Natalie Diaz: Native American Identity through Poetry ANTONIO RADIC
come to America,
countered with the desire and motivation to
there forms a tight tension. The inner battle
stick with life on the reservation. Despite the
of identity is a challenge that has plagued
differences in the style and approach of these
foreigners since the establishment of the
poems, Diaz advocates for indigenous pride
United States. It is the continuing choice
and justice while challenging the stereotypes.
WHEN
IMMIGRANTS
between converting to American society and
“American Arithmetic” reads heavily as
letting go of one’s original culture or adjusting
the speaker desperately tries to make sense
to the change but never betraying one’s roots.
of their near nonexistence through appeal to
However, Native Americans are not immigrants
logos. This approach makes the poem, with
of the land that the U.S. occupies, yet they
irregular stanza lengths, sound like a ‘results’
still share many of the same issues. Natalie
section of a research project. Through these
Diaz is a Latina and Mojave American poet
numbers, it is clear that Diaz feels isolated,
who writes about the process of bringing her
with lines such as: “Native Americans make
native culture to life and explores the injustices
up less than / 1 percent of the population of
suffered by all indigenous tribes. Her poems
America” (1-2) and “When we are dying, who
“American
Arithmetic,”
“Run’n’Gun,”
and
should we call?” (20). The use of data and
“Top Ten Reasons Why Indians Are Good at
numbers manages this mood very well, as it
Basketball” uncover the conflicts between a
not only serves as a reality check for Diaz, and
Native American identity and an American
maybe for other Native Americans, but also as
identity. They express the need to be accepted,
a persuasion tool for readers who belong to the
A N TO N I O R A D I C is an English Major and Screenwriting Minor at Loyola Marymount University. Class of 2024. This essay was written for Professor Sarah Maclay and her Genres: Poetry class. Having been born and raised in Mid-City, a diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, he takes interest in learning about the troubles of representation in film and literature. In addition, his passion for writing in the epic and sci-fi genres has been a creative outlet for exploring these issues.
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