms of heritage, culture, and/or the immigrant experience?