[7][5] Several months later, they returned legally and settled down in a migrant labor camp in Santa Maria, California called Bonetti Ranch.

Throughout high school, Jiménez and his older brother, Roberto, worked as janitors 35 hours a week each to support their family.

[9] Then, he was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to attend Columbia University where he received a Master's and Ph.D. in Latin American Literature.

[9] He later accepted a position teaching in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at Santa Clara University, where he worked full-time until 2015.

[9] Jiménez has held several administrative positions at Santa Clara University, including, Director of the Division of Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences (1981–1990); Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (1990-1994); Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (1997–2000) Director, Ethnic Studies (2001–2005) [9] He is the co-founder of The Bilingual Review, a scholarly journal dedicated to the study of the linguistics and literature of English Spanish bilingualism in the United States.

[9] In 1997, Jiménez published his first autobiographical short novel, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child (Cajas de Carton, Spanish edition).

[15][8] His four-book series—The Circuit, Breaking Through, Reaching Out, and Taking Hold—has been included in the American Library Association Booklist's 50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.

A short independent dramatic film titled "The Unbroken Sky", adapted from portions of his award-winning book Breaking Through, was completed in 2023.

Santa Clara University Presents, Arts for Social Justice, performed both plays on campus and at numerous schools in the Silicon Valley.