Soon, the first African American president will be sworn into office. Let’s leave aside the historical nature of this event and analyze what makes Barack Obama “African American.” Clearly, he has African roots; his father was Kenyan. But his mother was a white woman from Kansas and one of her parents claimed to have some Native American ancestry. And his stepfather, the man who helped shape his personal moral and ethical sense of the world, was Indonesian. But while he hardly knew his African father, having spent only a couple of weeks in his presence as a young boy, he was well acquainted with his stepfather. And while his mother is the person about whom he says “the best parts of me are because of her,” he also spent considerable time with his white grandparents. So how is it that any of us would think to simply call this man "African American"?
It is possible to imagine how these relationships could develop in Barack Obama a global, multi-ethnic identity. But they do not. For in spite of the fact that he is the quintessential "multicultural, multiracial human being," at some point in his post teen years he chose to identify himself as African American.
But did he really choose?Consider this: If identity grows out of culture (the people and environment in which we grow up as opposed to the blood that flows through our veins), one would think that Obama might consider himself white—or maybe even Indonesian. In fact, technically he has as much claim to being a "white American" as to being a "black" or an "African American," and clearly he is more personally connected to white culture than he is to black or African culture. But he nonetheless refers to himself as "black" and "African American."
We know that he was seen by others as “black,” and those of us who have up close and personal experience with multiracial people know that they are generally labeled by their dominant features. But people who are multiracial do not have to accept those labels...right? So could Obama have chosen to identify himself as white? What about refusing to choose one or the other and instead claim his biracial status? Was this possible?
Here's the question for the moment: What is it that makes Obama feel most connected to (i.e., identified with) black people? And what is it that allows most of us to accept this identification with little dissonance?
And what about the identities of each one of us? Why do we select the racial, ethnic, and ancestry labels that are applied to us? Think about it: Why do we respond in the way that we do when someone asks us, "What are you?" What aspects of our culture/biological ancestry/physical appearance are we including and excluding in our identifications? Are we merely mimicking our parents and grandparents?
Check out this map of the "Obama extended family" from the New York Times.
167 comments:
I feel that Barack Obama should not consider himself an African American. Since the night he was declared the new President-elect, I have been annoyed by all of the talk of “the first black President of the United States.” He is half white and half black, so why isn’t he just another white President? I realize his appearance leads people to believe that he is more black than white. Maybe he thought it was in his best interest to capitalize on this obvious feature, his dark skin color. Even though he was raised by a white mother and white grandmother who were both very significant in his life, I think he wanted to “tap an un-tapped resource” for lack of better words. Never have African Americans had a Presidential candidate with which they can so easily identify. By stressing his African American blood, he was appealing to this large group of people. Had he emphasized his Indonesian step-father, for instance, how many people would he have reached that way? Even if he did not intend to campaign mostly to African Americans, which I highly doubt, the majority of African Americans did vote for him.
I saw a humorous clip on the Internet of inner-city black people being interviewed after Obama’s election. They were asked, “Did you vote for Obama because he wants to extend the war?” Many said yes, definitely. Then they went so far as to say, “Did you vote for Obama because he is pro-life?” and even more people said yes. Both of these were McCain’s policies, but they were able to identify with Barack Obama’s black roots. People should be allowed to identify themselves however they like… by what they look like, by who raised them, by their actual blood make-up... but they should stick to the identity they feel most connected to. I feel that Barack Obama, if he had been true to himself, would have identified with his white ethnicity more than he did.
I also think that as Americans, people did not quite know how to handle the situation of having a black candidate for President. In some ways, I think people were persuaded to vote for him just because it was a historic election, and they could always say they were a part of changing history. Just as white people are afraid to talk about race, I think we were also afraid that we would look racist by not voting for Obama. What would it have said about our country and race if we had elected John McCain instead? Everyone would be pulling out the “race card” and saying that we are too racist to elect a black President.
All of these factors pull together to make this election interesting and historic. Whatever Obama’s reasons are for identifying himself as an African American, he has won over many people and opened doors to an interesting sociological debate.
In my opinion, people’s identity is formed by themselves and from the identity itself. People can pick and choose the parts of their identity they like the most/least.
The dominant features of an identity will stand out and those choosing to be referred to as that identity have the option to obtain that identity or deny the identity. For example, a woman is biracial; half black and half white. The dominant feature of her skin will be black; therefore, someone would refer to this individual as black. When asked about her ethnicity/race, the woman can choose what race she wants to be referred to. She has the option of saying she is black, white, or biracial.
I think Obama had every option of choosing which race to identify with, but he chose the most dominant feature of his identity which was his African American roots. I think Obama’s skin color makes him most connected with black people. I think most people accept Obama as identifying as a black man because of his skin color regardless of how much contact he had with his black father and being raised by a white mother with and Indonesian stepfather.
I think a lot of people choose the labels that identify us because of what was taught to us when we were little and the influences people have on us. For me, I was raised by Chinese parents and I was taught by my parents that I was Chinese since I can first remember. As I got older, I realized that I did not identify with most of my Chinese peers because I lived in America all my life and the Chinese influences from my parents were slowly diminishing because we were living in America. Do I consider myself Chinese? Yes I do because that is the most dominate feature in my looks. I also consider myself as American because of the influences that I have had since I started elementary school and that is what I feel most connected to.
When someone asks me, “What are you?” I respond with I am Chinese, but I do not identify with most Chinese people. I tell them I was born and raised in America and I feel more connected to my American identity.
I think there is a sense of pride in including or excluding a part of your identity. Some people will purposely leave out a part of their identity they are embarrassed about or an identity that puts them at a disadvantage while others will put the part of their identity that they are most proud of or would serve as an advantage.
When it comes to being a historical figure, people want to be the first person to do something or become something. In my opinion, I think Obama used his black identity to his advantage because people wanted to see history and they wanted to see “the first black president of the United States.”
I do not think it is a negative thing to choose one identity over the other because that is what you feel most comfortable and connected with and if it serves as an advantage, I think people should use it to their advantage.
I personally feel that Obama had used his race as an advantage to himself in the campaign. Many people know that he is multicultural but do not quite acknowledge that fact. It seems more historic and monumental to say “look how far blacks have come in America, now the president is black” but in reality I think it is more incredible to have a multicultural president of America. I think that truly shows how everything is changing and becoming more diverse in our society, and he truly is diverse for having so many cultural influences dispensed into his life that affected his life. One that I cannot say has affected his life as strongly was his African roots. Sure, he went to Kenya to show his family's “bond” to America during his campaign but seriously, does he even really know his own African side of the family? If he had only spent a few weeks with his African father then how could he possibly have adopted any cultural influences from him? I think that he should simply identify himself as multiracial. He is apparently a man influenced my many cultures, and to completely ignore his White and Indonesian upbringings is not fair to the people who actually raised him as opposed to the man who walked out on him as a child. His being in office is still a great feat in America's history, regardless of whether he considers himself African American of mulatto.
As for myself, I only consider myself Puerto Rican by blood line relation, but not by culture. I do not think that I was raised with a strong pride in my background, just more like an understanding of that is what I am. I had friends that had shown much pride in who they were and I yearned for that feeling of self-pride and confidence in what I was born as instead of just accepting it. I begged my parents to teach me Spanish and to take me to the “Puerto Rican Day Parade.” I felt so left out not being able to speak with my friends in Spanish like they did all the time. I couldn't even speak to my grandmother since she did not speak English and I did not speak Spanish. My parents never taught me Spanish and my mother had taken me to the parade once, at the very end of it. I don't think they meant to extinguish my desire to feel pride in my culture, but it began to happen anyway. My father married a White woman and my boyfriend of four years is Chinese. These people have created so much of an influence on who I am. I am pretty sure that I am around my boyfriend's parents, who are immigrants from China, more than my own recently. I can see how much being surrounded by his family has influenced me. I feel like I am anything but Puerto Rican now and I wish that I did not have to refer to myself in that way. I am more American than anything else. I do not have any strong Puerto Rican “traits” such as speaking Spanish, I've never gone to Puerto Rico, and most people don't even think that I am hispanic. If asked what I was many people would think that I am White or maybe Italian. Sometimes if people try to speak to me in Spanish I just say that I don't know, even if I do from taking Spanish in high school, to avoid seeming more Hispanic than I am.
Regardless of what Obama truly is and what he wants to be referred to as, he is still a multicultural citizen of the US. His wife may be African American, his father may be African, but there is no hiding what's in his blood. Unfortunately, if he had decided to represent himself as only white it would be a “cop-out” to his black side. I don't understand why it is not considered such as he is ignoring his white side. Albeit, it doesn't matter who you are, I think that you should acknowledge what you truly are. A White person can't call himself Black just because he wishes he were Black. At least Obama has a choice to represent either side.
To answer this question directly, I think our youth shapes our identity. Obama might have always been teased as a child for being “African American.” When the youths are faced with this type of aversion, they start to believe and define themselves by what others think of them. I believe that every person in this society has somehow been shaped by what others think of you.
Obama had people presenting his character- his campaign and advisors. He is a constructed image from his campaign. I feel sure that he had advisors who wanted to portray him as African American. I cannot say whether or not he labeled himself as white, black or biracial prior to his political involvement, but his campaign felt being an African American would give Obama an advantage. I think this statement says a lot about how we have developed as a people, a nation, a society. When has history ever favored a black man over a white? Here, clearly America has shown a liking to the African American.
I also think one of the most interesting aspects about Obama’s race during his campaign was that he never brought it up. He never said how a black, white, or biracial person would fit in the White House. He never mentioned if he would be able to better connect to African American countries. Only his marketing groups proclaimed him to be a more Democratic American because of his race.
I had a biracial friend in elementary school. He was raised by his white mother and white stepfather and hung out with all the white kids in school. He called himself biracial but had light skin and white features. In high school he changed his image and hung around the black kids. Peer pressure may have had some influence on him, but I would like to believe that he chose his identity and chose to change it.
I would think a biracial label on Obama would be controversial. People like to be divided: we have Democrats and Republicans. Pro Choice; pro life. For the war; against the war. His campaign wanted to make Obama a very clear, distinct figure. They wanted his platform to be defined, so that voters can know exactly who he is and what he stands for. Obama could not have been a biracial candidate. A distinct separation from McCain and from history needed to be drawn.
I think that the American people as a whole needed accept Obama’s “black” label simply because we are a society that is based on looks. Most of us are shallow enough to judge people by what our eyes see. We have been told that Obama is black, and no one challenges this statement because he looks black.
Physical features play an important role in one’s identity. We are taught to “not judge a book by its cover” but in reality outward appearances shape our perceptions the most. Barack Obama looks like an African American; therefore he identifies himself with that particular ethnic group. While Obama may draw his inspiration and character from his white mother, he draws his physical features from a black father he barely knew. I truthfully believe that Barack Obama did not consciously choose which group that he identified with; the choice was made for him. People simply identify themselves more often with individuals that look like they do rather than act. For instance, my cousin is Black/White but was raised having a relatively non-existent relationship with her black father. However, my cousin chooses to identify herself as black when asked. I believe this is due in large part because of her physical features than overall behaviorisms. Similar examples are present in the media with the majority of Bi-Racial individuals in the media identify themselves based predominantly on their physical characteristics. (Halle Berry and Terrence Howard are two actors that come to mind) People are simply more comfortable relating to others that have similar appearances.
Many individuals are a mixed bag of ethnicities and sorting through a mixed blend of European or other particular cultures is not as clear cut as identifying oneself as white or black. In many ways, we take bits and pieces of our backgrounds, piecing together an image that we view as most appropriate for ourselves. Unfortunately this may lead to certain portions of our backgrounds being neglected. Physical factors come into play again, aspects of ones background that do not manifest themselves in appearance are much more likely to be left out, Family upbringing also plays a large role in what particular ethnic group that we identify with as people are much more likely to exhibit their native culture if it is practices within the home.
Public opinion plays a large role in how we identify ourselves. I expect some people to strongly disagree with this statement, strongly believing in their native heritage regardless of how that particular culture is viewed during a certain time period. However, many choose to quietly downplay particular aspects of their heritage in order to alleviate potential conflicts. I’d imagine that an individual would more than likely choose to leave out a particular characteristic of their heritage if it could prevent violence.
To wrap things up I believe that there is no right or wrong in Barack Obama’s choice in identifying himself as an African American. As a bi-racial individual it is his right to choose what group he relates to. Whether the choice was based on his physical appearance or not really does not matter: It’s his and every other Bi-Racial individuals choice and theirs alone to make.
In a world that houses over six billion people, a number that grows exponentially by the minute, there is no shortage of racial, of cultural, of religious, and of ethnic groups. In centuries and millennia past, membership to one of the aforementioned groups was absolutely essential to survival. The village system manifested in the thousands of farming communities throughout the world created a feeling of kinship. Neighbors and relatives were one in the same, and members worked together to survive famine, to survive plague, and to survive war. A village was a community, a community comprised of peoples of the same economic, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds. One’s geographic location was a short biography. A person living in a village in southern Italy at the turn of the twentieth century, for example, was more than likely a native Roman Catholic residing on the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder.
The founding of the United States and the subsequent Westernization of the majority of the European and the Asian nations of the world has all but destroyed the village system. People no longer die in the very house in which they were born. Instead, they move to different towns, different states, different provinces, different countries, and even different continents. They are no longer surrounded by people with similar heritages; their cultural identity is no longer arbitrary. Is the man who emigrated from China to the United States fifty years ago Chinese or American? Many immigrants choose to resolve this issue with the addition of a hyphen: The man is Chinese-American. This simple adjustment solves the problem for first-generation American citizens as well as for citizens whose ancestors emigrated from the same country.
A large part of the American population, however, possesses a rather heterogeneous ancestry. The multiracial population is the largest growing minority group in the United States according to the 2000 census. With which culture does the half black/half white woman identify? The Chinese, Mexican, and French man? In many cases, it seems, we identify with the group with which our families choose to identify. I am 75% Irish, 12.5% Italian, and 12.5% Lithuanian. My mother, however, has decorated our house with shamrocks and limericks. We burn turf in the fireplace and know Saint Patrick’s Day as the most important holiday of the year. Every three years or so, the extended family on my mother’s side travels to Ireland to visit the remaining family on the Emerald Isle. The Italian and Lithuanian aspects of my heritage are all but forgotten; I am only reminded of my Eastern European roots when someone asks about the origins of my surname.
When a person’s ancestry is comprised of ethnicities that are identified by starkly different physical features, the situation becomes more complicated. In this case, a person is more likely to identify with the group that he physically resembles. This is especially true in the case of a person who is half-white and half-black. President-elect Obama clearly appears more African than Caucasian, which can explain why he classifies himself as an African-American. Apparently, it is human nature to identify with those who have similar physical features. In the case of the most recent presidential election, however, I feel as if Obama abused his prominent features in order to add momentum to his presidential campaign.
We live in a world where we are judged based on our outward appearance. I am white, as my skin color suggests. My friend JC is (100%) African American, as his skin color suggests. Barack Obama, though he certainly is only half black, will be labeled “black” or “African American” – as his skin color suggests. Right, he is not as “dark” as “all black” people, but he is “black”. Take a look at the claims of him being a terrorist because his middle name is Hussein, and claims that he is not American born, because his father is from Kenya. There are many false claims made against Obama and only he can set the record straight.
However, I think that to say he is “white” is another false claim. He is not ONLY white. He is not ONLY black. He is both. He is multiracial. The media does not identify him as multiracial, because it does not sound good as a headline. What sounds better? USA Today saying “America’s First African-American President”, or “America’s First Multiracial President”. Most would agree that the latter, though true, probably would not garner as much interest. We are also a "one or the other" body of people. We don't like to hear the word multiracial. The media plays a huge role in Obama being called “African American”. Its new, its exciting, its being exploited...we've never had a black president before!
This is also a question of how Obama was raised. Yes, he was raised in a “white” household. But this does not change the fact that he is BOTH white AND black. Would it be fair for us to call him “more white than black”? I don’t think so, because that is for Obama himself to decide. It also does not change the color of his skin. In my high school, there was an African-American on the debate team. He wore J Crew, had glasses, and was in the top 5% of our senior class. He was likeable and did not speak in Ebonics. What did people think of him? Well, he was an “Oreo”…black on the outside and white on the inside. It did not matter that he was half white, half black. He looked black, so that’s what he was called. Had he identified himself as white, he probably would have been ridiculed even more.
If Obama were to call himself “white American”, would he have the same appeal to the American people? Would African Americans still relate to him in the same way? Though African Americans don’t like him solely because he is black, it seems to have appeal. I am not African American, but if I were, I think I would be skeptical of Obama if he called himself “white”. It’s possible that I would think of him as a “poser” or “in denial”. Maybe he is in denial right now, because he doesn’t identify himself as white. Maybe he would have more appeal to the conservative GOP if he identified himself as multiracial. Who knows?
Today’s society does not allow for us to choose our identity…it is chosen by the color of our skin. And don’t forget the fact that Americans thrive on controversy.
It is evident the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama is a turning point in our history. Our 44 President certainly changed history by becoming what is known today as “the first black President of the United States of America.” However, Obama ought to be referred to what he actually is, the first biracial President due to his African and Caucasian lineage.
Obama is known as the first black President for a few reasons. First, Obama played the race card in the election to gain a larger demographic of voters. Obama used his intellect to win over scholars and elite society members, emphasized his African heritage in order to relate to other African Americans, and promoted his successful tax breaks in Chicago to the middle and lower classes in hopes of gaining their vote as well. Obama and his campaign staff knew reaching the African American community would result in crucial votes leading to Obama’s successful victory over Senator McCain. In order to do this, he sent the message that he is working on behalf of his African American “brothers and sisters” to achieve the ultimate power position for all of them. In presenting this message, Obama not only gained support, he gained attention in the eyes of all Americans. Everyone viewed this man as historic, some even called him radical. However, his ideas on policies are quite similar to his democratic predecessors. So what makes Obama so special then? It’s the hype centered on his “race” which leads me to my second part.
Obama is referred to as the “first black President” as a result of the media. The media’s obsession and constant coverage of political events played a major role in highlighting Obama’s race. The cynical media always takes a subject and finds one thing to obsess over. The media picked up on Obama’s African roots and began to highlight his race. Instead of focusing on important issues, all media outlets showed coverage of Obama working hard in order to attain the most powerful position in the United States despite the hardship he encounters as a minority "black man." The media obsessed over his skin color calling attention to it instead of focusing on the important issues such as the economic recession. The more the media focused on Obama’s black skin, the more race became an issue in the election. Then again, Obama, in a sense, was obligated to emphasize his African heritage during the election. If Obama didn’t recognize and associate his roots, the African American community would no longer respect him. Many African Americans would see Barack Obama as an elitist ashamed of his African heritage who wished to be 100% Caucasian. If this were to have occurred, Obama would have lost crucial votes, possibly costing him the election. Also, the campaign trial forced all candidates to set themselves apart. Instead of setting themselves apart with their views on hot topics, the candidates set themselves apart by physical, controversial matters. For example, Obama focused on becoming the first black President, Senator Clinton focused on the possibility of becoming the first female President, while Senator McCain focused on his Prisoner of War experience. All of these issues were personal characteristics that created hype and media coverage allowing the candidates to reach a larger audience. The issue is would Barack Obama have been elected if he were 100% Caucasian? I really don’t have an answer to that. If I can conclude anything it is that presidential elections force candidates to go to extreme measures to capitalize on votes whether it be playing the race card, gender card, or experience card.
President Barack Obama is indeed making history for the United States. But to what exactly is the history he is making? Is he the first “black” or “African American” president? I personally think that he is our first biracial, multicultural president. He is “black”, of course but does that make him one hundred percent black? No, it doesn’t. When people say he played the “black card” to gain votes in the election to win over senator McCain he did. But that’s because he could. He had every right to. He was not “playing a card” he was running his campaign to who he is. Obama as much is he is white is also that much black. Let’s face it, white mom and black dad. Nothing is going to change that that is who he is on the inside. He might have grown up with a different father who had different beliefs and views but that doesn’t make him not black, that just makes him even more diverse. Obama could have taken the option to not “play the black card” because people think he isn’t black. But it’s not that he isn’t black, it’s that he is also white. I think that the Indonesian father helped make his views and beliefs and whatnot, but he didn’t make who Barack Obama is.
