 Jiménez was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to jíbaro parents, Eugenia Rodríguez Flores of San Lorenzo and Antonio Jiménez Rodríguez from San Salvador bario in Caguas.His mother Eugenia (Doña Genia) Rodríguez arrived from Puerto Rico in 1949 and took José to New York City, then to a migrant camp near Boston where they were reunited with José's father, Antonio Jiménez.They rented a work cabin from the Italian family-owners of the migrant camp.