Immigrant of the Day: José Igelsias (Cuba)

MLB shortstop José Igelsias was born and raised in Cuba. At 18, he defected while playing for the Cuba junior national team in Canada. Just over a year later, he had signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox. Since then, Igelsias has also played for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, L.A. Angles, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, and, now, the N.Y. Mets.

He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018, 10 years after his defection.

Beyond baseball, Iglesias is becoming a well-known musician. He released a song, O.M.G., under the name Candelita. In late June, it hit #1 on the iTunes Latin Pop charts.

It’s a cheerful jam that you should consider adding to your classroom playlist.

-KitJ