By Angelica Jimenez–

Francisco at Easter Brunch, cleaning his plate

One hundred years ago this June, Sonora Smart Dodd arranged a tribute to her father who raised her and her five siblings on a farm in Spokane, Washington after their mother died in childbirth.  The idea took a while to catch on and didn’t become a national holiday until 1972 after President Richard Nixon signed it into law, declaring the third Sunday in June Father’s Day.

Even to this day, Father’s Day is not nearly celebrated as its better half–Mother’s Day.  Why, might you ask?  Well, 22 percent of white children in the United States don’t have any male figures in their homes, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.  And this number jumps to 31 percent for Latino children, and over 56 percent of African-American children.

Mexico, like the United States, honors fathers this year on June 20.  And this year, I celebrate my father, Francisco Jimenez, who have inspired me in ways he may not even realize.  My father, whom I lovingly refer to as “Pops,” possesses the attributes of what we commonly refer to as “salt of the Earth.”  He is unpretentious, hard-working and modest.

Born in Chicago, he spent his first five years in Little Italy but moved to Araro, Mexico, his family’s native homeland.  He returned to the United States in his late teens where he worked as a migrant worker in California and Chicago.

Soon after he met a young woman, Lupe Alfaro, who was attending the College of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.  He wooed her and became good friends with her entire family, which was no easy feat considering the fact she has 10 brothers and sisters.

The two married on November 30, 1974 and started their family, which grew to include myself and my three brothers, the next fall.  He was able to secure a job at Pepperidge Farm factory where he continues to work to this day.  He takes pride in his strong work ethic, and this extends to the work he does around our house.

To call him a neat freak would be still not come close to describing him.  He doesn’t stop cleaning until you can either see your face in the reflection or can run a white glove without picking up any dirt.

Of course, it isn’t all business for Pops.  His love of music propelled him to start a  local band, Los Superables, which became very successful locally.  He enjoys sports of all kinds especially when playoffs or tournaments roll around.  Just don’t get him going on the subject of boxing.

My brother Dami and Pops can debate and discuss ad nauseam every fighters’ handicaps and technical abilities.  And after work, on any given day, you can find Pops sitting in his deep mahogany leather recliner, pouring through the Chicago Sun-Times or Chicago Tribune from cover to cover.

What amazes me most about Pops is how he has faced his demons and come through on the other side.  He’s faced a demon that hits Latino men the highest, according to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.  Throughout my entire childhood, my father drank.  Drinking numbs the pain but creates a new set of problems.

I saw how it took him over to the point that he lost complete control.  It got to the point that I lost any hope I had and completely gave up.

But a little over 10 years ago, he hit bottom and began to turn his life around.  To this day, I don’t know how exactly he did it.  I know I wasn’t supportive of him anymore and didn’t help him.

He attended AA meetings but didn’t go though rehab.  Miraculously, he has never relapsed, whereas 40 to 60 percent relapse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Pops has remained strong and honest about his experiences in a way I never witnessed throughout my formative years.  It’s not bravado but a silent strength that inspires me to challenge myself and push myself everyday.

Of course, my mother was a source of strength and support for him and for me.  So I have to give credit where credit is due.  I wouldn’t have graduated from law school or pursued a graduate degree in journalism without Pops.

His example shows how we can overcome obstacles with determination and hard work.  He was prevented from pursuing his own dreams, so it is our not only our right but our duty to make that happen for ourselves.

So, muchas gracias, Pops.

Angelica Jimenez is a graduate journalism student at Columbia College Chicago.