I think that what makes Obama feel most connected to black people is the color of his skin. But we have to ask ourselves, is that how other black people feel connected to black people. It’s not like this man isn’t black, he most certainly is. He didn’t have to use the fact to gain support; he got support from other black voters because of that fact. The very same reason Obama feels most connected to black people is the same reason why everybody that voted for him or not feels likes its “ok”. What this society is based on now is mostly looks. Barack Obama simply looks black. There is no getting around that fact. And that is the very reason why most people are ok with him “calling” himself black, simply because of his skin color.
What I find interesting on this topic is how each one of us indentifies ourselves. The one thought that comes to mind is college applications. Do people go searching through their family tree to find some weird or different racial identity in order to get them into the school that they want to go to. Because if they do have a different racial identity it’s not like they are lying, but at the same time how far back does this racial identity come from. If someone is making conversation and asked you what are you or where do you come from or something like that, would you tell them what you put on your application? If you don’t, does that mean it should even be on the application? All I am saying really is that Barack Obama doesn’t have to go very far at all to identify himself as being black.
I think that in today’s society when individuals are multiracial, it is their decision how they choose to identify themselves. I think each individual case is very different though. However, I do believe that many multiracial individuals choose and society chooses them to associate their identity with their most predominate physical feature such as skin color. However, I do believe that individuals have the choice on how they identify themselves, but they do not have the choice on whether or not society accepts that decision.
In the case of Barack Obama, he has darker skin, forcing society to view him as a black man because his skin color is a dominant physical feature. I think this is the case with many high profiled individuals, look at Halle Berry. She is also a multiracial individual that identifies as black; however, she grew up in a white household. More often then not society selects individuals to identify with the group with which their dominant features come from; however, these individuals have made the personal decision to choose their identity as black over white. Since many individuals are influenced by others, and many members of society associate others by their predominate feature, some multiracial individuals may not want to go against the grain so they just identify with the group that they physically associate more with. However, in today’s society I think many, not all, white individuals would have a problem declaring Barack Obama as white because he is visibly part black. Therefore, choosing to identify with a race different from dominant features may be extremely difficult because society may have trouble accepting you in that role.
Although society tends to associate individual’s identity with their predominant features that does not mean the individual has to choose to do the same. Since Obama grew up in a white household and culture, and is technically just as much white as he is black, I believe that he definitely has the right to identify as white. However, he chooses to identify as black. This may confuse many people because he was brought up in a white society. However, his skin color may have influenced how people perceived him in the white community that he lived forcing him to identify more with his black heritage and counterparts rather than his white background and counterparts. I think this is a thought that many people tend to forget. People associate themselves many times by experiences and since Barack Obama visibly appears black, this characteristic may have affected how individuals in the white community viewed him. Therefore, forcing him to have completely different experiences than a person of white skin living in the same community.
Therefore, I believe any multiracial individual has the right to identify himself or herself as white, black, or even as biracial. I feel that each individual should identify with the race that they feel their experiences are most closely linked to and are most comfortable with. The physical feature such as skin color, however, can drastically affect an individuals experience forcing them to associate more with that feature. However, I do feel that society tends to associate multiracial individuals with their predominate physical feature which can make it hard for some multiracial people to view themselves against how society perceives them. I agree with the response that said choosing your identity should be used to your advantage and should make you feel most comfortable which may be most likely why Barack Obama identifies as a black man despite his upbringing in a white household.
As someone who did not fully follow the entire presidential election, I knew of Barack Obama’s racial background but I never looked into where it came from. So it is interesting to see that he was raised predominately white, because of his white mother. I think that because he was raised and guided by his Indonesian stepfather it would be strange to still consider himself black, because the African American culture of his father was not in his daily life growing up. I think it would have been difficult for him growing up with that aspect of his identify almost non-existent in his life.
However, Obama decided to emphasize his African American background in the campaign, and I do not see anything wrong with this because people do all sorts of things to win elections and competitions. Obama was able to appeal to the black population in the United States by claiming his African American roots. And even though he is only half black he is still the closest person to an African American man that we have ever witnessed as president of our country. Because of this it would have been surprising for the nation if he had identified himself as a white man, because of his physical appearance we consider him black.
If someone who appeared “black” told me they were white I would be confused and wonder why they do not just say that they are multi-racial. Or if they were self-conscious because of their mixed background they should just identify with their predominant race. If I were part Asian but looked American, I would just share that I was both if someone were to ask. Barack Obama is half white and half black but because of how we are raised we assume he is African American. I think that there are many people who would not consider a person who physically appears black to me white because we see color and assume we know someone’s racial background, when in reality someone may be a mix of backgrounds.
As for myself, when someone asks me about my racial background and culture I will just say I am American unless they are looking for something more. In that case, I’ll tell them the list of different nationalities in my family. But for my family and myself these nationalities do not have a large effect on our culture and lifestyle. They are just a list of areas in the world where we once had ancestors or still do have distant family members. As much as I think it would be beneficial to learn more about the cultures, it is not entirely who I am because I have been raised in America in a white family.
Overall, I think it is great that Obama is multiracial and appeals to both black and white people. But if he had been 100% African American or even Hispanic or white, I still would have voted for him based on his views.
I believe the question only has one clear answer. Identity chooses us, not us choosing our identity. Lets take the case of our future president Barack Obama. As what Dr. Richards said, Barack Obama clearly has African roots and has white roots. But the half black and half white identity isn’t taken seriously. He’s identified by the public as an African American. Even if Barack Obama held a press conference to declare to the world that he wants to be identified as being white, everyone won’t take him seriously and the public will continue to refer him as an African American. I’ve learnt in this society, if you have a trace of black in you, you are identified as black. I have many friends that are quote on quote “half black/half white”, yet all of my white friends identify them as black. Another example is Mariah Carey.
I believe Mariah Carey's mother is white and her father is half black and half hispanic. For the longest time, I thought she was white because of the appearance of her skin tone. But ever since I learnt that she has black, hispanic and white roots, I could never classify her into one of those categories. But I realized something. As I’ve been hearing the debates about her race, I noticed that its was more about whether she was Latina or Black, rather than any other combination of races. What to her being white? That’s why there’s this debate. It’s as if you have to be completely white to be considered white and if any other race mixes in with the white race, you’re not considered as being white. It’s like a playing with acrylic paint with the colors of white and black. If you have a big spot of white paint on the table, it’s considered as white. If you have a big spot of black on the table, its considered as black. Now if you mix a small spot of black with the big white spot, the color dramatically changes and isn’t considered white anymore. It’s gray, but in our society, that gray would be considered more black rather than white.
My mother had a friend that was black and her husband was white. The mother of the child asked my mom whether she should tell her son that he’s white or black when he’s old enough to understand. My mother quickly said to her that she should tell him that he’s black. My mother said that it wouldn’t be good to for him to grow up with him having the mind set that he’s white, when everyone else will consider him as being black.
So all in all, society has more of a say of what race you are rather than you having the choice.
Obama himself could have chosen to look at himself as white; however, if he had publicly identified himself as white, he probably would have had a problem. Although out-in-the-open racism is fading, there are still plenty of racist people in the United States. White racists may have had a big problem with Obama choosing to identify himself as white (maybe even more of a problem then they have with him being president). I do not know how racists think, but maybe they would see it as an insult to themselves or something of that sort... This is mostly because of Obama’s skin color, which society usually classifies as black or multiracial, but not white. It is society’s tendency to label anyone who is a mix between black and white as a black person and so we readily accept Obama as black. As a man running for president, I am sure Obama would want to avoid controversy and maybe even gain the majority of the black vote by identifying himself as black (as I believe someone else previously stated), regardless of whether he personally saw himself as white or black or neither. Should he choose to identify himself as biracial, I believe most people could accept this as he is does look the part. However, maybe some black voters would be irked that he feels he has to make it clear that he is half white and, therefore, biracial instead of just saying he is black (like something he is ashamed of). Then again, I may be completely wrong, I am not black, but rather am trying to look at the situation as if I was black and how I might feel. I do not know why Obama identifies most with black people. Maybe it is because he was looked upon as a black person by most people his whole life and identifies with the comments and bias black people have to deal with instead of those that white people deal with (every race has stereotypes and everyone has to deal with them.)
I think the best thing about Obama was that he did not talk much about being black people or white people, but rather being people of the United States of America. In doing so, he sort of put the race issue on the back burner and got some people to look past color.
How we identify ourselves I believe has to deal with what we choose to identify ourselves as. We pick which parts of our heritage we want to share with people or we want people to know about or the ones we are most proud of. For instance, when someone asks me what I am, I say that I am Mexican American. I am proud of being Mexican American and therefore I choose to tell people my ancestry, however I could easily say I am American and just a random mix as I look the part (you may identify yourself how you want, but it should probably he believable!). My brother is not as proud of being Mexican American and just says he is plain old American. In our case, our family did not have much influence over our choice of identification, however family and tradition and culture definitely plays a part. If a family decides to embrace their Spanish heritage (although they are also part... let’s say... Irish) and serve Spanish food and speak some Spanish phrases in the household then the children will probably identify themselves as Spanish too, rather than Irish. They are Spanish because that is the culture their family grew up celebrating through traditions.
Putting aside the fact that Barack Obama is one of the most prominent figures in our nation’s history, for him to identify himself as anything but ‘African American’ or ‘black’ would be seen as a kind of joke in the eyes of a vast majority of the American public. This being a result of the forces and factors outside of our control that have so shaped our perception to not be able to see past skin color. While there is a vast ocean of truth in the fact that multiracial peoples do not have to accept the labels placed on them by their most dominant features, most do for the sake of society.
When taking into account Barack Obama’s position of being the first multiracial, let alone individual of African American decent, to be president of the United States, a nation with roots deep in slavery of blacks, it would be all but impossible to downplay the fact that he is African American. He could have chosen to identify himself as the other half of his racial background and say that he was white, or even biracial, but when presenting himself to a nation whose people have issues of slavery buried deep within their subconscious or conscious mind, anything but ‘black’ or ‘African American’ would be immensely overshadowed. Of course we, the American public, can’t see past this due to the enormous blinders that have been placed over our eyes by forces and factors outside of our control.
Even if Barack Obama did personally identify himself as ‘white’ or ‘Indonesian’ or anything else due to the way in which he was raised, it would be pointless for him to claim to be anything else but ‘African American’ or ‘black’ when being viewed by the American public in the light that he is. In the event that he did make such a claim, chances are he would not have made it as far as he did in the political realm, but rather, been viewed as potentially offensive to many. That being said, Barack Obama is not outside of those factors and forces ruling our perceptions, despite his status. He, like most other individuals of multiethnic or multicultural backgrounds, identifies himself by his most dominant characteristics. If he was “Barack Obama: Junior High Social Studies teacher” rather than “Barack Obama: President of the United States”, chances are that he would still claim to be ‘black’ or ‘African American’. When looking in the mirror, it is all but impossible for anyone in our culture to ignore skin color. It may be due to our mimicking of generations past, but once again, at the root of their existence lay those same factors and forces outside of their control that influenced the lens through which they viewed themselves and the world at large.
The question of whether we choose our identity or does our identity choose us is interesting to think about. I believe that most people would choose his or her identity based on their dominant features. I identify as white because of my physical appearance. I have many multicultural friends who all seem to identify by their physical appearance as well. Someone who is from the Caribbean islands identifies as “black” because of her dark features. I am a resident assistant for the University and ever semester we have diversity training. It was interesting to hear the differences from the “white” group to those of the “minority” group (which included Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians). However, just as there were definite differences, to my pleasant surprise, there were also definite similarities in beliefs and feelings when it came to things. This could be because we have all gone through the same training and are taught to handle situations certain ways.
In the case of Barack Obama, I cannot say that I am too surprised that he identifies as “black” or African American. As I previously mentioned, I think that people typically identify by their physical appearance. The fact that he was raised primarily by his white grandparents and his Indonesian step-father as well as his white mother is interesting. Although he was only in his father’s presence for a few weeks, maybe he identifies like his father because of the connection that he wanted to have with his father or the connection that he felt for those few weeks. It is impossible to say why exactly Obama decided to identify as “black” or African American. With his upbringing, he definitely could have chosen to identify as white or Indonesian. However, thinking back to when Obama was young, it could have been problematic for him in his youth to identify as white because of his physical appearance. Depending on the schools he attended, it is likely that his peers would not have accepted his identification as white simply based on the color of his skin. It may have also been confusing for him at the time because of that: his skin was darker than “white” people’s skin and he may have recognized that and chosen to identify as “black” because of that.
Then the issue of multiracial people becomes apparent. The question here is whether or not multiracial people can deny identifying as a single race and instead just say that they are biracial or multiracial. Although this seems reasonable and practical now, I don’t think that it is necessarily feasible at a young age. Unless the parents or guardians were telling the child to say that they were biracial or multiracial, I do not think that a child would ever come up with that on their own. Essentially, I believe that after the child grows up and learns more about their heritage and ancestry, then they could make that decision, but prior to that understanding, the child is going to primarily mimic what their parent or guardian says.
I believe that we choose our racial identity based on ethnic pride expressed by our parents and ancestors. In the case of a person like myself, who is very clearly not multi-racial, my identity is chosen based on my ethnic background. It is interesting because my mother is an Italian-Amerian, and both her parents were one hundred percent Italian-American. I seem to identify with this side of my heritage more so than my Northern European (English, Scottish, and Dutch) backgroud that I inherited from my father. I think this is because my mother's side of the family has great pride in being Italian. They celebrate the culture with a love of Italian food, Italian musicians, and the Italian language. If I ever did anything remotely heartless my mother would yell, “What kind of an Italian are you?” The pride that my mother's side of my family has for their Italian heritage has swayed me into identifying myself as an Italian-American rather than an English-Scottish-Dutch-Italian-American.
In the case of someone like Barack Obama, who is multi-racial, I believe that they identify themselves based on outward appearance. When I look at Obama, I see an African-American man because his features and skin color resemble that of someone with an African background. I do not look at him and see a white man, although he clearl has a stronger connection to white culture. Another good example of this would be Tiger Woods. Tiger woods is one-fourth Chinese, one-fourth African-American, one-fourth Thai, one-eighth Dutch and one-eighth Native American. He refers to himself as “Cablinasian” which stands for Caucasian, Black, Indian and Asian. Woods seems to identify with all of his racial heritage. However, when most people refer to Woods' racial make up, they identify him as half Black, half Asian. I believe that this assumption is based on the way he looks. His skin color and hair texture are that of an African-American and his eyes are that of an Asian. Most people ignore his Native American and Caucasian background because it is not visible to the naked eye. He may dress like a White person and talk like a white person, but still he is identified as half Black half Asian.
I believe Barack Obama chooses to identify himself as African American—even though he is more in touch with some of his other backgrounds—possibly because it is his most outwardly noticeable ethnicity. He may do this because it could be easier for other people to accept him as a Black person rather than a Caucasian or Indonesian person; many people including myself only recognize the race you see on the outside, and completely forget about what other ethnicities could be rooted in that specific person. It would be really hard for him to explain to so many people how he could be white when he looks black on the outside. I can understand that it is simply easier to say that he is black than to get into all of the details regarding his racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, he could definitely label himself as white if he wants to, but he chose not to and people need to accept and respect him for that. He also could label himself as being biracial but that is not what he decided to do. Nobody could understand why he made that decision except for him. He could also have great pride for his African heritage. My next comment may seem a bit harsh but perhaps he always continued to call himself an African American because he knew he wanted to be in politics, and labeling himself as an African American could potentially guarantee him votes from a large portion of the black race in the US.
Obama probably feels more connected to black people because he most likely experienced racism and stereotypes his whole life, just like so many other African Americans. This aspect of the black sub-culture definitely has a great impact on African pride, as well as its sense of community. The public can accept his racial identification because, let’s face it, he looks more African American than he looks white. In my opinion, it is as simple as that.
Regarding the last part of this post, I can obviously only speak for myself about why I select what racial and ethnic labels I identify myself as. All I know about my ancestral history is that most of my great grandparents immigrated here from Russia, and maybe a few were from Poland. I am also white and Jewish. When people ask me what I am, first I say Jewish; I know that is not a race but because I am from Long Island, it is enough of an explanation for most people and I guess it is easier than saying I am of Russian descent. I have absolutely no clue what it means to be Russian; I have never been to Russia, nobody in my family speaks the language except for a little bit of Yiddish here and there, and I don’t even know if I look Russian. Most people think I am Italian, Greek, Latino, or Middle Eastern. Obviously if someone continues to ask what my background is, I say Russian and maybe a little bit of Polish, and then I go on to say that I am American because that is all I know for sure.
First of all, I definitely think it is a big deal that we have a biracial president. Not that I am saying it is bad, but it is a subject I would expect to be greatly talked about. To tell you the truth, I did not even know for most of Barack Obama’s campaign that he was even half white. All I heard from everyone was, “Oh, Obama? Yeah, the black guy running for office.”
After learning more about him, his life and his white (or non-African American) influences people, like myself, have come to realize that Obama is a very well-educated man in school and politics, and he suited to be President of the United States.
As for Obama, I do not agree with the fact that he labels himself as an African American. Maybe he has done so because he married a black woman or maybe he just fell in with what the crowd labeled him. Just like the majority of everyone else, we are greatly influenced by many factors be it our parents, friends, society, or where we live. Although this is so, he can call himself whatever he feels because of his freedom of speech. There were many claims against him because of his skin color, but enough people saw through that in order to elect him. Maybe the desire for change in the United States brought this on. First partially black president…I would say that is a change for sure.
My answer for the one question in the blog: What is it that makes Obama feel most connected to black people? – Obama strove to achieve the vote from African Americans. If he associated with them they would most likely vote for him. Otherwise, if he banked on saying something like “I am white” all of the time, he would most likely loose the African American vote. And as stated earlier, most of us accept this because of our hopes for change. We have had no man like Obama, who is biracial, before constituting a change in the system. Does this make him any different than any other president? Well, yes. He can associate with more than one nationality and it also shows that our country is changing due to the fact we as a democracy elected him.
An interesting tid-bit I discovered while visiting Canada after the election was that Obama winning greatly influenced more than just our country. With speaking to some people of Arabic decent who are now Canadian citizens, I found out that they were on the edge of their seats election night rooting for Obama. Whatever affects the U.S. greatly affects the rest of the world. Obama did not only attract black Americans and democrats, but people of all races around the world are great proponents of his policies.
DOUBLE STANDARD! There have been 43presidents before presidential-elect Barack Obama, and I am pretty sure that all of these men have not been 100% white. In all actuality, I am positive that they have not been. But when a man, a young dark-skin man that identifies himself as African American arises on the scene, his race seems to become the daily topic of interest, even more so than his stance on the different issues we face as a nation.
From the time that Barack Obama stepped into the spotlight as a presidential candidate there have been many headline stories on CNN, New York Times and many other circuit newsletters and television news networks. All have read something concentrating on the message of “change” and almost all have associated the word “black” in president-elect’s story. In my dorm on the walls and in my storage, I have at least five newspapers from November 5, 2008—which is the day Obama’s presidency was officially announced. All newspapers show that headline as “America’s first Black president.” So my question to whoever may read this is how could you judge Obama for identifying himself as African American ?, when you have those professional communications practioneers— news reporters, those anchors and practically anyone you can think of –that are making the Obama-Biden campaign such a success by projecting such a view to potential supporters and believers.
Here is another example. Being an African American, along with being partially Native American, I can understand how Barack Obama takes the identification of his dominant race. If you look at me, I can clearly be seen as African American. Now let us say that I was 1/4 white. I am pretty sure if I told any white person that, they would scorn me with disbelief or utterance. I look a certain way, so I identify with it. So I can understand Barack Obama doing the same, as well.
My mom grew up during the 1960’s, also known as the time when the Civil Rights movement was happening. A time of isolation, difference and simply put unpleasant for African Americans. At this time, no matter what you shade was—light, in-between, dark you were considered one thing and one thing only, and we all know what that is. The present time of today is 2009. If President-elect Barack Obama was living during the time period of the 1960s, he would have been considered black [regardless of what he was mixed with] and he would have had to drink off of that water fountain, he would have been hosed down with water and he would have had any other cruelty performed to him that any other black person would have had.
Now that he has a position of power, actually the highest position in the world…his race wants to be debated. This should not be a call for discussion the only thing that should be are the issues, and if they are not is CHANGE really apparent in this 21st century?
