He was born on July 31, 1944, into a Mexican immigrant family in San Francisco, California where he spoke Spanish until age 6.

He also attended the Warburg Institute in London on a Fulbright fellowship in order to conduct research for his doctoral dissertation but ultimately did not complete the degree.

While the book received widespread critical acclaim and won several literary awards, it also stirred resentment because of Rodriguez's strong stands against bilingual education and affirmative action.

[6] Rodriguez's most recent book, Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography (2013), explores the important symbolism of the desert in Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

In an interview before the book came out, Rodriguez reported that he was "interested in the fact that three great monotheistic religions were experienced within this ecology.