Sebastien De La Cruz: 4 Facts About El Charro De Oro

Who's Sebastien De La Cruz? Here are four things you probably didn't know about the 10-year-old San Antonio kid who performed the national anthem at the NBA Finals.  

1. He rose above hatred

Sebastien De La Cruz performed the "Star Spangled Banner" during last Tuesday's NBA Final game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. His mariachi-clad mesmerizing performance, however, generated a racist backlash on Twitter. De La Cruz's response? An even more passionate encore rendition of the national anthem, announced by President Barack Obama and introduced by San Antonio Mayor, and DNC 2012 Keynote Speaker, Julian Castro.   

2. He participated in 'America's Got Talent'

De La Cruz made it to the quarter finals of NBC's America's Got Talent Season 7 (2012). He brought down the house not only with his talent but also with his decision to perform in Spanish and pay homage to his parent's homeland Mexico. 

3. He was born in the U.S.A.

It's almost offensive to clarify this, but De La Cruz is a born American citizen and his father served in the Navy. "People don't know, they just assume that I'm just Mexican, but I'm not from Mexico, I'm from San Antonio, born and raised," said De La Cruz. 

4. He's the new face of America

Though German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair insist multiculturalism doesn't work out in Europe, Sebastian De La Cruz is proof that is not the case in the United States of America — where multiculturalism and diversity are pretty much the DNA of the nation. 

What do you think of Sebastien? Tell me on Twitter.