DOUBLE STANDARD! Anyway you look at it. Barack Obama’s skin color looks like mines, and his features are as well. He had to work twice as hard to get where he is today. He has been put in the category as African American, regardless of whether or not he chooses to accept this. He is our [America’s] first African American president. Get used to it!
One could argue that Barack Obama didn’t choose his racial identity, in fact nobody does. Society, the cultures that surround us, the people we live with, parents, and grandparents make that decision for us. While growing up Barack Obama must have being very aware of his skin complexion and the differences of his features to that of his grandparents and mother. But he knew his biological father was from Kenya a country in Africa. While going to school in a white community he learned more about the differences of cultures, and here in America people that have skin complexion like Obama or darker usually call themselves African American, for Obama that was the obvious choice because his father was from Africa. Therefore, Barack Obama has a legitimate reason to call himself African American or black, but let’s define what it means to be African American in the U.S and see if he fits this category.
According to dictionary.com “It was not until the 1960s that black gained its present as self-chosen ethnonym with strong connotations of racial pride, replacing the then-current Negro among Blacks and non-Blacks alike with remarkable speed. Equally significant is the degree to which Negro became discredited in the process, reflecting the profound changes taking place in the Black community during the tumultuous years of the civil rights and Black Power movements. The recent success of African American offers an interesting contrast in this regard. Though by no means a modern coinage, African American achieved sudden prominence at the end of the 1980s when several Black leaders, including Jesse Jackson, championed it as an alternative ethnonym for Americans of African descent.” The truth is that African Americans are those whose ancestors fought for racial equality, African Americans or blacks are those who cannot trace their ancestors because their families were display during slavery, African American are those whose ancestors made it possible for people like Barack Obama to become the United States president. Due to the fact that Barack Obama’s ancestor did not take part in any of the things I mentioned before he is not African American. However, thanks to the efforts of Jesse Jackson and many others anyone born and race in the U.S with African descent can call themselves African American.
Nevertheless, I wonder what about our identities, why do I consider myself to be Latina and why I personally dislike the term Hispanic? For a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, Latino is a term of ethnic pride and Hispanic a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Hispanic lacks the authenticity and cultural resonance of Latino, with its Spanish sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latina when used of women. Furthermore, Hispanic—the term used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies—is said to bear the stamp of an Anglo establishment far removed from the concerns of the Spanish-speaking community. While these views are strongly held by some, they are by no means universal. I identify as Latina because I was born and raced in the Caribbean and my parents always said we belonged to Latin America. So the truth is that I had no choice, but to indentify myself as Latina. In our society we are given limited choices, however we aren’t given the opportunity to think for ourselves and really decide what we want to be or not be. So it obvious that even if I wasn’t race in the Caribbean, let’s pretend my adoptive parents were from China and I grew up in an Asian community in U.S I wouldn’t have the right to identify myself as Asian American simply because my physical traits and appearance did not match with those of an Asian or Chinese person.
Sadly there are aspects of our culture, biological ancestry and that we are excluding in our identification. For example the self-identification Latina, if I told you I’m Latina you would know I come from Latin America, but you wouldn’t know I have African, French, Native American and Spanish descendants. All of these ethnicities are not included in the Term Latino/Latina and the only reason why I call myself Latina is because the Spanish language derives from Latin. Therefore, I should identify myself as Multiracial not as Latina.
I admit the talk of the “first black President of the United States of America” can seem very repetitive and not altogether true given his complete racial identity (And yes, I do have brown skin). However, even if Obama isn’t 100% African American, given our nation’s history with people of color, is it not still a significant achievement that someone that brown is about to lead the country?
Furthermore, so what if Obama identifies more strongly with one side of himself than another, if we wants to call himself African-American as opposed to Indo-Afro Caucasian? So what if the trip he took during his campaign appears to be a publicity stunt? I mean, at least he did go and make a believable effort to connect with another side of his roots. I mean, is it really possible for each one us to form a strong bond with every cultural aspect of ourselves? For me, that would mean that I would have to take trips to Aruba, Curacao, Trinidad, Africa (where exactly, I am not sure), the south, St. Thomas and a plethora of other places that I am not even aware of. Frankly at this point in my life, I have neither the time or money to get to know the cultures represented in my blood. However, just because I don’t frequent these places does not mean that I still do not respect or appreciate that part of me.
Had the racial breakdown of Obama not been publicized, how many of us would look at him and say oh yes, he is Indonesian or white? Whether many of us realize it or not we influence how people around us classify themselves. We all tend to label people by their dominant features. When we identify ourselves as multiracial, hardly ever do we have the chance to explain the different facets of our multi-racialism. I mean on the census and in tax forms, there most certainly is not enough room to go into detail on the line that says “other”. And I feel that the category multiracial doesn’t do enough justice to the specific individual cultures represented in each person; that could be any combination from any or all parts of the world.
And to the people who were offended by Obama identifying himself as only black, well…from now on I guess you need to be more assertive when the question of race and cultural identity comes up in “getting-to-know each-other conversations.” I suggest you first introduce yourself as you really are and not just by what dominant features stick out. For example, I would say, “Hello, my name is ______ I’m African-American/West Indian aka Arubian/Trini/Virgin Island/ a bunch of other things I haven’t figured out yet.” Then, see if they still want to talk to you. After all, before I even opened my mouth tell me you didn’t just assume that I was half black, half white.
Sometimes, I’m sort of shocked at how race is still a big issue in this current millennium. What is so taboo about leaving what happened in past behind us? Does it make a difference whether Barack Obama identifies himself as white, black, or multiracial? Is this random personal fact going to better the global circumstances that we face today? No way! Its Barack’s own culturally influenced self-beliefs that drive him to express himself as an African-American individual. First and foremost, if you ask me, this idea is none of our business, and whoever cares is merely playing racial tug-a-wars. I guess we can say that since biologically he is half-white and half-black, whichever side he chooses to be on determines whether or not America has truly made change or is still stuck in the old doldrums. However, when it boils down to anyone’s racial self-identification, the question of “do we choose it or does it choose us?” share equivalent answers. We as human beings are vulnerable to any sort of ideology. If it sounds good, we follow it and vice versa. In addition, if indoctrinated thoughts are rooted into a minor’s head, then how much can be expected from someone as confused as Obama? In our society, the thought of a darker skin complexion signifies a “colored” racial background. It always has and practically always will. There was a previous comment to this blog questioning why Barack Obama isn’t seen as just another white President on account of him being part white? If any living soul wanted to take this issue back a couple of hundred years, there are white slave owners who would agree that since this man has more than a drop of black blood in him he is considered to be a Negro. As for today, an innate answer for the racial group Brack Obama most affiliates himself with can be derived simply by looking at his face. It is a shame that society and the media has peer-pressured multiracial people to identify themselves as “one or the other” even though no one would ever admit it. Being classified as either black or white shamefully gives people like Obama a sense of belongingness. Does it make sense that human civilization has enforced categorization of skin pigmentation like the food pyramid and then expect individuals to come up on their own the answer to their true persona? No way! Come on people, this is clearly not the “Price is Right!” Our ancestors have proclaimed which characteristics identify a person as White, Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, and of course Black. These meaningless titles have carried us through year after year focusing on the minor ingredient which supposedly contributes to the big recipe of our [mankind’s] personality, skill, interest, demeanor, and most importantly; phenotypic make-up. If Barack Obama wants to claim his identity as African-American it’s because of what visual picture history has painted for him before he ever acknowledged it. But, on the contrary, does anyone think that this issue would have existed if he was a Caucasian? As a matter of fact, would race even be a problem if philosophers and our parents didn’t keep a mental record of it? My guess is no. I just wish I could program this into the hardware of every other American and non-American who gives a shit. It is about time we stop looking at what is representing our country and zoom in on what miracles he can perform to help our universe.
According to the Encarta Word English Dictionary, the definition of Identity reads as follows, “The set of characteristics that somebody recognizes as belonging uniquely to himself or herself and constituting his or her individual personality for life”. This particular definition claims that one’s identity is developed from personality, and life experiences that together help to shape one’s self. Although theoretically our identity should come from within, and pertain to our beliefs and ideals, the word carries a very different meaning in the real world. When people talk about their identity in a racial or ethnical sense, they rarely identify themselves with the ethnicity or race that helped them to discover their personality and life experiences. They nearly always identify themselves by the color of their skin or their blood heritage. Often times the people that help to shape one’s personality or unique traits are part of the same bloodline, so no discrepancy ever arises, but for people with stepparents or significant role models of a different race like Barack Obama for instance, there is a critical choice to me made. Identify yourself with the blood if your ancestors, or with the people that have helped to mold and shape your life. If following the definition at the beginning of this response, then one should identify themselves with the people that helped form the characteristics “belonging uniquely to himself or herself and constituting his or her individual personality for life”. I personally believe that one’s identity should not be reserved for a race that has very little to do with that person’s upbringing. Although it sounds very silly for president elect Barack Obama to call himself white or Indonesian, in reality it is far more logical than calling himself African American when he has no familiarity or experience with the African American race. Barack Obama is quoted saying that “the best parts of me are because of her,” he is clearly attributing his best qualities in life to his mother who is white and most likely follows the ideals of “the white man’s culture”. So why wouldn’t he identify himself as white? Although I find everything I have written here to be true and logical, it is also very far fetched. If Barack Obama was identifying himself as “white” on the campaign trail, there is a more than good chance he would not be our next president. When people identify themselves with an ethnic group, I find that it has nothing to do with what is on the inside of that person; with their morals, beliefs, and where they attained those crucial characteristics. All people are concerned about is the color of their skin. This is a very superficial way of thinking about a person and their background, because there are countless factors that are ignored when one is identified exclusively by the color of their skin. Therefore I would have to say that our identity chooses us.
I feel Barack Obama identified most with black people because even though his home life was primarily influenced by white people, when he was at school or some environment outside of the home, it may have been easier for him to connect with black people because he was phenotypically similar to them. And it is on this same notion that we all accept his identification. I admit that when I first heard of Barack Obama, I deemed that he was not white based solely on his name. Then when I had a face to put with the name, I knew I was right. Not until the race heated up and we learned more about the candidates did I learn that he was half white. Yet, this did not stop many people, of all skin color, to classify him as the first black president. With his inauguration just a few days away, I still hear him being referred to as just black. This makes it seem that both news personality and regular citizens alike feel it is unfit that he can be both black and white; he must choose to be on this side or the other. Having a president that can adequately identify with both races would make his taking the office boring. I feel that a lot of black people consider him only as black so they can have this victory. After 43 white presidents, they finally get one of their own in the office. If Obama is both white and black, they have to share him with white people, which would cheapen the thrill. For others who make judgments based on skin color, he can only be black to be disliked. If I am white, I cannot hate someone who is half white.
On the subject of my own identity, I classify myself as German, Polish, Irish, and Italian. Though my family observes traditions from all of these ethnicities, if you look at the numbers, I am mostly German. I knew the breakdown of my identity at a young age, but whenever I was asked ‘what I was,’ I always said Italian. Reflecting back on it, I think my younger self felt that saying Italian would make me cooler. My family was from New York and when we moved to a rural town in northeastern Pennsylvania, I could link New York to Italians to Pizza, making me the coolest kid in the third grade. I have tan skin and dark hair color, so I just felt that I should identify with that ethnicity. Plus, Super Mario was a fun Italian stereotype to identify with. As I got older, I learned more about my ancestry and now when asked the same question, I respond with all components of my makeup. I thank my parents for this; not once while I was growing up did they feel that one ethnicity was more important than another.
This past presidential election was the first election I was old enough to vote in. Besides this being such a historical election, I felt in necessary that I exercise my right to vote in my first opportunity to do so. In doing so I voted for Barack Obama. I myself am a white, American Jew. Both my parents are white. My father is Jewish and my mother is Christian. My parents decided to raise me Jewish and because of their choice I identify myself as a Jew. I went to Hebrew school as a child and was Bar Mitzvahed. I choose to identify myself as a white, American Jew for a few reasons. First when you look at me, it is clear that I am white. Second, I have been brought up with Jewish ideals in mind. I personally am not the most religious person. I might go to Temple once or twice a year and that’s it. I don’t keep kosher. For the most part, being Jewish is more of a label than what I base my life around. I like the taste of bacon so I am going to eat bacon. I am a busy person and therefore cannot afford to do no work on Sundays as it is said I shouldn’t. I live my life not based upon what religion, ethnicity or political affiliation I have. I live my life the way I want to. If someone asks me “What am I” I will respond with “I am a white, American Jew”, but really I could easily respond with “I am a person”. No political party, or religion is going to prevent me from doing what I want to do or think. Could they have some impact on what I do or think? Possibly, but in the end I feel we all need to be ourselves and do what we want to do. An even better response to the question “What am I” would be, “I am a die hard sports fan. I live my life from season to season, sport to sport. From the Penn State Nittany Lions to the New York Yankees, sports are who I am.” Barack Obama has chosen to identify himself as African American. When one looks at him, they can clearly tell he is black. My decision in voting for him was not based upon what ethnic group he identifies himself most with. I voted for this man because I feel he is what this country needs in a time of economic and cultural turmoil. I believe in the change he promises not because he is black, but because he is a person who this country needs. Do we choose who we are? Absolutely!
To preface my response, I would like to state that we live in a society today that implies two major races—white, and non-white. This is not to say that I personally see things this way, but I think unless your skin is a light peachy color, you would be grouped in with the “everything else” category. So, for this response, I think Obama had no choice.
If he were to stand in front of the whole world and claim to be white, I am quite sure there would a complete outrage. I think it is true that someone with a multi-racial background would not have to “accept” those labels that are given to him or her, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else would. Those who are white would question the validity of his statement, and those who weren’t would more than likely feel betrayed that he identified with the white culture. me, this is sad but true. I would go as far to say that what connects Obama with black people is his appearance alone. Let’s get into stereotypes. A young successful man graduating from both Columbia and Harvard Law and being the President elect of the United States… he is probably white. Well, that is what most people would think. I would like to give some credit to the world’s thought process but in America, we all know the stereotypes, and for now, they are convenient. If Obama were connected to his own story (rejecting ancestry) he has lived a more typical “white” life than other race. So, going back to what I was saying, he looks black, so that is what he will be. No one questions him because of his appearance. If he were to state he was white, we might delve more into things.
When someone asks me what I am, I usually will respond, “I am a mutt.” I am a mix of Irish, German, and Polish, definitely a member of the Aryan race. My freshman year in college, my friend from Germany stopped me mid-sentence to tell me I was not German, I was American. This caused me to think—how much of me really is German, Irish, etc. I looked into things and got really into Genealogy, and now I am more inclined to say those three cultures. Those people created me. At the same time however, I would identify with most Americans, not Irish or Germans. My culture is different. I have been raised as a red, white and blue child. I am proud of where I come from, but also not ignorant enough to think I am really informed about it. If you were to look at me, you could easily tell I am completely Caucasian. I have light skin, blue eyes, and light brown hair. If I were to even start to say I was of a different race, no one would believe me. I am American at the end of the day. I have a friend with dark hair, eyes, and skin claiming how Italian she is. I am guessing her mother’s, aunt’s best friends, husband’s dog sitter was probably the one who immigrated to the United States. If she wants to claim that heritage, that is fine with me, but all-in-all, she is no more Italian, culturally that is, than I am. I guess you could say I am a cynic with these things. I would like to think that people think about their responses and their cultures in more than just an on-the-surface thing. Having a big appetite doesn’t make you Italian, just as my love for potatoes doesn’t make me Irish. Some people identify with that convenience, and I am guessing that is what Obama has done as well.
I personally feel that race chooses us. I label myself as a white German American. My ancestry is German, Swedish, and Dutch. I think that race chooses us through how our parents and grandparents label themselves. My mother labels herself as a German and so does my Father. I think my parents influence how I label myself. In general if anyone asked what I was in elementary school I probably would have said white. In elementary school I did not go to school with any black or African American kids. I was kind of secluded from society in a way. I knew that these people existed, but I didn’t think of them as any different from me. I first went to school with African American people when I was in high school. It was a different environment for me. I am in a military home so we tend to move a lot and the experiences opened my eyes to racism. I do not call myself racist at all. Two of my very best friends are black. I felt secluded when I first started to hang out with them because I was known as the “white girl.” At first it bugged me being labeled like that, but I realized that I labeled them too.
As for the whole Obama thing, I understand how he can label himself black or African American because of his appearance. Most African Americans call themselves black because of the way they look. If I were Obama I would have labeled myself black because of the way I looked. To me it doesn’t matter what his race is or where he came from. America voted him as president and that’s a great thing. We are changing history. I know Obama grew up in a white home, mostly, but how can he call himself white? I think if he called himself white people would look at him like he was crazy or something. If he called himself black, like he does, people can agree with him because of his appearance. I think that Obama should call himself multiracial. He is half white and have black. So why my call himself mixed, like some people I know do? Maybe he doesn’t want to call himself mixed because that’s when the whole issue of religion comes into play with him? I honestly don’t know. I cant answer my own questions. He can only answer them for me.
I honestly get somewhat annoyed when he claims himself as a black. He is multiracial and when I hear people calling him the first “black” president, I get annoyed. He is not only black, he is partly white too. He has many ethnicities in him and he only claims one. Why does he only claim one? I think he should claim them all because more people would be open to him ideas. In conclusion, I think race chooses us and that what society sees also influences our decisions.
This article has produced a hard core debate between my roommates, neither of which are in this class. So much so that one of my roommates wrote her own response to this blog, which I will not present because she is much more conservative then me.
The question that this blog introduces is do we choose our identity, or does our identity choose us? I believe that we choose our own identity. In my opinion, Obama chose to present himself solely as an African American during the presidential race as a strategy to capture more votes. I can’t say I blame him for this decision, but at the same time it annoys me that he is presented only as an African American. While I cannot speak for Obama, I know that most people of mixed backgrounds tend to present themselves in that way. Prior to responding to this blog I called a friend who is half black and half white and asked her if she had to choose, would she consider herself black or white? And “culturally” which group did she relate to more? She responded to me saying that she does not consider herself to be one or the other. For example, when asked on a form, she identifies herself as biracial or she selects the other category and writes both black and white. This response did not surprise me. Growing up I had many friends whose race or ethnicity was not concrete. If half black and half white, they all responded as such. If they were half Christian and half Jewish they said they were both. Of all the mixed people that I have come into contact with, when asked they would respond by claiming they were mixed.
Now if I am supposed to consider that identity grows out of culture than I know a lot of black people who would then consider themselves white and a lot of white people that would consider themselves black. What really is the culture of someone that is black or someone that is white other then a stereotype? I grew up in a suburban town with a descent mix of people. I had a black friend who hung out with mostly white people and wanted to be Usher. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t find Usher to be that gangster. “Culturally”, if you looked at this kid he could consider himself white, but both of his parents are black. I had another black friend that worked at my near by JCC (Jewish Community Center), “culturally” he could consider himself Jewish, but he was brought up Christian. Finally I know a bunch of white kids who tried to present themselves as tough and thought that they were black. Could this “culturally” make them so?
All in all, I believe you can choose your identity. Only you know who you identify closest with and basing who you are on culture is irrelevant, because who really knows how one broad group culturally acts.
Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?
I want to start out by saying that I myself have wondered why Barack Obama identifies himself as an African American man, when he is in fact, only one-half African American and one-half white American. I was not previously aware that he additionally was not raised by anyone of African American descent. I think however, that it is possibly very good for our nation that he identifies himself as an African American, as this may bring more equality among races. This may force people to see other skin colors in a different light, and realize that we are all one in the same. I think this may be most why Barack Obama identifies more with his African American descent, he wants to see change in the nation. …but when it really comes down to it – does skin color really matter? I think we as Americans accept his identification as African American without thinking much about it because in the day and age when race has come so far, who are we (especially whites) to take someone’s racial identity away from them. If he’s one-half white and one-half black, and chooses to identify with the black side, then so be it. Additionally, I don’t know how many people actually know that he is half and half. I know that I didn’t know until I read this blog (clearly I’m not very into politics).
