When my Brother was an Aztec addresses the intricacies of being a member of a colonized people, while struggling against identities that others attempt to force upon you, and while also worrying about your meth-addicted brother that is ripping your family apart. This book of poetry is undoubtedly one of the best contemporary collections put out not just by a Mojave tribal member, but by any poet.

Diaz discusses what it means to be poor growing up. She mentions in "Why I Hate Raisins" that her family relied upon government food programs, which at one time gave her raisins when she just wanted a regular sandwich like the white children. But she also remembers that, "I hate raisins because now I know / my mom was hungry that day, too, / and I ate all the raisins" (10).

Much of the work also focuses on the traumas experienced by the narrator, her brother, and her family when it is revealed that the brother is addicted to meth. In many ways, this reflects upon the effects of colonization--there is a continued theme that asks what warriors should do in a world that no longer needs warriors (see Alan Duff's work [b:Once Were Warriors|133496|Once Were Warriors|Alan Duff|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346869495s/133496.jpg|848074] if you are interested in reading more about this).

However, I insist that everyone read "The Last Mojave Indian Barbie." There is so much humor within this poem, but at the same time, some of that humor is hauntingly tragic. The poem fights against certain stereotypes, and I absolutely love it.