The name of a rising star, who was virtually unknown outside of the Texas city of San Antonio last month, was on everyone's lips today, after he gave the keynote speech for the Democratic Convention last night.

Introduced by his younger twin brother, Joaquin, it only took scant minutes before he had the entire colorful crowd at the convention eating from his hand and hanging on to his every word.

Castro related to the delegates there and to the viewing audience tuned in to watch the Democrats in Charlotte, how he grew up in the southern state from an immigrant grandmother struggling to put food on the table for her children. He followed this by relating his mother’s trek through an activist life and on again to his and his brother’s achievements that led him to the position he has in San Antonio as well as the convention.

He had the people gathered there on their feet on several occasions. They were sometimes laughing, cheering and at others, filling the hall with raucious applause.

His message to the delegates was the unending road to a more prosperous life for Americans, one generation after another. He contrasted the Democrats goals to those of the Republicans, and more specifically, the goals of Romney and Romnny’s vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan. He stated, “It’s a choice between a country where the middle class pays more so that millionaires can pay less—or a country where everybody pays their fair share.”

He told the waiting crowd on one occasion, “In the end, the American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay. Our families don’t always cross the finish line in the span of one generation. But each generation passes on to the next the fruits of their labor.”

Castro’s appearance at the convention, and his pick as the keynote speaker of the event signifies the importance of the growing influence of the hispanic population in the U.S. elections, and by all measures he accompished his task last night.

The president’s wife Michelle took to the stage after Castro’s rousing speech. She attempted to show the delegates and tv viewers why they fell in love with him in the previous election. She rallied the delegates with a personal look at Obama and his family. Speaking from her heart, on occasion, the speech moved into the emotional realm.

Michelle spoke of the values that they have tried to promote during their time in the Whitehouse and before. She said, “I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as “us” and “them” – he doesn’t care whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican or none of the above. He knows that we all love our country…and he’s always ready to listen to good ideas. He’s always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.”

The crowd at the center came to their feet for Michelle’s finish. She rallied the goers and viewers with, “If we want to give all our children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise…if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility – that belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it…then we must work like never before…and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward…my husband, our president, President Barack Obama.”