I think that we label ourselves with an identity partly because it is the family roots that we most strongly connect with and partly because it is what society has labeled us as. For example, people born in Little Italy or Staten Island will most likely automatically identify with their Italian heritage, because that is what everything surrounding them tells them to do. However, I know for me, I identify myself as a White American. When someone asks me “what are you?” that is how I respond. I don’t identify at all with my heritage as Irish, Dutch, French, German, Scottish, and Norwegian. Though it may be where my family developed from, I don’t feel like that has anything to do with who I am today. I am white and I live in America (as did my parents and their parents) so I feel that is who I am. I have identified myself this way since sixth grade. Our teacher asked us, “if you were on a plane and someone asked you what you were, what would you say back?” She went around the classroom asking for answers and I was the only one who said American. I personally wonder why so many people list their family’s roots as the answer to this question…do they really feel that they are so strongly connected with their German/French/etc. roots that they have to tell this to other people? I know that I don’t feel one bit connected to my very old heritage. I live in American and I am white, therefore I am a White-American.
This particular question of identity is ultimately dependent on existing definitions of “race.” Other anthropologists like myself like to say, “race is merely a cultural construct,” or, “race is not a biological reality.” Some even proclaim that, “race doesn’t exist!” While I understand the genomic bases for their arguments, I tend to disagree with their attitudes. They say these things in self-defense, not out of a need to proclaim genuine belief. Before WWII, some anthropologists were very interested in race. Many were cataloguing phenotypic differences between peoples across the globe. This in itself was a perfectly acceptable effort, at least in my view, as it could have had brought us toward a better understanding of prehistoric migration patterns and the like. The problem was that eugenicists and Nazis used these same data to further their claims and justify their actions. A complete misuse and misinterpretation of the data, of course, but the field of anthropology has been coping with this stain on its honor ever since. As such many anthropologists are quick to redeem themselves today by making claims such as “race doesn’t exist.”
Well, the fact is, race does exist. Yes, the gist of it may be a cultural construct, but in this country at least, the construct is based on biological realities, superficial as these may be. People of sufficiently different geographical ancestries have distinguishing superficial features that are often noticeable, and these differences have genetic (biological) roots. To be “colorblind” is to be literally blind (since birth). These minor biological differences are real, but how we interpret them is another matter, a cultural one. What I mean is, our American perception of race is partly, if not largely, based on appearances, that is, on the looks of people. Individuals are generally classified into a racial category at first sighting. One is Asian if they have Asian features; one is black if they look black. Of course, if you get to know a person, you may discover that he/she is actually multiracial, but if you don’t, your first impressions are all that will stand. And it is these first impressions that can have huge implications for interpersonal relations, and these relations in turn can have a profound effect on one’s feeling of personal identity.
In the case of Obama, I am reluctant to say that he never “chose” his nominal racial identity. I find it hard to believe that an intelligent person such as he would never have thought twice about the fact that he classifies himself. However, I believe his choice is based on factors that were not so up to him. He doesn’t choose arbitrarily to call himself black. I think his interpersonal relationships growing up, outside of his home and family circle, were decidedly affected by his physical appearance. I would imagine, especially in those days, that his looks were enough to determine who most often associated with him. I have yet to read his memoirs, so please correct me if I’m wrong. Because he looks black, white kids may have been less apt to approach him in school, so his circle of friends may have been predominantly black. As important as family life is, our circle of friends can have a pretty huge impact on us as well. I think this, in part, is where his feeling of identity comes from. In this culture, you’re black if you look black, latino if you look latino, asian if you look asian, white if you look white. So, in a way, he both chooses his identity, and his identity chooses him.
This interpretation of mine comes from parallel personal experience. I’m half white (Swedish) and half Asian (Filipino). I generally classify myself as multiracial, or a “mutt” of sorts, but I must admit that I look pretty white. I tan easily but I’m certainly not as brown as my mother. As far as I can tell, after living these 21 years, most people tag me as white before I tell them otherwise. Actually, I’ve also had Spanish spoken to me on multiple occasions when Latinos have figured I was one of them. In any event, I don’t look that Asian. As such, I didn’t end up chilling with the Filipino kids growing up, the other Asians. They never identified me as one of them, and so most of my friends are white. The few Filipino families in State College generally get together at Christmas time and throw a party. I’ve met a good many young Filipinos at these parties, many of them my age. But as we grew up, I found our interactions increasingly awkward. The fact was, they envisioned themselves as brown, and considered me another white kid in another world. I think my appearance has had a real effect on my social history, and the contributing factors are not all in my control. Of course, I could thereby choose to call myself just white, and not half and half. This I suppose is partly my choice. So again, I say that racial identity is our choice in a sense, but it also chooses us.
You are a product of your environment. From the minute you are born and until the minute you die you are constantly soaking up information that comes others around you; directly or indirectly. Now in Mr. Obama’s case his identification of the African-American culture comes from the perception of his family, friends, and peers at a young age. Just think about this thought for a minute, what if you were born in complete solitude; without any kind of human interaction or any social counterparts? You would end up as a completely bland individual not functioning as normal individuals, and forming your own thoughts or opinions about things. For Obama growing up was very different than many of his relatives, and many peers his age. His slight pigmentation automatically categorized him as “different”. As young children do Obama searched for identification, if he wasn’t “white” like everyone else then what was he? Not being accepted as “purely white” he was then categorized as mixed. You see, Obama didn’t know he was mixed with African American growing up, he was simply told he was mixed with African American. Without these pre-determined labels’s Obama would have simply identified himself as an Obama and nothing else. This is the exact reason you are a product of your environment, and in return your environment is the architect of your identity. Not being accepted is a very hard thing for any individual to take. Some people choose to resent the group they were rejected from or simply assimilate to fit in. In my opinion in the black community as long as you are not clearly different (being purely white, Asian, or any other kind of race) and have African roots apparent by skin color, you are viewed as black male or female. So in Obama’s case he looked for some kind of identity and for many biracial people that comes from the race they feel most accepted by. Now I’m not saying that the white community isn’t accepting of different cultures but in the public’s eye, any slight pigmentation in skin color is automatically ruled out of being white. This is simply due to the label’s of society, and I’m not blaming the white community for placing the labels on the Obama or any other biracial people, because it very well could have been a black person saying to Obama, “Look at your skin your obviously not white, you’re a black man.” Either way it is society as a wholes fault that foolish labels are placed on people of a different ethnicity. So I’m assuming that being categorized at such a young age Obama felt more acceptance in the black community opposed to the white community which eventually led to his strong identification with the black culture. Once again though Mr. Obama had nothing to do with his identity, it was already pre-determined by fabricated labels.
The issue of Barack Obama’s background raises an important, often overlooked issue of race in America: racial identity. In Obama’s case, what is it that makes him “African American”? Although his biological father was Kenyan, his mother was of English and Irish descent. He was raised by his white mother and his white grandparents. He attended schools in Indonesia and Hawaii. How, through all this, does Obama become exclusively African American? It should probably be agreed, that a more correct term for Obama should be that he is multiracial. Many have already argued that Obama is in fact not African American, that he is not descended from slaves and did not experience a true “African American” upbringing. Obama is not alone in his multiracial roots. Millions of U.S. citizens can claim multiple racial backgrounds. However, an especially troubling issue comes out of the black community. Many experience an identity ‘crisis” of sorts growing up of mixed heritage. Someone half black and half white is most often seen as exclusively black in society. The white half is disregarded – to whites. Personally, I find that whites see half black half white individuals as black. The African American community often has trouble embracing members of mixed backgrounds. But, because of how biracial people are viewed (as black), they are treated as such and find comfort in the black community. This effect is similar to a self fulfilling prophecy. If everyone treats him like he’s black, looks at him like he’s black, talks to him like he’s black, he will assume the identity of a black man. It is only natural. Take for instance Tiger Woods, who is himself only a quarter black, yet is considered black for all purposes in society. A closer look at his heritage reveals that he is a quarter Thai and a quarter Chinese as well, which makes him more Asian than black. However, because he appears black, he is treated as such. He is not credited as the first Asian to win the Masters. There are countless other people with similar backgrounds to Obama or Woods. In the case of African Americans though, the features are much more evident and are easily recognizable. However, this is also true for Asians as well though. Typically, someone half Asian and half white will never be labeled as a white American. People associate with where they come from. Had Obama or Woods grown up in another country, perhaps they would not associate themselves as African American. I think the predominant indicator of “what we are” is society itself. If you are constantly told you are black and treated in that way, what difference is there really? The people who say Obama did not experience a true African American upbringing are wrong. For most purposes, he was considered African American growing up his entire life. This means he went through both the positives and negatives of being perceived as black.
Obama chose to identify himself as black to gain votes in the election. Yes, by the color of his skin, our first guess is that he is African American. But his blood only contains half African blood, and no African culture. So how can anyone really say he is African American? However his minority color and majority background can only improve his likeliness to succeed in the polls. He chose to take claim in the best of both worlds yet did not technically claim himself as biracial. I understand his connection to other African Americans because his color does not match that of a white American, but in reality his whiter American than he led on. Of course we all accept his claim in his African heritage and think nothing else of it because we look at the color and that is all. Would it be different if he inherited more White American genes and didn’t inherit the color of an African American? Would people argue otherwise? Would he even claim is minority heritage? The only reason he even made his heritage such a big deal was to make a historic moment of it and to grab the votes of those with different ethnic back ground. Yet did anyone hear of his Indonesian influence? No, they did not because that would not get the votes. Also, I believe because Obama used his back ground to make a “historic moment” in United States elections, he caused the election to be focused on that, and that only. It became a fight between the African American and the Woman. No one cared to look at experiential back round, knowledge, and policies, but on what would make a better historic moment. The question became, “Is the U.S. ready for an African American or a Woman?” I honestly believe that neither of these campaign angles was right. No one should make ethnic back ground or sex a reason to elect or not elect. If people really wanted to make history, they would not focus on race in the election, because it would not matter. What would matter is what they would do as president.
I myself am several things. I am Irish, Scottish, Swedish, French Canadian, English, and Native American. When someone looks at me, what they see is a white American. They don’t look at my high cheek bones and see my Native American heritage or any others at that. But if someone asks me what I am, my answer is American because that is what I am. I am American. Just like my good friend who is Caucasian born and raised in Africa, is African. I don’t consider him anything other than African. So why should anyone consider me anything other than American? As generation after generation is born, lives, and grows old in this great country, people will have so many ethnicities we will no longer be capable of naming them all. They will just be Americans. And only then will people stop using the “race card”.
Personally, I believe our identity is an even combination of both our cultural and biological background. Our culture influences our identity just as much as our biological factors. The norm may be that people identify others based purely on their dominant features, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a choice to identify ourselves as something other than that. Obama could have chosen to identify himself as white because he was raised by his white mother and grandparents, but if he feels more comfortable identifying himself as an African American than he has every right to do so. On that note, I must say that I agree with what was mentioned in one of the responses that we should choose whichever identity we feel most comfortable with even if it goes against what is expected and accepted by other people. We should be proud of who we are culturally and biologically.
On the other hand, many of us choose to identify ourselves as who we are strictly based upon biological factors just to avoid controversy and because it is socially accepted. If Obama would have identified himself as a “white American” this would have come off as a complete insult to most of the people of his race. It also would have probably infuriated most white Americans that cannot get past the idea that physical appearance and skin color is what makes a person who they are no matter how they were raised. It would seem as though he was ashamed of being an African American instead of the reason that he was surrounded by white relatives his entire childhood. He also would have lost a significant amount of support from those who identified with his African American culture. I also had seen the clip of interviews of several black members who voted for Obama that had answered questions based on McCain’s policies, but agreed because the interviewer said they were Obama’s policies instead. This shows how many people who could identify with his race voted for him purely on his physical appearance alone, not realizing that he was just as much white as he was black. The color of our skin still plays such a vital role in how we judge and identify others.
No one knows you better than you do, how you were raised, and what lifestyles were presented by your parents. Therefore, you should be the deciding factor of how you want to be identified no matter what the public eye is lead to believe. My grandfather’s parents emigrated from Italy and raised him in America. My grandfather still follows all of the Italian traditions and culture that his parents instilled upon him even though he was born and raised in America. He loves his Italian roots and is proud of it and chooses to be identified that way. Too often we label people by their dominant features because that is what we were taught to do, but because our cultural factors play just as much of a role in our lives, we should be able to identify ourselves however we choose. What we feel comfortable identifying ourselves as is key and we should be proud of both our biological and cultural background.
I believe the only way that we will really ever settle the dispute of Barack Obama’s race is through the Dave Chappelle’s Show Racial Draft. That was the process for which we confirmed the race of multiracial stars such as Tiger Woods (Black), Lenny Kravitz (Jewish), Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice (White), as well as the Wu Tang Clan (Chinese).
However, democratic president elect Barack Obama, chose to racially identify himself as African American rather than allowing a comedy show or the media to choose his race for him. Politics, which is already a delicate topic in itself, became even more delicate this past year when an African American was the representative of a major party in a presidential election.
Democratic candidate Barack Obama, racially claimed to be an African American among other racial backgrounds of his heritage. His appearance suggests he is atleast a % African American, however his genes lend other possibilities, one of which is White. For political, historical, or personal reasons, his decision made this past election one for the ages.
The thought of having a “black” president scared many Americans but excited a large majority of the population, which is exactly what Obama and his campaign were counting on. As Election Day approached most Americans anticipated a close race. The media and every critic had pen and paper in hand ready to scribe the historical significance of what was about to take place. As we all know Barack Obama went on to win the election that night and I for one can guarantee that every article written in the paper the next day mentioned his racial identity of African American. Headlines read, “Obama Breaks Racial Barriers”. Certainly, this election will go down in history as possibly the most significant event of the 21st century and some may give it even higher praise. However, it is worth speculating the historical impact of his choice of racial identification. If Obama would have stated from the beginning he was multiracial and stuck with that statement for political correctness does he win the election? And if he had won under that label would we be publicizing the historical significance of this election so much? I do not have the answers and I do not know if anyone does but it warrants discussion undoubtedly.
In general, people do not like to talk about race on a day-to-day basis due to the uncomfortable nature of the topic. This is why many blinded realities of racial and multiracial issues are for the majority discussed and accepted in comedic form. Well, newsflash, we have a president of color regardless and of his racial identification it is not a joke. I anticipate racial comments and concerns arising throughout Barack’s presidency due to his identification as an African American but without that there is no saying if he would be our president, as we know today.
Clearly history will be made Tuesday with the first African-American President being sworn into office. Many people never thought this would ever be possible. I can only imagine the joy of those who struggled with discrimination and were alive during the civil rights movement. Now we have to consider his true ethnicity, I would say that many whites consider him black but many people of african decent consider him as 'mixed'. In the 19th century as well as the early 20th century, America had a one-drop policy. This policy meant that is you had on drop of African-American blood you were considered black. I believe that even though this policy is no longer in place, it still is an Unconscious rule we follow in determining ethnicity. There was a man named Walter White in the 1940's who had black ancestry but genetics left him with fair skin blonde hair and blue eyes. From the first glance everyone thought he was white, but because of his ethnicity, he used his appearance to further civil rights and investigate lynching.
I can relate to Obama because my mother is white and my dad is black. My parents have been separated since college and my mom raised me. I would say this had so much of an impact on my life. Since the only world knew was a white world, i was generally drawn to white people. Because of that, the black people at school really never accepted me, I was too white for them. With my white friends, I was constantly reminded of my rce and what I was supposed to act like, as a black person. It really got on my nerves. Why did I have to conform to one stereotype? I was me and that was all that mattered. I can say I realy never had an interest in learning about my black ancestry, therefore I had what you can call a white personality and mannerisms. Many people are judged upon how they look and act, therefore thats what we conform to. Many people question my ethnicity, I've gotten hispanic, egyptian, Mediterranean, Italian, muslim, brazilian, Caribbean, basically anyone with tan skin and white features. I dont know if I would act different if I was raised by my dad. Maybe? Who knows? I would say Identity chooses us, but we can also choose our identity. We have the power to do anything with our lives, sure our parents are are the single most influence on our lives and our identity, but we can choose who we want to become and overcome any stereotypes that people may have.
We are taught “not to judge a book by its cover’ but in all reality everyone is judges by their color. I don’t think Barack Obama chose what race to be called at this moment it’s just what was obvious. I think he was just called “black” because of his skin complexion. For the most part people look at your skin color and automatically refer you as your complexion. I believe that since his skin complexion was dark skinned he felt more connected because he knew he was half white and half black but the more dominate gene is what you are. When you are growing up it’s either your white, black, Mexican, Chinese, etc... If you were mixed you was getting made fun of that is still going on nowadays. The society or where you are raised shapes who you really are. I really don’t think people can really change what he is, he considers himself black but he never forgets where he came from and who raised him. He stresses that issue as much as any other issue he brings to our attention. We all know that his white side of the family raised him and was in his life and he really didn’t have any connection with his black side of the family, but he mixes well with the black side more than the white side. Its either he “acts white” and be called an Oreo or he act what everyone see him as, which is black. I don’t feel as if Barack Obama is in the wrong for considering himself as the “first black president “of the United States” because that is what he feels more connected to. Barack being in office is a good thing no matter if he is multiracial; it’s the point of change. Many people think that everyone is stuck on him being black but I feel is the only reason for some things but I feel that is beyond the point. We never saw a black face to run the world, and now that we see a black face it’s something different. For the most part we are mimicking our parents and grandparents but as we grow older and wiser we choose our own identity to follow. We know who we are and where we came from but we chose to be considered as this and that. Where we grew up helps us decide what we are, who raised us, who we had as friends, our complexion, and what we know about our grandparents and parents. Most of us only know what we see and that is all that we know, whereas others can follow to ancestry and really define who they are. Barack Obama is an American even if he is multiracial and that is something that we all have to live with.
I feel as though society identifies race and what people consider themselves to gain a better understanding of where we come from and where we are going. I feel like choosing one race over another for Obama comes from maybe him identifying more with the African American race. The struggle that African Americans have gone through or are going through at this moment is something he can identify with. At the same time I am sure he can identify with other races as well, but calling himself black could have to do with the fact that he was as a child not quite white so automatically considered Black. I think labeling people just makes everything simpler, but your race doesn’t identify one as a person, it is just one aspect of who we are. I do not think that Obama calling himself African American is a big deal but once African Americans hear that he has Black in him they feel a sense of trust and an understanding for someone who looks like them, as well as being able to identify with them. The fact that Obama is multiracial he can identify with many people of color be it Black, Indian, Latino… and that is what truly make him such a suitable candidate for President.
I think we see Black as a predominate part of a person in terms of multiracial people but who said that one has to choose which race they want to be considered, why does it have to be so black and white? Why can’t we create new races based on the types of mixes people come up with? When you look at Obama he looks like an African American so it comes as no surprise that he is considered African American. So do we choose our identity or does it choose us? I believe we choose our identity, because I have plenty of friends who were Caucasian or Puerto Rican who say that they are Black. Every race has different stereotypes and characteristics that identify them as that race. So when my White and Puerto Rican friends are constantly exposed to the Black culture such as music, discourse, dress, and political issues. If they can identify with it because they live in the same area as Blacks or they face the same conditions as Blacks, then they sometimes consider themselves Black.
I remember as a child learning that races like Latinos and Indians come from African Americans, in other words brown people have African American Blood in their blood. At the time I learned this fact I thought that it was amazing. I was really young but today I still do not know if that fact is true, I do not believe that it is but I wonder if teachers are still telling young students this same thing today. In the end I think labeling yourself as one Ethnic group is no big deal, so one should not be reprimanded for choosing one over the other.
-Erika Moore
I am a multiracial young woman. I come from Irish, Austrian, Ethiopian, Egyptian, Cherokee, and Apache ancestry. My father is Caucasian and my mother is African American with a little bit of Native American ancestry. My whole life, I have always been fair-skinned with light eyes. People often do not even realize that I am half black when they look at me. Many people think I look exotic but cannot exactly pinpoint what my ethnicity is, and oftentimes people think I am just all white.
While I am proud of my heritage and like people to know that I am biracial, I have always identified more with the white part of myself, and I think that is because of several reasons. First of all, I always participated in sports and dance classes growing up. The vast majority of the children on my teams and in my dance classes were white. Even in school, there were few children who weren’t Caucasian. Thus, I grew up with all white friends, and it stayed that way all through elementary, middle, and high school. The only times I was really around a primarily black group of people were when my parents and I went to Ohio to visit my mom’s side of the family.
