“Growing Up Beaner” — Francisco Barriga’s Fierce, Funny Corning Memoir
A vivid medley of childhood mischief, border crossings, and hard-won belonging — grounded in real Corning places and memories.
By Sharon Novak
Tehama County’s Francisco Barriga crafts an authentic, unvarnished memoir that jumps from Mexico’s dusty roads to the orchards and hallways of Corning. We follow the Barriga family as they coyote across the border from Tijuana and push north, while a young Francisco learns English and finds his footing in a rural town that can be as tender as it is tough.
Barriga chronicles the taunts — often laced with the slur in the book’s title — and the fights that followed, answering cruelty with grit and humor. His pages are peppered with local landmarks and neighborhood moments that longtime residents will recognize, and newcomers will want to go find.
It’s a fast, lively read that leaves us wanting more — and according to Barriga, more is on the way.
