 It has been the subject of controversy when it was included in school reading lists in California, Illinois, Michigan, and Texas, due to its frank depictions of gang life.Rodriguez has also founded or co-founded numerous organizations, including the Tía Chucha Press, which publishes the work of unknown writers, Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural, a San Fernando Valley cultural center, the LA Latino Writers Association, and the Chicago-based Youth Struggling for Survival, an organization for at-risk youth.Rodriguez was the 2012 vice-presidential nominee of the Justice Party.