Barack Obama is half black and half white, just like I am. But he looks like he could be completely African American, so people think of him in that way. If someone called me white or black, I would correct them because I am not comfortable being classified as only one thing. But I think that Obama is okay with it not simply because he identifies more with his black heritage, but because it works in his advantage in his political career as President-elect. He is making history. Being called the first African American President is a huge honor and makes him an extremely prominent and historical figure. If he identified himself as white, people would think it was odd since he looks black, and if he identified himself as biracial, he would not so often be called the first African American President. Maybe he would be called the first non-white President or the first biracial President, but it wouldn’t sound as exciting. Plus, it really works well for his campaign since his speeches and philosophies are so related to change. Having a black President is a big change for America because it symbolizes the nation’s growth and possibilities of a future in which racism is eliminated.
I think that the way people grow up influences the way they see themselves and the world around them. People grow up in so many various ways with different family, economic, environmental, and other situations that determine what kinds of people they become.
While I believe Barack Obama has the right to choose to identify with whichever part of his multicultural heritage he wants, I think we all can see society chooses for us, whether we want it that way or not. Humans have created their own ideas of what physical features (skin color, hair color, eye color, hair texture, and facial features) throw us under a heading of a particular race.
It is easier for people to label what they recognize as familiar features and draw the lines to their idea of the corresponding race or ethnicity. It is only done this way because people like to do things that make sense, and this is a sense of organizing people. If it is organized, and there is a name for it, people are more comfortable and familiar with the idea of a race or culture different from their own because it has been examined, analyzed, and sorted out in a neat fashion, and it has always "worked" that way. No questions asked, right? Safety in numbers, "in this group, not that group", and yet these labels and degrees of separation may be one of the dangerous things mankind has done to us. "Humans are strange, and that's why we're strangers", says the song I'm listening to right now. I must say, it is strange that we like to group people in such a peculiar fashion.
When I took the personal survey on Angel, one question reminded me of something I used to think about. It basically asked how happy I would be if I learned I had a multiracial heritage. While I currently only identify myself as white or Caucasian, I would be excited to see something else in my history. Mostly, I would think of it as, "Wow, my ancestors had pretty open minds and decided to have kids with people of other races. I have some open-minded genes in me, score." Culturally, I have a heritage of Slovak, Irish, Austrian and Polish. I am proud to have at least that level of culture tolerance in my blood (at least they stepped out of their native country's borders). Besides that, if I found I had various races in my blood, I would also feel like I had a little 'depth' to me, racially speaking, and probably feel like there was so much to my past that I never even knew about.
With that being said, it becomes an evident point that someday, the branches of our family trees and ancestors will grow so high we will find such a hard time keeping track of all the ethnic and cultural variability. So while we like to have an identity for ourselves and discover it through our ancestors' past, perhaps we need to recognize that the most important identity is the one we make for ourselves. Not everyone is quite on the same page, to say "Oh I know I am part x, and y and z. But by being grouped into a category, it is assumed there is more in common than simply ethnicity". See, that is when people begin to judge on terms of a group basis, not the individual whom we have the most power to define for ourselves.
I guess the question of whether or not Obama is the “first black president” depends on if we are defining race biologically or by how one identifies himself. We learned in lecture on Thursday that the number of Americans who identify themselves as multiracial is a lot smaller than the number of people who actually are multiracial, biologically. Obama may have used his race to add some hype to his campaign, but can we really say that he’s not black? By choosing a single racial identity, he is following suit with most other Americans who are multiracial. I don’t think Obama’s choice of self-identified race can be a reason for pointing fingers. We’d have to point fingers at every other person who chooses a single race. There have been many “first black Americans” to do …whatever; do we look into all of their ethnic histories to be sure that they are not multiracial? And should we really deny the fact that Obama appears to be a black man, stripping the historical significance from his presidency? Would everyone be happier if we said “he’s the first president who appears to be black”. To me, there’s not much of a difference, besides “political correctness”. Perhaps Obama would have identified with more people by claiming that he was multiracial, being biologically white and black, and socially influenced by his white mother and grandparents and his Indonesian stepfather. But then he’d REALLY be playing the race card, right? So, in effect, Obama kind of ISN’T using race to his advantage because he is identifying with a single race, instead of many.
I’m not an expert on Obama’s life and experiences, but I would guess that Obama connects with black people because he looks black. He has probably been the victim of some type racial discrimination in his life. In this respect, his upbringing and social construction doesn’t play a role. Many of us succumb to judging others by what we can see. This is no different than a physically disabled person indentifying with another physically disabled person. The problems they have faced are probably similar. Black people are largely underrepresented in many areas. Now a man who physically appears black represents the entire country. Most people in black communities are proud of that. I accept that Obama identifies himself as a black man because I would want others to respect my self-chosen racial identity. It’s up to each of us to choose which race to identify with, or to not choose a race if that’s what we prefer to do. But others can’t see your true ethnicity or your chosen self-identified race. Those of us who do not know you can only describe you racially by what we see. I think it would be kind of silly to identify Obama as white, despite his upbringing.
I do not think that today’s society is ready to accept multiracial people. We still see things very black and white, including people. Though Obama is half black and half white, he chose to identify himself as African American. His culture growing up, was probably not that much different from any of us. He was raised in a white household and had little influence from his African American roots. But I’d question how much our roots truly define us. So what if his father was from Kenya? My great grandparents came over from Ireland, but that doesn’t make me anymore Irish in my eyes. I had little influence from any cultures in my blood besides America as I grew up – so I am American.
I think we get to mostly choose our identity, even if technically it chooses us. Obama could not feasibly stand in front of America during the Presidential Campaigns and announce that he sees himself as white. Nor could he explain that his is multiracial and multicultural. There are still some people who do not see how this is acceptable. He looks black and therefore he will always say he is black no matter how his culture shaped him. Yes he grew up in a white household, but he also grew up in America. And that is all that should matter when it comes down to it. He is an American and isn’t that what we ultimately want in a President of this country?
There are definitely people who agreed with Obama’s plans for this country and supported him 100%. However, I question whether everyone who voted for him actually voted for him or if they voted to say they took part in something that will go down in the history books. Obama’s campaign was all about “change”. Yet I think some people took this to be not just change for America, but change for the racial issues we are still facing today. I’d like to think that he did not use this word to give him the upper hand in the election but I definitely believe it did. He didn’t choose to look the way that he does but he did choose to identify himself with his African American roots. And by doing that, he reached a far wider audience than McCain could have ever done. Obama was able to connect with the African Americans in the country who have waited a long time to be recognized as well as everyone else who wanted to be a part of history or was too afraid to not vote for him. Would not voting for the first half-black candidate make us as a country racist? Everything comes back to bite you in the back some day.
I do believe that anyone who is multiracial can choose to identify themselves as whatever they want. If they feel more black than white, more power to them. However, I think it really does matter how you look. Without talking to a person, you never know what they are really made of. We are taught from an early age not to judge anyone, yet we still do it all the time because it’s easier to stay at a distance and accept what you hear rather than do a little research yourself. However, I think it is still truly amazing that as of today, we do have a multiracial President in office.
When it comes to race, actual ancestral heritance does not play the most important role. This, however, does not make sense because race is in fact defined in majority by where you are from. Yet, especially in America, a person’s race is pronounced almost solely on skin color. A lot about where a person comes from can be told by a person’s skin color, but this can also be very misleading at times. This can be shown by simply picking a color and listing all the possibilities for a person’s heritage which would lead such a color. Just because a person is black, does not mean that he is from Africa. A black person could hail from other such places as Jamaica, Haiti, much of the Central and South American countries, or any number of other places. However, upon first look many people would simply describe them as black. If such a person was to talk and have an accent, a more accurate assumption could be made. Or perhaps the person has other qualities that better represent their country of origin. The problem is that younger generations of these people in America have begun to lose many of these other qualities, including accent and possibly physical characteristics if one were to be of mixed blood. Even these people can be seen to call themselves simply black, or another color. America’s issue is not that its people see color, it’s that the people do not see enough color. Simply seeing black, white, and other is not enough because we are generalizing and focusing too much on how a person looks. Saying a person is white tells nothing of that person’s origins. Whites can hail from any number of European countries as well as many of the same places as people of different colors. There are whites in America that can technically be called African-American because many southern Africans are indeed white. However, most people when hearing the term African-American simply think of it as the politically correct way to describe a person who is black. It is this sort of confusion which can be used to explain why Barack Obama calls himself African-American over all else. If he were to call himself white, people look at him and simply become confused and most likely would think he was kidding. To see a person who looks black call himself white would go against everything people know about race. However in looking culturally at Obama, he could easily call himself white. If one were to ask any young black American if Obama was truly “black” he would get a strong no. Of course, this would not make sense to say that someone is a certain color but does not act that color in that skin color is simply that: a color. However it is the cultural connections that come with color that these thoughts and assumptions come from. Although Obama does not “act black,” he can call himself so and thus use it to win the election for president of the United States.
Barack Obama. The first black president? The first half black president? To me, this seems like the epitome of a pointless debate. He’s the president. He is the one who was chosen to lead the nation. I can guarantee that if his principles, ideas, or thoughts on how to run the country were different, he wouldn’t have been elected. People (at least hopefully) voted for the man, not the color of his skin.
Nonetheless, if we’re going to debate what he “is,” let’s think about it. When we label somebody as acting like a white person or black person, immediately we’re talking about something other than skin color. Skin color is only the term or identification—how we know who we’re talking about. Even in this stereotyping of saying somebody acts like a certain race, ethnicity, creed, etc, we are talking about actions. What makes us act the way we do? It’s the characteristics within us and how we allow external issues to affect them that make us who we are—see that again. It’s what’s within us.
Now, take this notion and apply it to our new president. His skin is darker than what we consider white…ok. His skin is lighter than what a lot of people would consider black…ok. He’s half black…ok. When President Obama wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror, he doesn’t ask himself what he can do as a black person. He asks himself what he can do as the man he has developed into. Sure, this could mean paying homage to the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. That is a sign of respect and dignity… no race can instill this is a man; it’s how he was brought up. The identity of Barack Obama is of a dedicated husband, father, friend, and servant to the United States of America. Yes, servant. This term doesn’t require any assumptions that I’m belittling a man who could identify as black (and therefore a throwback to slavery); it’s acknowledging his willingness to serve the country he loves.
Whether you’re Joe Shmoe, Barack Obama, or (Heaven forbid) yourself, you are what makes you, well, you! When you came into being, you were given a huge pallet of religions, styles, paths, etc to consider and choose. You implement these into your life and you are the one who chooses how dedicated you want to follow them. You can even change them! I’m not counting, but I’m willing to bet the predominant word in this paragraph is ‘you.’ We all have various identifying characteristics, but just because our exteriors look similar and we might have mutual characteristics, you are you and only you can determine who exactly that ‘you’ is.
For most people, seeing is believing. I believe that Barack Obama is a man with a multi-ethnic identity. This world is full of very talented people who will take whatever they can to get ahead. Barack Obama was a very smart man who is just as white as he is black. I believe that for him to seem out of the ordinary through school and his career, he told people he was African American. This is easy to believe because he clearly looks that way. Like I said, seeing is believing. Since it is rare for African Americans to get ahead like that, I think Obama knew it would help him stand out. Naturally that is why he feels more connected to black people. We as the American people accept this belief because we see his features and can’t think that he should be anything else. One thing the black people of America needed today was a leader. Obama saw the opportunity to be that leader. He was a man who knew he could identify with black and white and be correct, but he chose the one that would get him somewhere. If he had done the opposite, it would have worked against him. If this man ran for President claiming to be white, people would say he was ashamed of his identity. They would say this because Barack Obama looks black. He needed people to connect with to make a difference. In this day it is understood and accepted to be raised by stepparents and have multi-ethnic backgrounds. Each of us likes to stand out for different things. I know I am proud of being 100% Italian. It was what I was raised with believing, and as far as I know it is the truth. In that sense, I think we all are mimicking our families. It works the same with religion. We are all brought up the same way believing what we are told and the majority of us do not stand to question it. Living in this melting pot of America, we are all usually wrong when we answer the question, “What are you?” We are in fact all American. I can tell you that that is not what I say when I am asked, and for that I am wrong. I believe that we never questioned Barack Obama’s identity because we were told he was black. We knew his family history but because we were told it, then why question it. I also believe the media played a big part in that. The media portrayed this man as a black man with a white mother who was Muslim. Again, we were told this and that is why I think we accepted this identification with little dissonance.
I think that when it comes to identifying with a race, whether it is preferred or not, the nature of one’s appearance has a huge influence. A person looking at Barack Obama may guess because of his lighter black skin tone that he is biracial, but still, the most dominant features are black. Being raised by his mother and his grandparents, his cultural influences must have been white. But still, even though his cultural influence is white, that doesn’t make him any less prone to racial slurs, racial profiling, or any of the negative things that may come with being black. In this way, he probably is able to identify more with the black race since they have similar rights of passage.
In a decision of which race to identify with, Obama picked the black one. I think that this was not a choice that he was left to make though. I think that to any white person, him identifying with the white race would have not been acceptable. As much as his background may have been white, he is still not part of the white race. If a black child is adopted by white parents, does this make the child any less black? Although they may not have been able to experience the black culture, race is still very much also appearance. No one would accept that yes, this child was white. I think that many people in our society face this problem, of being influence by a certain culture, but having that culture not be the same as their race. If culture determined a person’s race, then there would be one for every different type of culture there was. Instead it is appearance that determines someone’s race.
Obama’s views must emulate that of his upbringing, and should be white. So where does that land him, someone who understands the difficulties of being black in this country, but who also understands the viewpoints of white people. Wouldn’t some say that this may be the perfect combination? The empathy that Obama feels with black people will allow him to further the cause of equality and more prone to concentrating on topics that affect all races, however, he will also be able to see the white perspective and understand that school of thought.
I think that questions of race become most difficult and painful for biracial people or people raised by others not in the same race, because they really have nowhere they truly fit. They are neither race, and thus they’re alienated by both. However, I do think that in the case of our current president, his biracial-ness gives him a completely different perspective. It allows him the opportunity and the advantage of understanding both sides of the fence. He has identified with the black race, since race is determined by appearance. He is able to understand the difficulties of this race and still realize the viewpoints of white people.
In our world today, many people view each other by their race. They are not just a male or a female. They are either African American, Asian, white, Arab or some other ethic background. That is just how most of our world views each other. I don’t think it necessarily means they are African American, white, Asian or Arab. It’s kind of like how in high school people label each other. There are the jocks, the cheerleaders, the nerds and the freaks, its labels. I think our ethic backgrounds are important but they should not be what are used to judge us. With Barack Obama, he would be classified as an African American. But is he really? He grew up in America. His mother was “white” from America and his father was from Kenya. He barely knew his father. So he didn’t learn about the traditions or the actually background of his African American side. I believe this means he should not be considered African American. If anything he is a little bit Indonesian. This is because of his stepfather and how he was a present figure in Obama’s life. We take after our parents and what they teach us. If Obama’s stepfather was his present father he is going to learn and take after him. That means he is going to learn about his stepfather’s background.
When you are asked what are you, meaning what is your ethic background, you think about your ancestors. If I was asked what are you, I would reply I’m half German and half Irish. But that is not what I really am. Sure my great grandparents came from Ireland but I didn’t, I was born here. My dad’s side came from German many, many years ago. It’s not who I really am, it’s just my actually history. In a way we chose our identity and identity chose us. We chose to believe that our ancestors make us what we are. We chose to believe that and go with it. We can also choose to not believe that. The way that our identity chooses us is from what other people think. With Barack Obama, people assume he is African American because of the way he looks. That being said people chose what they think his identity is and not what is really is, so his identity is chosen for him. If you actually know anything about him you would know he is really only half African American.
So does it matter if you are half African American or are you just classified as African American completely no matter the actually percentage. I think with “white” people you can only be classified as “white” no matter if you are Italian or Irish, you are still looked at as “white” just like Mexican will look like Mexicans and same how Asians and Arabs.
As the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama has changed the perspective of African-Americans. I feel that becoming our nation’s first black president shows the hardship of what African-Americans have gone through. From becoming slaves in the 1860’s to now leading a nation, this can depict that blacks have succeeded despite their hardship. After they had projected Obama as the winner, they showed a large crowd of whites and blacks cheering for him along with his family as they walked up to the podium. On the other hand, it seems many people continue to question him based on the color of his skin. Was this election based on the intelligence of our candidates or their race? What I feel makes President Obama connected with black people is what he his representing. As a son of a black father and white mother, it seems that every citizen seems to call him African-American despite his background. This seems to be a very awkward situation for our president to face, but we have to respect on what he feels his ethnicity is. I feel that our ancestry labels are a factor that we can never let go of. For President Obama, his African-American ancestry is a label that he is proud of and understands what his ancestry has gone through. However, what I feel an individual can change is his/her racial identity. For example, people look at our president as a black person but his identity might not be what some people think. We should not be judged on the color of our skin rather be acknowledged by our religious beliefs. As an Iranian, people have always asked me if I pray five times a day or eat food after the sunset. To be honest, I am not religious at all. My parents might have been born from Iran but I have never once followed any religious beliefs. I drink alcohol and eat pork, so what do I identify myself as? Despite being 100% Iranian, I live my life as any other American would. I feel that using cultural beliefs in a different country would be a very difficult thing. Despite what people think of you, the lifestyle is also challenging. I feel that if we exclude certain cultural and biological aspects, we are not mimicking our family history. I feel that it’s the individuals’ choice to determine how they want to identify ourselves as. I might take parts of my background now and use it for important use, but I feel I would not be able to change my lifestyle. People have to understand that those who are not religious feel it is acceptable not following their country’s beliefs. I feel that our president has every right in identifying himself what he feels most comfortable with. His responsibility as the president will not change, and regardless of his color, I feel he will do an amazing job. What I think is that President Obama will want to change the idea of race and make different ethnic groups accept one another.
When you first hear Husane, Obama (rhymes with Osama), or Barack, the last thing that comes to mind is a white person. Most likely the first thing that comes to mind when you think of two names that sound like terrorist leaders is Muslim or Arab. Facts show that Obama is anything but black. But there are many reasons why we consider this man black.
Unfortunately, but some what true, the percentage of Americans will consider this man anything but white and simply base his background on what he looks like. He looks black. So he is black. The media says he is black too. So he must be black. Besides the fact that he looks black, he is married to an African American woman, which gives the world a better excuse to call him black. His kids are black, so Barack is black. But how is he black if his mom was white and his dad was from Kenya?
Well, the African American community has been united for hundreds of years and has dealt with every type of racial idea and action possible. They have lived their lives being considered less important than whites and at point not even human. That is absolutely horrible. The black community has had the goal of MLK for several years and now a “black looking” man has done what no one else could imagine, African Americans jump on and are in great relief. Any time a “black” man does something great, it is a huge step for society. But facts show again, he is not black. It is a stepping stone for the black community but not until a 100% African American has been elected has the goal been accomplished.
I am so glad that America has turned around and realized that white people aren’t the only “great” people in the world. To see that family, head the country makes me very happy for the progress being made. But really, imagine a 100% black person in office or even a 100% Jewish person in current times. We have not reached that stage yet and I believe that will take a very long time.
Overall, we cannot say this is an amazing thing for the country until he has been placed in office and has experienced the pressure of president. Imagine if in several months he began spending our taxes on families in Kenya since his dad was born there. Imagine if this man began showing a side of himself that he has never showed to the media. What if he is not who we think? Lets sit back and watch as this man runs our 50 states and acts as commander in chief for the upcoming years. Then we can rave over the first “black” president.
I feel the reason Obama identifies himself as black or African American is because he was always seen as a person of that race ever since he was born. People see the color of his skin and automatically believe he is African American and I believe Obama did the same thing. He definitely could have decided to identify himself as white but that is not what is visually seen. I believe he should identify himself as biracial because biologically that is what he is. Saying he is African American gives a different image to the public. He was not raised by his Kenyan father but by his white mother and grandparents. If I were him I would feel more identified with white people and not black people. He only feels connected to African Americans because of the actual physical factor and that is also why the rest of the population agrees with him. Everyone sees his skin color and assumes he is African American. And I am sure not everyone knows his background and the breakdown of his ancestry.
Ancestry is one of the components that help us determine who we are in the terms of race. A person’s biological makeup as well as the cultural one identifies with is more components that should all be taken into consideration. I believe this is how we should decide how we can identify ourselves. Do we always take each of those components into consideration when telling people what we are? No. Obama is perfect example of this theory. He is seen as a black person. He identifies himself as African American. The fact that he is half white and raised by a white family does not seem to be taken into consideration. I believe most people only use the physical component to identify themselves to other people.
