latiNOhoosier

During the short time Ritchie Valens was able to share his music with a national audience he had amassed four hit singles, appeared on “American Bandstand” twice and embarked on a tour of the Midwest with other rising rockers.

His career spanned just eight months, but in that short time Valens, a Mexican-American kid who would sometimes do migrant work to support his family, was able to blend the music of his ancestors with the rock ’n’ roll he taught himself to play on a second-hand guitar.

“Latinos can tip a state if others are finely balanced. In Indiana Obama got 77 per cent of the Latino vote - the highest of any state - and won it by 26,000 votes,” Mr Wijewardena said.

Boy from Oz who won Latino voters for Obama - World - smh.com.au

Sanford, Fla. - Wendy Martinez Canelones grew up Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist. But she always felt drawn to Judaism. She once had a vivid dream of herself embracing a blue volume of the Torah. She tears up recalling the dream.

Eventually, she found out why. While studying her family history, she found that she is a descendant of Jews who were killed during the Spanish Inquisition.

Some Latinos Trace Their Jewish Roots