My mother is from Alvarado in the Mexican state of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps the most recognizable thing from Alvarado and the state of Veracruz is Son Jarocho, a type of folk music that combines native Huastec, African and Spanish elements. Undoubtedly the most famous Son is La Bamba, which was last popularized in the United States by a 1987 film of the same name.

The movie “La Bamba” follows the short but very successful life of Chicano sensation Ritchie Valens who, after performing live at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, alongside fellow musicians Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, died on a cold February night after taking off in bad weather from the nearby airport in Mason City.

My wife is from Clear Lake. She grew up hearing stories about that fateful night and spent her childhood biking around the Surf. On a recent visit to my in-laws, I stopped by the small but meaningful shrine dedicated to the three musicians that now sits at the crash site. Clear Lake is a few miles west of Mason City, the seat of Cerro Gordo County, one of three Iowa counties named after major battles between two neighboring republics that occurred in the 1840s.

I am from Xalapa, Veracruz, just a few miles west of Cerro Gordo, where that battle took place. My grandfather and great-grandfather used to dig for old swords, bayonets and other relics from that battle. Personally, I always felt fascinated by how similar that “Fat Hill,” which is Cerro Gordo’s English translation, looks today like it did back then, as shown on contemporary drawings.

Unlike in California, Texas or New Mexico, we Latinas and Latinos are newcomers to this state. But we are bound to Iowans by a very long history and a shared heritage, as told by “La Bamba,” Ritchie Valens and by Cerro Gordo, Buena Vista and Palo Alto counties. Our forefathers bled and died on shared soil. Our children were born and now play on the same soil. The size and influence of the Hispanic community are changing, and we are agents of this change. Hispanics constitute the fastest growing demographic in the state, with 5 percent of all Iowans, 12 percent of those under 18, are Hispanics. Latin America is a major consumer market for Iowa pork and corn.

The number of ways that interconnect Iowans and Hispanics continues to amaze me. I pray that one day, elections and crises aside, we may look back at our rich history of coincidences and be proud that those now here, all of us, positively contributed to creating a more humane, supportive, welcoming and respectful community for everyone.