But do we even have to identify ourselves as one thing or the other? I believe the answer to that is yes because society has always put a great emphasis on knowing where we come from and what kind of blood runs through our veins. Pride in our ancestry is important to our country. There are people who love to let other people know if they are Irish or Italian. But many others may not know who they are and just say white or black. And those people just use that physical factor. I do believe we mimic our parents and grandparents to an extent. I know in my own case I have been told I am half Irish and half German so that is why I identify myself as so. However I do not know much about the culture of the Irish or the Germans so I might not connect myself to those backgrounds as my grandparents did.
Just like every other person, Obama has lived every day of his life surrounded by others. These “others” are quick to assume and commonly are referred to as the human race. Every since he was a baby he was influenced by the human race. This race is quick to label someone, not because of his or her culture background, but simply because of what meets the eye. When people interact with others of a different race they don’t just go up to them and say: “Now what exactly is your culture background so that I can correctly address you the right way?” We don’t do this; instead we simply look at the color of their skin and label them as black, white or brown. Obama, just like any other person, grew up with these constant judgments of himself. He grew up hearing that he was “black” because others saw dark skin. Also, other people of his similar skin color were labeled as “black,” therefore he must be “black.”
I believe that people accept this identification because of the same reasons and influences that surrounded us our whole lives. Skin color is the first assumption to a race. Not your culture background and not your ethnicity. This is simply because we are ignorant and our society doesn’t allow us to take the time to examine one another’s culture before labeling them a race.
Our own identities are again shaped by the assumptions that have influenced us since we were little. These come from our own families and the media. We were taught to first act upon appearance in labeling others and ourselves. Then we learn from our parents and family history about the ethnicities to which we descended from. From here on we continue to judge and label the actions or physicality’s of others and ourselves based on a label that was placed before us. This could be anything from physical attributes to personality traits. For instance we are taught to assume that a big nose could mean that someone is Jewish, or that red hair is Irish and of course hot tempered are those of Italian or Irish descent. But are these always 100% accurate enough to always make generalizations? Of course not, but because it has been that way for so many years it is natural for us to do so. For me personally, I label myself as a white Italian American. I am 100% Italian because my grandparents, and their ancestors, on both sides were born and raised in Italy. However, because my parents and siblings were born in America, I am an American as well. This fact has been ingrained in me ever since I was a kid. We are eager to accept them because just like any other human we desire to belong.
Today Barack Obama was sworn in as the first black President of the United States. Whether you decide look at the fact that he is only half black, the fact of the matter is that he is a person of color. Although the United States of America is a place of diversity, I feel as though to be “white” is still considered the norm, or sort of a frame of reference as you could say. When you are different, is when you say something. I feel as though today in this country, to be racist is to be in the wrong, so when people are asked about noticing different race they claim as though they don’t, or that everyone looks the same to them. But when faced with reality, if you were to look at Barack Obama you would notice the dark color of his skin, and whether you have a problem with it or not, it is obvious that he has African descent in his blood. Imagine if he were to only associate himself with being white. People would immediately question the pride of his black heritage, and if he showed none it would be extremely looked down upon. Basically, I feel like there is no way out of identifying with your black heritage if you have it that would be a situation accepted by society today. Blacks would think you were hiding it because of embarrassment which would deem you as a coward, and whites would think you are trying to be superior by only emphasizing your white heritage. I am not saying that I think white people are superior to blacks in any way, but I think that the terms “white people” and “superiority” are still associated in people’s minds. I know white people today who are scared to act, feel, or even be superior around black people because they are terrified to be thought of as racist, and blacks who still think that whites are superior. I think it is all just part of human nature and to always regard someone as superior and inferior. So back to Barack Obama, I think that he is only giving in to the pressure of society to identify or label himself by his black heritage. I think there is a huge difference in the meaning of culture and heritage, culture being the society and beliefs that you form for yourself and choose to live by and heritage being what is in your blood. So whether Obama is culturally educated about his African American background or not, whether it is the culture by which he was brought up or not, or whether it is the culture by which he now chooses to live his lifestyle by, it is the heritage that is in his blood and cannot be ignored.
If you look at Barack Obama without any knowledge of his ancestry you would label him black. That is because he has dark skin, dark hair, along with other characteristics among black people. Knowing his ancestry, however, may make his identification harder to distinguish. His father is from Kenya, his mother from Kansas. His grandmother may have some Native American in her, and his stepfather was Indonesian. Despite all these different ethnicities, Barack Obama labels himself black. And I agree with him.
If you look at his ancestry, which I know we don't know it all, but looking at what we do know, his father was pure Kenyan. His mother, part Native American and part white. If you trace Barack's lineage through his mother, you're guaranteed to find more than one race. Tracing back through his father’s side, however, does not. His father was pure Kenyan. Which means Barack is half Kenyan, a quarter white, and another quarter Native American. If you look at it this way, isn’t his correct identification black?
Most people today are “mutts.” You will rarely find someone of one race. So for those who think it is wrong of Barack Obama to label himself as black, what is your main ethnicity? What do you label yourself as? For those who are mostly Indian, you label yourself as Indian. Those who are primarily Polish label themselves as Polish. Personally, I have a ton of different races in my lineage. But because I’m mostly white, I’m not going to call myself Czech because one grandparent two generations ago was from there. Nobody does that. Most people label themselves as the race that is most prevalent.
Another issue that was brought up was the fact that he was raised in a home with white people’s ideals. Who cares? Honestly? I personally believe that everyone should have their own morals, values, and ideals. Your parents have an influence, yes, but when you get to be an adult, you need to decide on them for yourself. So Barack was brought up in a white home and took some of the morals, values, and ideals from his upbringing. But I guarantee that his father’s Kenyan roots played a part in his upbringing. Some of those attitudes surely had to be influential. And also, why do we label things as white ideals or black morals? Why can’t a black man believe some of the same things a white man, or woman for that matter, does? Why can’t a white woman think like a black woman? These are ideas that have been taught to us and have been passed down through generations. If we truly are stepping in the right direction in this country and achieving things that weren’t even imaginable fifty years ago, why does this matter? If we have, in fact, knocked down barriers to the race issue, why can’t we believe what we want to believe without it being labeled as a white or black person belief?
All I’m saying is that Barack Obama has the right to label himself as whatever he wants. Is he half white? Technically, no. Is he half black? Yes. Then let the man choose for himself what he wants to be labeled as. And who cares if he was raised in a “white American” home. As a United States citizen, he has the right to believe in whatever he wants, and if those beliefs are similar to a white man’s, so be it.
Due to his outward physical appearance and dark skin tone, Barack Obama has been labeled “Black” by both himself as well as members of society. Since 11:30 AM today, Barack Obama became our nation’s first black president. His wife Michelle became the first black lady and they are now known as the first black family. Obviously this is a huge day in our nation’s history. Obama was born during a time where black people were forbidden to drink out of the same water fountain as white people and now we have a black man leading our country. Wow! Have we come a long way! During his campaign, although Obama never used the fact that he is African American to gain a step up in the election, he certainly embraced his roots. Then again, how could he not because during the entire campaign it was all anyone could talk about.
I am a strong believer that we do not choose the race or ethnicity we are. I feel as though others, in a sense, choose it for us. We all know Barack Obama is biracial. However, if the media had not fed us with personal details and information about Obama’s family history many people would probably assume he is 100 percent black. If he had dominantly white features and light skin we might say he was white.
I think it is wonderful that we now live in a time where a Black man in office is more than acceptable, it is actually embraced. I am a strong supporter of Obama, not only because he is known as our nation’s first black president, but because he is most qualified for the presidential position. I am sure, however, that there are many people who only voted for Obama because they were eager to see a black man take office. Whether this had been their reason for voting for him, or they actually felt that he was most qualified for the position, I guess it doesn’t really matter now. What matters is that our new president will lead our country in the right direction and has the potential to improve our nation and the lives of billions of people. In a sense we are “lucky’ that Obama is such a qualified man for the job. I use the word lucky because I feel as though there are many people who only voted Obama into office in order to see if he’d “actually” win. When I see his face on television or in a magazine, I feel proud that we have gotten to this point. Our nation has finally seen past the racial barrier and elected an African American man into office. Now that he has been inaugurated into office I believe the hype of the “first black president” will calm down and we will view Obama as the answer to our nation’s current problems.
“Never judge a book by it’s cover”- I feel like these words have been drilled into my brain since I was six years old, and I can’t help but refer back to them after reading this post. It is impossible to determine anyone’s identity off of an exterior image, any type of conclusion would only be an assumption. I believe that identity is a personal issue that an individual has a right to determine, regardless of what they may appear to be. If this was not the case, and my identity was based solely on my appearance, I would be misconstrued as an “Italian and Christian” when in fact I am Jewish and of Middle Eastern decent.
Although I don’t have strong Middle Eastern features, I do relate to many aspects of the culture that correspond to my Jewish heritage. Without these minute details, I would not be who I am today. And although none of my friends would ever guess the kind of foods I eat at my grandmother’s house, or the whacky traditions we have, they are what make me a proud Sephardic Jew.
In reference to the question posed in the BLOG, “What makes Obama feel most connected with black people?” I would say it’s none of my business. Not because I’m afraid or don’t feel like answering the question, but because I have no right to. Who am I to give a truthful answer?
Here is where I have an issue with those who criticize Obama for identifying himself the way he has: who (aside from Barack Obama) was present to determine if he is “allowed’ to be considered African American? No one has the right to speculate on how he identifies himself, because no one else was present to witness him grow up and experience the most typical life events. It would not be fair to scrutinize President Barack Obama’s choice in identity just because he does not look African American, or because, to our knowledge, he does not have strong connections to his African roots.
I honestly respect the fact that President Obama identifies with the African American aspect of his culture. I believe it shows that he is aware of his history, and is proud of where his biological father came from. If he ignored this aspect of his life it would seem like he had something to hide or was ashamed in some way by his ancestry.
Culture, identity, religion are all subjective. They are the pages that make up the book of life and vary for every human being in the world. By assuming the context of a person’s life on their outward appearance you only put yourself at a disadvantage. The cover of a book truly makes sense once you’ve taken the time to read the pages.
I was born in India and was brought up Hong Kong since I was a 4-month baby. Both the locations are a multi-cultural and a multi-racial society. Now, as an international student at Penn State it is a very natural thing for me to say that I am Indian, regardless of my skin color, accent and overall appearance. This, I believe is partially because of my actual heritage itself, religion, the way my parents brought me up and partially the way I look. I would like to believe that “it chooses us”, especially if it is something very obvious such as Barack Obama’s darker skin color. I have had my parents telling me I am Indian when I was a kid, and I have been proud and living up as an Indian due to my appearance and my connection with my birth country. I am also labeled as an Indian, or at least that part of Asia, and regardless of living in Hong Kong I have still been influenced by my peers, parents, and multi-cultural society regarding who I am. I partially also believe that being connected to your country and having that slight patriotism in you also influences a lot to what you want to be known as, such as Barack Obama – black and American. Regardless of him being brought up in a very “white” environment and society, his color is what he is known for due to the fact that it would be pretty bizarre if he would have called himself anything but black.
What I feel which connects Obama with black people, are the black people themselves. I believe that they all have a different perception and expectation from Obama just because of the fact that he is partially black. I mean, his skin color has definitely allowed him to connect with black people. Moreover, his wife, Michelle, who is also black and an American has just evidently shown that people tend to connect more people of the similar background or at least the one which has heavily affected you. People with one racial background have a pretty simple answer to what or where they are from. However, multi-racial people have the option to choose where they are from and who they are, which could lead us to believe that, again, the one which has heavily influenced you the most would be what you would be known as and hence, it chooses you due to the heavy impact.
Overall, people from different countries, different religion and different upbringing are bound to not be given a “choice” to who they want to be. For instance, I was born in India, am a Hindu and have lived in Hong Kong my entire life. I have the option to say that I am Sri-Lankan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi etc… however, how many people would you find who are Hindu in those countries, moreover a Hindu living in Hong Kong who has no connection of being from India whatsoever and also who has similar facial features from that part of the world. I would like to conclude using one of my favorite quotes – “I hope that people will finally come to realize that there is only one 'race' - the human race - and that we are all members of it.”
In today’s society, as people are continuously becoming more tolerant, minorities are getting an increased sense of pride in who they are. Blacks, browns, and yellows are able to openly express their roots and ethnicity, while the role of the white man is seemingly becoming less overwhelming. I mean, we have a black man as the President of the United States, (or half black, half white or whatever you wish to call him). If ever there was a feeling of equality among races, one certainly could argue that it is occurring right now. Because of this increased tolerance, in addition to benefits such as race-based scholarships and affirmative actions, anyone with even partial diversity is quick to identify themselves as a minority. If your grandmother was half-black, you identify as much with black people as N.W.A. In my personal experience I have found that some of the most passionate “African Americans” that I have met have not been fully African American, but rather half and half or some other proportion. That always makes me laugh. Why not sympathize with both? Maybe people don’t make fun of white people enough; they should, I think we can be pretty funny. Whatever the case, those who have some “white blood” mixed with another race or ethnicity always seem to identify with the more cultured skin.
Obama is no different, especially recently when he became just about as important to the press as Britney Spears’ newest haircut. African Americans voted in record numbers this year, ninety-eight percent of them for Barack Obama. That figure in itself is overwhelming, and this doesn’t even take into account the Hispanic or Latino votes, most of whom were for Obama as well. Such numbers could NEVER exist were it not for a “black” president. I’m not saying that he was not considering himself to be black before the election, but certainly he brought it to the forefront during his impressive campaign which emphasized change, change, and oh yeah, change. Plus it definitely didn’t hurt when he was able to check that little box marked “African American” on all those college applications.
But okay, you could also argue that Barack Obama should be considered to be black specifically based on his physical appearance, which is probably among the most obvious and probably correct reasons. Based on dominant alleles, genes, DNA, etcetera that I personally do not completely understand, he is a “black” colored man. Therefore, certainly he should identify as African American, or black. That could be, but not entirely. Obama has transformed into an entirely “black” man, at least in the public’s eye. “First black president,” they say, when in reality he is the first half-black president. Identify with whichever race or ethnicity you want, but at least mention the others at the bottom of your resume so that we can assume that you are at least somewhat honest. Then again, you are a politician. My mistake.
Victoria Daka
Literally speaking individuals that are multi-racial do not need to accept the labels given to them by others that are based on their dominant features, but because of societies invisible strings multi-racial individuals are almost forced to abide by these labels that are given to them. In addition, in my opinion Americans believe that once an individual has an ounce of African-American blood flowing through them they are considered African-American but this scenario does not follow in the opposite direction. An individual with an ounce of Caucasian blood is not classified as a Caucasian. This is true because racism in my opinion is still extremely pervasive, and African-Americanism is still connotated as negative. Nevertheless, America has overcome a huge obstacle with the forty-fourth President Elect Barack Obama, but there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. He being President has marked the significant improvement of equality for minorities and a GIANT STEP FOR BLACK KIND! Of course Obama could have chosen to call himself white because he was raised by whites and is considered as equally black as he is white, but why go through all the hassles of defending your ethnicity to others, when it is much easier to say your are African-American when your dominating features are defending your claim, not misleading your claim. He could have also just gone along with saying that he was bi-racial but society was already classifying him as otherwise, and it is very time consuming to try and change people’s prior beliefs. Honestly, I am not sure what makes Obama feel more connected with black people because from my understanding he was raised in an environment with predominantly white people from his childhood years to his law-school years at Harvard, but apparently when he entered the working world he started seeing the world the way it really is. Meaning the individuals with lesser melanin are classified as white and the individuals with more melanin are classified as black. In addition, like was aforementioned earlier once you have a ounce of black blood you are considered black, and it does not follow the other way, and he learned this through his interactions with people. Also, he does not appear to look mixed to me he looks like he is predominantly black, and I am sure this was the case to other people.
I think we as individual accept the racial labels that are given to us because it so much easier to accept them, then to spend our time pleading our case to others of what we feel our race should be classified as. We act the way we do when others ask us about our race because we may sometimes get offended especially if that individual that asked us about our race s from a completely different race from us. I personally do not think I am excluding any culturally or biologically information.
I often find myself going back and forth between ethnical and racial issues:
If we envisioned a world in which all the inhabitants looked exactly the same (we’ll just suspend any possible beliefs that genetics alter our outward appearances), then presumably they would all still be different (just for fun, they can reproduce asexually). Some would prefer long walks on the beach and others would be terrified of the sea. Some would play music and some of those musicians would be deaf. Later, if we so chose, we could debate whether or not these variations were a result of something in the internal being (nature) or a result of outside forces working towards some new trait (nurture).
In other words, the outward appearance is not the sole determinant of identity and diversity. I’m sure most of us would agree with this statement without the story about the people who all looked the same (I think they all look like Sam); I only use the illustration because I believe this to be a truth so obvious that often we forget about it. It only takes a look in the mirror to make this truth evident. When we go to a mirror, we do not take what we see and try to internalize it, in fact, we do the very opposite. When we feel down or depressed, it often feels strange to go through the motions of pampering ourselves and making ourselves look “acceptable” when in fact, we feel unaccepted. If our favorite color is blue, we wear it. Our green t-shirt does not make green our favorite color. Of course, there are exceptions to this (such as an instance when one does not want the world to see what’s inside), but, for the most part, we will all agree that we do not try to let our “outside” define our “inside” (people who do this are also known as “shallow”). All this said, why do we let this criteria for being “shallow” seamlessly slip away whenever race is brought up? I don’t care if you think you know me because I’m “black” and I wouldn’t even be impressed if you could tell I had a Jamaican heritage without me saying so. My name is Salim George. My name is like my whole identity summed up into four words (you can guess my two middle ones if you’re bored already). We are given a name. We then set out to give that name meaning. Our new President’s name is Barack Hussein Obama. I think we should just start there and then take some time to figure out what this guy is about. Taking pride in one’s skin color is much like taking pride in a shirt we cannot take off. We need to start thinking differently about identity if we are ever to figure out who we are.
For many people, this question can promote various answers and perspectives. From one perspective, I believe that our parents have a huge influence on how we choose to identify ourselves both religiously, ethnically, and even politically. I also believe there are social factors and external influences which may also affect someone’s choice in identity. On the other hand, I do believe it is an individual’s God given right to be able to choose how they want to express themselves and live their lives.
From my personal experience, I have unknowingly and indirectly been influenced and “brainwashed” by my parents. Although I agree with my parent’s thoughts and actions towards many subjects, there are many instances where I find myself saying things or thinking things that I wish I hadn’t, but are an indirect result from my upbringing, along with the opinions my parents have passed onto me throughout the years.
I do not know enough about Obama’s ancestry and heritage to make an informed opinion about how he chooses to identify himself, but I can say I am able to relate to his situation in a different way. Although I am 100% Jewish, I do not practice my religion or attend a temple. However, I do still identify myself and would best represent my identity as being Jewish. I attribute my choice in identifying myself as being Jewish because of the value and importance my parents, Grandparents, and even Great Grandparents have instilled in me. Because of the important role family plays in my life, I willingly have inherited many of the values and beliefs of my parents and Great Grandparents.
Regardless of my choice in becoming Jewish, I decided to not have a formal bat-mitzvah. Does this make me any less of a Jew than someone who attends temple regularly and celebrates all of the Jewish holidays? This question is similar to Obama’s situation. Just because his mother is a White-American and his father is from Kenyan, does it make him any less black than he is white… or vice versa?
I also believe that external factors such as what you are taught in school by your teachers, or the discussions you may have with your friends, play a part of how you see yourselves, along with the way you choose to associate yourself with. Along with friends and teachers playing a role in the forming of your identity, I also believe it is the community and atmosphere which may affect your choices. If you are a Jew living in a primarily Christian community, you may not feel encouraged to attend temple or celebrate holidays. A long term effect of living in this community may result in questioning and reconsidering your identity.
I had never seen President Barack Obama as anything other than an African American, which is what Obama most identifies with. However, one conversation with my mom changed all of that. When talking to her about Barak Obama being the first black president it shocked me when she told me he was not. I thought to myself, “Hello! He is black for Christ’s sake!” She said to me, “Really Allie he is half white to. Yes, he does look African American but is just light enough for the American people to like him.” She is right. Technically he is half white and half black but why does he identify mostly with his African roots? His African roots come from his father’s side who he barely knew. The people that raised him, his mother and grandparents, and shaped him to be who he is today were white. Looking at the surface things do not seem to make any sense.
