Although it is not something that Mitt Romney regularly touts, the Republican frontrunner possesses deep Mexican roots.
With recent reports about Romney's Mexican family tree in the news, the Republican candidate for president may be forced to address the issue.
The Former Massachusetts Governor’s Mexican roots date back to 1885 when his great-grandfather Miles Park Romney fled to Mexico’s Chihuahua desert in order to escape anti-polygamy laws in the U.S.
Romney’s great-grandfather had four wives prior to fleeing and married his fifth wife in Mexico.
The GOP frontrunner’s grandfather and father were also born in Mexico, which means that Governor Romney can become a Mexican citizen under Mexican law.
Romney’s father, George W. Romney came to the U.S. when he was a child, later becoming the CEO of American Motors Corporation and then the 43rd Governor of Michigan.
Although Romney has been mum on his Mexican history, he is urging traditionally Democrat-leaning Latinos to vote Republican.
In 2008, Obama earned 67 percent of the Latino vote; a number that Romney would certainly like to cut into.
“Take a group like Latino-Americans. If I can convince more Latino-Americans to vote Republican, I’ll be doing pretty well pretty broadly,” said Romney said at a campaign stop in New Hampshire’s Nashua Chamber of Commerce.
Unfortunately for Romney, a recent Pew Survey concluded that two-thirds of Latino voters prefer Obama to Romney.
The poll indicated that Romney’s disapproval of the DREAM Act is a major factor in his disapproval amongst Latinos.
The DREAM Act provides conditional permanent residency to certain illegals that graduate from US high schools, currently attend college or serve in the military.
The Obama supported bill is also backed by an estimated 90 percent of Latinos.
On Monday's episode of NBC's Rock Center, correspondent Mike Taibbi argued that Mitt's father George was a "poster boy" for the DREAM Act, because he was able to serve as governor and run for president regardless of his birthplace.
Whoever carries the Hispanic vote will likely have success in swing states like Florida, Nevada and New Mexico, which have fast-growing Latino communities.
Romney’s next primary challenge is in South Carolina on January 21, 2012.
Sources: CSMoitor.com; CNN.com; NewsBuster.org; Univision News
Photo: AP
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