However, if Obama was to go around and start saying he is a white American would cause some heated controversy. White Americans would be up in arms protesting that he is a black and not white. Interestingly enough you do not hear the black community protesting that Barack is white and not black. In fact the black community has embraced Barack Obama as a symbol of hope for all other African Americans to achieve what he has. In his case (and most often with mixed raced people) he probably figured it is easier to be black than white. The black community (at least to my knowledge) is more accepting of people that are mixed race into their culture as opposed to the white community. Even though he grew up with so called “white” ideals and morals he is not and never will be white.
He did not choose his identity for himself, it choose him. I feel that even being part black people still feel a very strong connection to that part of their heritage for a variety of reasons. African Americans, besides their skin color have very distinct physical features. This strong African features did not match that of his mothers and grandparents white features, he would always be different. He might be light skinned for a black person but will never be light enough to pass as white. He will always be black. Additionally, because Barack did not know his father connecting to his African roots brings him closer to him in a way. Because his father died when he was so little he hardly remembers his father but through his heritage can re-connect with him. Most children also will identify mostly with what heritage their father was.
I feel that Obama had every right to identify himself as African American for that is what his father is and what part of his heritage he connects most with.
Society has encouraged Americans to strongly identify themselves with only one of their perhaps, many backgrounds. Although we consider the United States to be a “melting pot”, of many different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds, there still exists obvious segregation between people and their heritage. In some aspects society makes us conform, or rather hide our differences in order to become more similar to our neighbors. However, it then comes down to our physical appearance that people most unconsciously judge one another for. Whether it be ones face shape, skin color or hair texture, physical appearance allows us to differentiate. People stress their particular attributes that they favor the most and it is with such that they identify themselves. In Obama’s case, he chose to favor his dark colored skin, overlooking the part of him he considers to be “white”.
When citizens look at Obama, they unconsciously see a black man. Barack is more commonly identified with the black race, just as he has, personally, all his life. Perhaps this was a marketing technique for his recent campaign as president of the United States. By greatly identifying himself as African American, he automatically reached a large group of people that also identify themselves as such. In portraying himself as black, due to our history, voters were undeniably impressed. Therefore, it may have been a strategy to reach a certain population during the campaign. When people meet my friend Eliza, they challenge and question her when he introduces herself as biracial because of her extremely light skin and soft brown hair. This small example only proves that Americans support the saying “seeing is believing”.
Once people categorize an individual by his or her physical appearance, it is hard to alter their first impression. For example, they automatically label a man with Chinese features as Chinese, regardless of where he may have been brought up, raised or educated throughout his life. This is exactly what happens when the people consider Obama. Regardless of the general understanding that he was raised by a white mother with little to no contact to his black father, this obviously does not concern citizens and people think of him as black.
With his greatness and superior intelligence, people have made his skin color unimportant and focus solely on his unbelievable character and qualities he offers to fellow Americans and their future.
It is more interesting and fulfilling for Americans to think of their new president as black rather than white because of the country’s history. It makes Americans feel as though their country has advanced in immense proportion over the years. Throughout this campaign, I feel as though Obama used his skin color to promote himself among the people and likewise, Americans used it to personally satisfy their egos.
I find the topic of this blog to be very interesting, and a question that I have heard about often in the recent months.
I tend to get annoyed when people bring up the topic of Obama’s race, especially the fact that he is biracial. You can call him, black, white, or mixed, but it is ultimately what he identifies himself as that people should take notice to. Because he calls himself black, then people should just accept him as that.
I think that it is interesting that Obama refers to himself as black, even though he is also half white, and I would like to know why he chooses to call himself that. Perhaps it is because he looks black and people usually tend to identify with their most prominent feature, but I think there is a deeper reasoning behind this all. I believe that calling himself black helps him relate better to the black population of our country and therefore win their votes. I do not think it is possible in today’s world to look black only identify with your white half, especially while living in the public eye.
Although this theory relates to his life as a politician, it probably began early in his childhood before becoming president was even an idea in his mind. As a boy, I imagine he was referred to as black, because although he is half white, he looks like other full blooded African Americans. Living in a world where everyone views you as black, I believe that it is near impossible to identify with another race.
I think that the same situation would arise for any one of us when asked about our race, ethnicity, or culture, and I have had similar experiences in my life. My cousins and I are all half Italian, but we look as if we stepped “straight off the boat,” as my grandma would say. Although we do have a heritage other than our Italian one, we have all chosen to identify solely with that one. When someone asks me what ethnicity I am, I always say that my family is from Italy and I completely leave out the other side of my heritage. For me, it is just easier to relate to one culture based on how I look and how I was raised. Although typically ethnicity is harder for others to identify than race, I feel this is a similar example to the Obama question. People viewed him as black, so that is how he views himself.
Although Obama is half black, half white, and was raised by an Indonesian man, he has chosen to identify himself as black for reasons that we may never truly understand. It is hard to pinpoint exactly why he considers himself black, but I think that this situation is a perfect example of how one looks effects how they view and identify themselves.
Michelle Todisco
I think the way that we see ourselves, and the way others see us are two completely different perspectives. People see distinct features on our outsides, our skin color, facial features, and sometimes our clothing and they make assumptions about our culture and our way of life. But how we see ourselves, and how we explain our racial background may be completely different. When you come from parents of mixed cultures, you can choose to embrace the culture of one, or both of theirs. I think that your ethnicity is chosen for you, when you’re born, but I think that your culture is a choice completely your own. My mother is Italian, and my father is Native American... I am proud to be a part of both cultures and we as a family embrace both cultures. We follow many cooking traditions, and celebrations of Italy, and we also have a house on a Native American reservation that we visit where we can see where my father’s family lived, and every year we attend a pow-wow and see the dances and rituals of the Mohawk tribe. When people ask me what my ethnicity is I say that I’m both Native American and Italian. Many people see Barack Obama as a black man because of his skin, but he identifies himself differently because that is the culture that he grew to love and be a part of. I think the thing that makes him feel most connected with “black people” is the color of his skin, because they see him as “one of them” If I walked into a room full of black people, I would clearly stand out, but Obama would not, and I think that is what makes him feel connected with other black people.
On the subject of Barack Obama’s identity, I believe there are two separate issues: how do we (as Americans) President Obama, and how does he see himself. The general public will almost certainly judge “the book by its cover” so to speak. Barack Obama looks African American and has a name that could easily be thought to be African or Middle Eastern. These facts alone are enough for most of us to assume that he is African American. Thus, he has probably been treated like an African American for most of his life, meaning he would’ve had friends who were African American. Even though he didn’t experience a lot of African culture within his home environment, he probably learned a good deal about it from his friends and their families.
In regards to how Obama identifies himself, I think he certainly sees himself as an African American because it was the label that was applied to him for his entire life. I also think that it is overly cynical to believe that President Obama identified himself as an African American during the election as some type of political ploy. Though Obama is indeed multiracial, we established in class that many people who are multiracial do not identify themselves as such. Culturally, Obama may be less African American than Indonesian or white, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been identified as an African American for his entire life. Being recognized and identified as such has skewed his own ideas about his identity. While he certainly recognizes that he is partially white, he most likely was never identified by others as white. So, even though he recognizes that he is indeed part white and also that he has been exposed to Indonesian culture during his time there as a child, this wouldn’t stop him from identifying himself as he has probably been identified by others for his entire life: as an African American.
Sure, Obama is biracial. As we discovered in class last week, though, not many people who are biracial identify themselves as such. It is much easier to simply associate ourselves with a single race. Perhaps this helps an individual feel less like an outsider? Though I have no personal point of reference on the subject since I am not biracial, I think some who outwardly declare that they are biracial may have a bit of trouble “fitting in”. While watching The Colbert Report on Comedy Central sometime during the primary election, I found a perfect example of how Obama may have had some trouble fitting in. The guest on the show that night was an African American who’s name is cannot recall. During the course of the interview, the guest laid out his thoughts on why Obama “wasn’t black enough” to be called African American. It was obvious to me that this guest didn’t really think that Obama was right in identifying himself as African American. Ask almost any white person what Obama’s race is; I can saw with confidence that almost no one will saw that he is white. They may say biracial, but I think most whites would identify Obama as a black man: an African American.
I believe the label of being "black" chose President Obama. I think that even though he is the one who decided to call himself "black," he really didn't have the choice. Just think, if he had decided to call himself "white." How would we as a nation react to that? We would think, "Well clearly, he's not white - his skin is dark!" And that is true, his skin is dark, and that is what we first notice about him. As much as people like to pretend they don't see race, it is one of the first things you notice about a person. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, until you use those observations to make judgments about that person. Barack Obama knows how people see him: as a black person. Multiracial people are almost always seen as nonwhite. I am half white, but my skin is brown. I think I would feel weird simply calling myself white, because I know I don’t look white. That is, my skin isn’t white. Therefore I am biracial. That is what I would label myself as. I’m not sure if Obama could simply call himself biracial because people feel the need to identify a person’s race. People are often unsure of my race since I am mixed, and I constantly get the question, “What are you?” My answer is always “Vietnamese and German.” It is never just “Asian” or “white.” However, when describing a person, you never hear someone say “that biracial person.” It’s always, “some Asian guy,” or “the black man,” or “that white girl.” So naturally, since Obama looks more black than he looks white, people are going to refer to him as “black” whether he chooses that label or not. So even though he grew up in a white family and probably feels more connected to the white community than to the black community, Obama will always be “black” because of the way people see him. However, I do believe that by default Obama has a special connection with the black community because of the way he looks and the way people see him. Since he looks black, he has experienced the racism that still exists in our country firsthand. Throughout his life, people have probably made judgments about him based on the color of his skin, not stopping to realize he is half white because they only see his dark skin. This is something that all people of color in this country experience in their lives, and Barack Obama can relate. So Obama has chosen to call himself black, and no one’s gonna argue with that because he looks the part. If he had chosen to call himself white, people would have a fit because he doesn’t appear white. It was never really up to him.
From childhood, by our parents, peers, and school system, we are taught that we should be able to label ourselves distinctively; no blurring of the boundaries is allowed. Any type of document that requires or allows for an individual to select their race has limited options for answers that force someone to choose an identity. We have learned from our culture, that the selection one makes should be based on physical appearance. Now if we were taught to take into account who makes up our family and what race or ethnicity we most closely identify with, our answers might be very different. It seems that most people choose to identify themselves with the race that the rest of society would agree with, whether they personally believe that or not. I am not saying that everyone goes along with these rules because there are certainly people who go against the grain, but because of our current culture it is hard to do so. The fact that Obama chooses to call himself black is possibly predominately based on our cultural beliefs. If he chose to identify himself as white, there would be a lot of people who would probably question that fact to some degree or have something negative to say about him choosing to identify with that race. Though calling himself white would be just as truthful as calling himself black it might create more problems for him throughout his life with some white people thinking he is trying to be something he is not and with some black people thinking he is rejecting a big part of who he is and their race in general. But in the end, does it really matter how Obama or anyone chooses to identify themselves? No matter what Obama would like to call himself, it does not change who his biological parents are or whom he was raised with or what values were instilled in him. Because of his environment, he will still be the same person. I agree with the statement that identity grows out of culture, but I disagree with the part of the original blog that says because of this, “one would think that Obama might consider himself white-or maybe even Indonesian”. I actually think the complete opposite; because of culture, he would identify himself as black. Since our culture weights the physical aspects of race more heavily, it is the race that our dominant culture would feel comfortable with him identifying as. For me personally, when someone asks me what I am, I would say “white, Italian, and Jewish”, but not because this is the race or ethnicity that I identify with at all. You have to give someone a short and sweet answer when they ask you this question, right? You could not say, “Well technically I am so and so, but really because of blah blah I feel partly connected to this race and feel connected to this ethnicity some…”, it could go on forever. There are so many aspects that make up a person’s identity, that it would take all day to explain how one truly views themselves or who they most identify with. Though I do not think twice about what I would tell a person when I am asked this question, I do usually think about how this answer feels mostly false and does not provide a true picture of who I feel I am. But because of our cultural expectations, sadly, I think that I and most other people do not know what else to say.
In this blog Dr. Richards proposed the question, “What is it that makes Obama feel most connected to black people?” Although I will try to answer this there is no clear-cut answer, because I am obviously not President Barack Obama. I think that when many people classify themselves into racial and/or ethnic groups, it has a lot to do with physical characteristics. Even if President Obama was 1% African American, but looked like he belonged to that racial group, he probably would have run on the platform of being African American. I think that we, as Americans, accept how he classifies himself racially, because although many do not like to admit it, a lot of what matters to us is on the outside. If Obama looked white but was percentage wise more African American and he tried to run on that platform, many would call him a fraud.
I think that we accept and respond to the racial, ethnic and ancestry labels that are applied to us because it is a norm in our society. When someone asks you, “What are you?” they are not looking to hear male or female, blonde or brunette, someone can usually tell this by just looking. This may seem contradictory to my above statements, but in fact it actually is right on track. I have a few African American friends, and when they are asked, “What are you?” the answer that they provide is not, I am black. They answer just as anyone else would, where their ancestral origin is from, but still the person who asks the question will regard them as African American, even if their roots are not from Africa; I think this is the exact case in what has happened with President Obama.
I know when someone asks me the question, “What are you?” I usually respond with the answer, “Jewish,” as would many of my peers who are religiously Jewish. Jewish is not an ethnicity, race nor ancestry, Jewish is a religion, yet somehow it has become socially understandable when someone uses this word. People generally get the connotation when I say that I am Jewish that I mean my ancestors came from places like Russia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Israel. When I answer the question with the answer, “Jewish,” I am neglecting to tell my ancestry and convey the stories and struggles my family had when immigrating to the United States, but this answer has become the quick and easy way for people to understand who I am, my values and culture. I think that in this sense, I am mimicking my parents and grandparents response to this question. My great-grandparents were the ones who immigrated to the United States from places like Poland and Germany, and if I had had the chance to ask them, “What are you?” I’m sure they would have responded very differently.
Although President Barack Obama may be less African American than Indonesian or white, I think it is hard for him to identify himself with either race because he looks African American. I don’t think of this as weird, wrong or right, I simply look at his decision for what it is. To me, there is no denying that President Obama looks black – and maybe that is the very reason why he identifies himself as an African American. He may also identify with black people because African Americans accept him as a black person – his wife is African American and I think that in a way, he connects with her on this level. I don’t think that identifying with one race should be thought of in terms of why or why not – President Barack Obama identifies with being black simply because he is!
I was born in America but my parents are Chinese and I have grown up identifying myself as Chinese. In a way, I think that there is no point in denying my dominant features. Even if I was biracial, I am sure that I would still say that I was Chinese because I think it is important to be proud of one’s heritage. Regardless of the fact that I was born in America and have been surrounded by mainly white peers, I am still not white. If I told people I was white, I would be kidding myself and those around me! However, I am not sure how I would feel if I was adopted. Would I consider myself black if I was adopted by a black family and had all black peers, or white if adopted by a white family with all white peers? I do not know the answer, and I think that people who are adopted by a different race struggle with their identity even more so than someone that is biracial. Within Chinese people, Chinese people either identify themselves as American-born Chinese (ABC) or fresh-off-the-boat (FOB). This is a way to further identify oneself in a foreign country. These terms are used frequently in conversations, but would never be used when someone asks “what are you?”
My parents were born in Taiwan and consider themselves Chinese because their parents were born in China. They do not identify themselves as Taiwanese, I think mainly due to traditions and the way they were brought up. Just because President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, he does not consider himself a Pacific Islander. I do not think that the place where someone is born reflects their identity. Even though I was born in America, I will always think of myself as Chinese more so than an American.
I believe identity can have many faces, and so can people. People are constantly changing, due to trends, due to fashion, due to popularity. Individuals act differently when they are with their parents then if they are with their peers. They sometimes act as others want them to, and they sometimes act the way that they actually feel and are. I believe that Barack Obama is no different than any other person. I do not think that one can judge who he identifies with, because the moment that you do, it could change to something else. As a personal example, half of my family is from the suburbs and the other half is from the city. When I was alone with my family in the suburbs, where I was most often, I spoke properly, I knew nothing of roughness, and I was your typical suburban upper middle class female. However when I was alone with my family from the city, I was rough around the edges, talked with a Philadelphian accent, and wore different clothes. Do I think that I was lying or not being true to my identity when I was with my “other” identity? No. One adapts their identity to the people that you are around, and at a certain moment in time, you may feel more or less connected to a certain identity. The only real issue that comes out, is what happens when both or all of your identities are combined? I believe that that is when your stronger identity comes to shape.
As far as I’m concerned, Obama can identify himself wherever he wants to. I even believe that if Obama was fully white, that it would not be wrong for him to identify as a black man. The only issue is what everyone else would think of that, and whether they would believe that he could truly identify himself in that spot. As a similar yet different comparison…transgenders.Transgenders identify themselves as being of the opposite sex from themselves, and being trapped in the wrong body. Is this strange to most of us? Maybe, however I don’t think that it is wrong. Obama has a diverse background, and I am sure that he has many different experiences in different cultures. I think that he portrays himself as being a fully black man on some days when it is in his favor, and a white man on other days. I don’t think that we can say that this is wrong, or that he is or is not a black or white man. His identity is his own. I believe that we are chosen by our identity on some days, and choose on others. It all depends on where we are, and who we are with. However, I do believe that the choice is ours alone, and can be judged by no one else.
Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?
When addressing a complex issue such as that of identity it is nearly impossible to determine why one would believe himself or herself to be a specific identity, simply by saying identity is, or is not a choice. Instead, several different factors must be weighed and accounted for in order to grasp the entirety of how someone comes to perceive them self in the world. Personally, I believe that environment plays a key role in determining how a child will identify him or herself later on in life; the culture in which you are most consistently exposed to is clearly going to have bearing on the individual you consider yourself to be upon reaching adulthood. For instance, if you grow up in a family and culture where everyone you know is Hispanic and everyone around you practices certain costumes, eats certain foods and speaks a certain way, it is likely that you will you hold these values close to your heart, and identify yourself in a fashion that reflects the values that bear significance in your life. In the case of President Obama, growing up with a white mother and spending much time with his white grandparents has plainly influenced how he views himself in the world. Thus, it would seem that the environment a child grows up within, must be factored into the identity an individual will assume.
In a similar respect, however, ancestry is also a vital component to the way in which we as people identify ourselves. Pride can be one motive to identifying oneself as that of a particular race, physical appearance might be another reason. In some respects, identity is partially out of our hands in that we do not choose what we look like, but at the same time, it is our choice whether we want to embrace our appearance and identify ourselves accordingly, or if we identify ourselves in an alternative fashion. Just because the world may view an individual in a particular light does not completely dictate the way that person perceives himself. I believe that Pres. Obama identifies himself as black man not because he has certain features, but rather as homage to his ancestry. He is proud of his heritage and, in turn, embraces it as a part of his identity; however, if Pres. Obama did not have any African American blood in his ancestry he would not likely identify himself as an African American. Therefore, ancestry does play a role, to an extent, in the options one has when it comes to deciding how we wish to identify ourselves.
Environment and ancestry are both important factors in identifying oneself in this world, but when it comes down to it, it would seem that the true determiners of identity are the qualities that an individual chooses to embrace concerning his/her heritage and culture. Regardless of our complexions or facial features, our blood all runs red and we choose to identify ourselves how we perceive ourselves and/or wish to be perceived.
I feel like people base identity on the color of your skin, or the way you dress and what type of job you have. All of these factors are considered when placing an identity on someone, even though some are noticed more than others. Judging someone based on their skin color automatically places an identity on that person, even though that identity may not always hold true.
In my opinion, our identity is not something we are born with, or not something that we ourselves can create. I think that the people around us create our identity, and we can sometimes conform to it. People always stereotype other people and judge them based, not only on their appearance, but also on their skin color and their clothing. These identities have formed because of the society we live in, and because of other people’s opinions about other people. Barack Obama is clearly identified as an African American because of his skin color. He identifies as a black man because of the color of his skin, which people usually see first, and therefore they identify him as a black man.
Despite what people might say, describing him as half black and half white, I feel like everyone really just sees a black man on the outside. Because he is “the first black President” of our country, I feel like this is a huge step for African Americans all over the country and for white people as well. For these African Americans, it may be easier for them to identify with him because of the color of his skin, and therefore we are once again placing an identity on someone.
For Barack Obama, he came to the realization that he was being identified as an African American man in society, so he made it a point to identify himself as this. I believe that it is harder to break away from any other identity, when society only wants to reveal the color of you skin. For Barack Obama, this must have been his issue, for he decided to strictly identify himself as African American. I do agree with the fact that identity grows out of culture, because people belonging to different cultures are identified specifically from that culture. A person from an African American culture, with dark colored skin would clearly identify as African American. A person evolving from a white culture would clearly identify as white, or even Caucasian. A person from a Native American culture would identify as a Native American. If a person belongs to a certain culture, they are most likely stereotyped into that identity, not only based on the culture they belong to, but also based on the color of their skin.
I definitely do find to topic of whether Obama should be labeled as an African American to be very intriguing. I remember, not too long ago, when I was in my junior year of high school having a conversation much like this one with my family as we were coming home from church. My dad randomly through out the question, “What makes a person an African American?” We all thought it was quite simple and answered that they were the descendants of Black people that were brought over to the Americas during the slave trade. But when you really stop to analyze the situation, you realize that even all the white people who reside in the USA are not fully American. Whenever you come across a white person and you ask them “what they are” the rush to tell you they are part German, part French, part Polish and the list goes on and on, but yet you never hear them being called German-American, Polish-Americans etc. Technically the only people who can rightfully be called Americans are the “Native Americans”. So if black people are always labeled by their ancestral descent, so should white people. If that is too complex the easiest way is to label people as White Americans and Black Americans. Both White Americans and Black Americans are too detached from their original roots to be called German-Americans or African-Americans.
But since everyone wants to simply be called an American, I feel that the label “African American” should be given to people who actually know their African heritage or have access to it such as Barack. He, in the opinion of my father, is a real African American in every sense of the word. He’s the exact half of both worlds. I don’t think that the issue of where you were raised should be factored in when discussing your racial identity. I’m 100% African born and raised. Just because I live here in America and have become accustomed to the way of life in this country does not make me African American. I’m simply African. So overall I think the usage of the term African American is all wrong to begin with.
As for the issue of whether Obama used his racial background as an advantage to win the election, I honestly don’t think there is one right answer. In a way, if white people had wanted a white president, they could have simply voted for Hillary as the Democratic nominee to run against McCain. That would have been just as a historical moment in the history of America to have a woman as a president. So I think all those people who claim that his race is the only reason he the presidency, then are not looking at the whole picture. I will admit that his being black gave him an edge but we all know black people are a minority in this country, so he had to have worked hard to win over white supporters to get to where he is today. If Americans are going to choose their president’s based off of fear of being called ‘racist’ and not choosing the right man/woman for the job, then the country itself needs to take a step back and evaluate how much they really care about their futures and those of their children.
Barack Obama is a black man who was born in America. As mentioned, his father was of African heritage, and his mother was a white American. Were his father from, say, Antigua and Barbuda, it would be conceivable for his ethnicity to be referred to as something other than African American. However, based on his appearance, which decidedly has the skin color of a black man, and his genetics, Obama is an African American. It is a complete truth that identity grows out of culture, since race has been disregarded scientifically as a naturally occurring phenomenon, but the issue with the post seems to be too much assumption in regards to cultural influence as well as ignorance of important factors.
Despite the deep influence Obama admits his mother, his grandparents, and his step-father had on him, it is taking much for granted to assume they all attempted to define Obama as anything other than a black or an African American. Rather, it would be just as sensible to assume they encouraged his interest in African American culture. Even still, it is possible the issue of ethnic grouping was not discussed in-depth in the years of his impressionable youth. Thus, such influence would be attributed to outside cultural influence.
Hinted at, but not fully addressed, in the brief posted assessment of Obama's ethnic grouping is the myriad of ways in which influential members outside of his family could alter Obama's perception of himself. The most obvious of these is certainly the observable fact that Obama is a black man, and as such will be referred to as a black person by many such outside forces. Similarly, there is no mention of the ethnic background of the friends Obama took in his youth. For instance, if the majority of his friends were also black, it would make more sense for him to embrace his African American ethnicity rather than assert the socially-problematic choice to be known as a white man, or an Indonesian man.
This, then, is the crux of my view of Barack Obama's ethnicity; that is, he most likely did not choose what he would be known as, he just accepted and embraced that which he was most often associated with. He is most strikingly a black man, and it would be to ignore his ancestry and culture if he would define himself as anything else. Especially as someone in the public eye, it would seem almost pretentious, particularly to members of the African American community, to ignore that evident portion of himself.
For myself, the most obvious ethnic distinction is white, or white American. This is what I would respond with if anyone asked me, “What are you?”, though, honestly, that has happened very few times in my life. My appearance is the basis for this; I choose not to make anything difficult and assert I am English American, Swedish American, Irish American, or any other label that would such apply to me because there is no dominant trait of either of those groups, or indeed any other that reflect my ancestry, that is representative of myself.
I do not believe that we choose our own identity. This is a role that society just so happens to play. And it has always been this way. To many people, I am a white girl. Should such a statement define me? When I fill out paper work I check “White/Caucasian”. Because of my appearance, this is how I am defined. I do not have any strong physical characteristics that show I am of Italian, German, Welsh, and French descent. I am a mixture of backgrounds. But a stranger would not know this because you cannot tell from the outside - people just make you how they see you. And if someone were to tell me that they could change every persons mind, then I applaud.
President Barack Obama comes from more than one background. Just by looking at him, you can tell that he is a black man. However, he is indeed half white and half black. As a young boy, he saw himself as black and has always identified with this part of him. I believe that Obama feels more connected with African Americans because of the color of his skin. He grew up with a white mother, a white stepfather, and white grandparents. He lived in a community that consisted of white culture. I cannot believe that the few weeks spent with his biological Kenyan father would have influenced him culturally. So I guess in this case he chose his own identity. But the only reason why he was able to do so was because society agreed with him. As Dr. Richards said, multiracial people are labeled by their more dominant features. Physically, one can see that Obama is in fact black. However, he is just as white as he is black. If he were to call himself a white man, many people would beg to differ. To tell you the truth, if I were watching the news and heard Obama state that he is a white man, I would be asking myself if this was a joke. So should Obama check both the “White/Caucasian” and “African American” boxes? You are supposed to check the one that describes you the most.
Overall, I believe that society chooses your identity based off of your physical characteristics. If a white kid was walking by with a baggy jersey and chains hanging from his neck, someone might say that he has an “identity crisis”. In a perfect world, one should be able to make themselves whoever they want them to be. In this case, one might say that many black rappers have adopted this type of style. But you should not restrict yourself to be who you are or let others choose who you should be. This idea is considerably out of reach.
As much as we would like to believe that Obama and society played an equal role in defining his identity, this is not true. We cannot believe that Obama is our first black President. It is just not true. While it is true that Obama does have African blood in him and does look African American, it is not true to say that he is our first black President. Barack Obama is also half white, and although he may not look like the part of a Bush, Clinton, or Kennedy, Obama still has the same right as them to call himself white. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great stride and momentous occasion in America’s history, but at the same time the identity of Obama is just as much white as it is black.
Most of us have been led to believe, mainly by the media and other outside influences, that Obama is black. But, when was that decided? Was it only decided because of his looks? Is it because he himself refers to himself as African American? All of this was decided at some point prior to him even running for public office. At some point in his life, Obama decided, or was told, that he was African American. When we ask how someone’s identity comes to be, we have to also wonder what each identity truly means and what it stands for. Of course there would be questions raised if Obama were to call himself white especially because of his looks, but there must have been sometime in his life when he wondered what his own identity was. How did he decide he wanted to be black?
I believe that Obama was told as a young child what he was. At some point during his childhood, Obama realized with whom he wanted to associate himself with and chose to be black. Just as we all are able to choose whom we associate ourselves with, so did Obama. Maybe he felt more comfortable with others who looked like him, or maybe he realized the effect he would someday have on the world. Today, he calls himself African American and not many dare to question that. It has been widely accepted that he is an African American and in this sense we can say that society has chosen his identity for him. Although, Obama may have first stated that he was African American, as he ran for public office, society ultimately has the final say, and society has decided that Obama is African American. This brings us to where we are today. A nation being run by an African American who is widely accepted has more potential today than it ever has before.
Identity is what you. as well as others, perceive yourself to be. I think, as a result of the nature of our country, identity chooses you. You can say you are half/half, but if you look more black than white, you and others will still say you are black because your skin is darker. This is proven through a figure such as Barack Obama. He grew up in a white environment and culture, yet still identifies himself as black? Why? I do not think our environment and culture really shapes if we consider ourselves “black” or “white”. By human nature, we are all quick to look at the color of someones skin, including our own, and determine our identity. Even if Obama declared himself white, it would not have been accepted. People would be quick to point out that he had darker skin and his father is black. During this election season, it has always been Obama is black. Never was it Obama is black AND white. I do not believe it was possible for him to consider himself white or biracial. Unfortunately, in today's society, people still focus too much on race and the color of one's skin.
It is possible that Obama feels most connected to black people because of black history. Going through school, social studies classes focus a lot of slavery, the civil war, and the civil rights movement. As a result, as a man with darker skin, Obama might have began to identify and sympathize with part of his ancestry. We also see Obama as darker skinned and accept his identification as such.
For me personally, I have always accepted I was mostly Italian, until I grew up and learned I was only part Italian and the rest Polish. My last name is even Polish! Why? My grandmother! Growing up, as a 100% Italian, was always feeding us Italian foods and engraving Italian culture into our lives. My grandfather, who is 100% Polish did not do this, as he is shyer and more reserved person. Now, as I have learned more about my family, I identify myself as Italian and Polish. However, I believe I will always consider myself more Italian because I am much more familiar with Italian culture. I think, to an extent, we do just mimic our grandparents and parents. My mother passed away when I was younger, and so I do not know much about her ancestry and do not identify myself as German, although, I have more German in me than anything else! I have always identified myself by what I was taught and exposed to as a child.
In conclusion, I think in terms of race, we identify ourselves with what we see in the mirror. But, in regard to our ethnic backgrounds, we identify ourselves more with what we are exposed to and raised as.
The issue of identity is not black or white (no pun intended) but it is in fact a large gray area comprised of a variety of factors. Dr. Richards has a point when he says that we can call ourselves whatever we want. However, if Dr. Richard chose to identify himself as an Asia... some of us may be confused. Discussion of identity can be compared to talks of nature vs. nurture. Biologically, President Obama is the product of a white mother and a black (African) father. Many outsiders notice his skin color and automatically categorize him as black. I am not very familiar with Obama's upbringing, but I do know that he was raised by his mother. It is possible that he attended a predominantly white high school and had mostly white friends. Could this lead him to identify more with white people? Maybe. Or maybe it causes him to strive harder to maintain his black identity.
My uncle (white, Irish Catholic) married my Aunt Sue, a black woman. My cousin Adrienne is just as white as she is black; however, she does not remotely resemble me or any of our nine cousins. She was raised in a New Jersey town, with the majority of the population being black or African American. All her life she has had black friends and dated black men. If anyone were to ask her what her identity was, I would not be surprised if she failed to mention her white roots. In Adrienne’s case, her identity is strongly connected to her upbringing – or nurture.
My mother is Irish Catholic and my father is Jewish. I am undoubtedly a white American. I am not much of an observant Catholic or Jew, but my identity is somewhat in between. I have a mixed group of friends. At school, I have mostly Jewish friends and at home, I have a little bit of both. My father quit Hebrew School to play baseball when he was 11. He does not practice Judaism and his beliefs fall somewhere between agnostic and atheist. He is, however, offended by Jewish jokes and passionate about the war in Israel. He gets angered by anti-Semitism and knows that Hitler would not have spared him. I take a bit after my father in that sense. I am not sure how much further my beliefs go beyond hope, faith, and a higher power. There are many situations where I strongly identify with my Jewish friends. Other times, I prefer to identify with my non-Jewish friends. There are many Jewish stereotypes I would prefer to live without but there are a lot of aspects to the Jewish culture that I embrace.
I think my rambling, more than anything, proves that the concept of identity is not definitive. Some people choose the group with whom they identify most. Others take bits and pieces of different parts of their heritage to create their own identity. Some people mold to their upbringing and the people around them. Others march to the beat of their own drum.
The connection between Obama and Black Americans is undoubtedly strong. Whether we like it or not, people have been judged by the color of their skin perhaps since the beginning of time. The election of Obama brings a person of black skin into the White House. It is clear that we, as Americans, have come a long way.
I believe that our identity is shaped by the way that we were brought up and the environment they we grew up in. Children usually develop the same personality and morals from the people that they were raised by, and then pass on the same set of morals on to their children. Since I believe that are identity is chosen for us I have a hard time calling president-elect, Barack Obama, an African American. I understand that Obama has his African American roots from his father who was from Kenya. However, Obama was raised by his mother who was from Kansas and his step-father who was from Indonesia. So Obama’s identity was established through his mother and step-father and cannot be classified as solo an African American. However, I think Barack Obama should classify himself as multicultural and should respect every cultural that his parents were and the different cultures he was raised as. I think most multicultural American citizens respect the different cultures but not just classify as just one culture. For example, I have both German and Polish ancestry and I practice different traditions from both cultures.
I believe that through the election of 2008, Barack Obama used his African American background to his advantage. An election committee’s duty is to find ways to have their candidate sound more appealing to the American citizens, so Obama’s election committee classified him as African American and instead of his truth of him being multicultural. Obama could use his cultural background to gain the support of African Americans in the United States to gain their respect and voted to win the presidency. I think the media also played an important role in addressing Obama as African American compared to multicultural. This is because if provides a better story and better headlines that will make citizens more involved and interested in the election and presidency. Now that Obama has won the presidency a very common comment that comes from Obama’s supporters is, “Look at how far the African Americans have come in our country from slavery, civil rights, to now the president of the United States.” People believe that through Obama’s cultural he will provide a different approach on running the county compared to the normal white males. But I think that is a false statement because Obama never grew up and was not fully surrounded with the African American culture, so Obama will not run the country with the real African American values that blacks believe. However, I believe that by Barack Obama winning the presidential election that has an African American background is a step forward for the United States and will allow for a future president to be elected that might have come from a complete African American background, or a president with a Hispanic background, or even allow a woman to become president.
I think that Obama could have chosen to identify himself as white because of his influences from his mother and grandparents growing up, but having tan skin, appearance wise, I think most people would criticize his decision to identify himself as white. I also think it could have been possible for Obama to claim himself as being biracial. He of course, is choosing to be identified as African American, which is fine, but I also think that in the political race for president, he may have used this in order to win a favorable vote with the African American population of America. I do not know if I can exactly say what makes Obama feel most connected to black people. Maybe it was where he grew up, the group of friends he had in school, or simply his feeling that the African American culture is what he felt most comfortable with. However, his identity was ultimately his choice. As a Hispanic woman, growing up I often thought about this question of identity. I went to an elementary school where I was one of the only children who was of a different race (other than white). Before attending school, I had never even thought about race much, but since it was apparent in this setting that I was not white, it came up. This is when I had to sort of “choose” what my identity would be. I always considered myself to be Hispanic first, and still do, because of the way I grew up. My first language was Spanish, I first learned how to dance to salsa music, the first foods I ate were traditional Hispanic dishes from Nicaragua, and I traveled to Nicaragua every summer. But because of where I grew up, I had white influences. I do not consider myself to be white, but once I went to middle school and high school where there was more of a prevalence of different races, I was immediately grouped with my “white” friends and was considered by other Hispanics to be white. Of course, this was bothersome to me, it baffled me how even though I considered myself to be Hispanic, others viewed me as being white. One particular time, I was getting my driver’s license and the woman taking my picture asked me what my race was. I answered without hesitation that I was Hispanic, but that was not an option on the machine. I had to choose between white, black, and Native American. There was no option for Hispanic. So I chose white. It’s upsetting, but at that time I accepted it. However now that I am in college and find myself meeting new people and experiencing new things, it is easier for me to express my Hispanic identity. People ask me what my background is, I tell them, and they accept it there are no doubts and no questions. I like to think that the world is changing. That views are changing, perceptions are evolving and that groupings according to race are slowly disappearing. But the issue of racism is still there in some places, as hard as it is to accept it. However, because of this evolution, this is what allows us to accept Obama’s identity with little dissonance. People may question it in their minds, but as a whole, it seems to be accepted by most. In the end, I believe we each choose our own identity for many reasons. And I don’t think others should question it. Our identity is what we want it to be and why does it matter? We choose what we choose for a reason, and others should always be accepting of it.
I have considered Obama’s ethnicity and have found it interesting that he is considered black when in fact he is just as much white as he is black. It makes me think of the nature versus nurture argument. By nature his background is split 50/50 black/white. The way he grew up and was nurtured was apparently primarily by his white mother, his Indonesian stepfather and his white grandparents. So because he was nurtured by more white people does that make him more white?
I think that because of his appearance and the fact that he has African American features it is likely that those who do not know his background have perceived him as black. And I think that this plays a large role in how someone identifies himself or herself. If he’d told the average person that he met on the street that he was white they would not have believed him. I think what makes Obama feel most connected to black people is that he has likely been seen as black by every new person that he’s met. That is why most of us accept this. By looks alone almost no one who claim that he is white and our society is based largely on looks and appearance. People, consciously and unconsciously, initially treat people based on how they look or how they are assumed to be based on looks. Before people get to know someone they immediately begin to make judgments based on what they see.
I think that if throughout his campaign Obama who’ve identified himself as white is would’ve been insulting to the blacks in our country as well as all races aside from white. Because he clearly does not look white, and looks more black it would seem disrespectful to deny that part of his heritage. It has so much to do with looks. Good or bad, probably bad, I think that truly is the way things go. He looks black and therefore he is. I think that race goes beyond the biological breakdown and is social construed by society and therefore I do not believe that Obama chose.
I believe his identity as black increased his popularity. He came at a time where our country craved change. I can remember growing up thinking that I would never see a black president or a women president and now I truly believe I will see both in my lifetime. Honestly, I am not the most politically aware citizen. I registered to vote, I voting and I certainly do not claim to be the most educated voted. Black or white I truly hope the best man won. We all know that our country needs good leadership right now.
The New York Times did a piece on how diversified and different Barack Obama’s family is. Obama’s family alone puts a new face to our nation; it is a face of different but integrated cultures. Obama is half white and half Kenyan but he was raised by an Indonesian father and his white mother and grandparents. Obama’s half-sister is Indonesian and white and her husband is a Chinese-Canadian. Michelle Obama’s brother Craig Robinson is married to a white woman. The whole Obama clan reflects the many ways in which people can go beyond racial barriers and still be a family.
One of the ugly truths of America today is that race is still a big deal. Although plenty of social programs have been set up in hopes of offsetting past racial discriminations and to give the public an image that the establishment is doing everything it can to diversify our society, there are still a vast amount of people that associate all the prejudices and stereotypes with one group of race without actually knowing the person. As badly as people want to be a certain race of group, they are made conscious of it one way or another. After reading many of the entries and responses, a majority of them have responded with the belief that people decide who they want to be, not society. I disagree. I am an Asian-American and I have grown up and been exposed to the white culture my entire life. A huge majority if not all of my friends are Caucasian but I still feel like I am made conscious of my race occasionally. I would like to think that the individual has control over who he wants to become and what he hopes to accomplish one day in the future, but I am skeptical of this idealistic dream because of what I have observed my entire life, that people are assigned statuses and roles, not by the government or superiors necessarily, but by their own peers.
Barack Obama embraced his African roots perhaps partially due to the overwhelming media attention given to it over the course of the last few years. Fighting this image and saying that essentially, he is white because he grew up in a white neighborhood with white relatives would not have played out in his political favor. Politics is a contest of maintaining a good public image unfortunately, not just the issues. People label Barack Obama as black, and he may have accepted this fact because he did not have the willpower to fight it or perhaps the pressure was just too great although everything about his personality and background would be considered white. A lot of things about my own personal background would be considered white, but I am still Chinese nonetheless. Our society remains a somewhat superficial one, although I will not deny that huge bounds and leaps have been made in recent decades to overcome racial barriers.
It is impossible to figure out whether or not Barack Obama really “chose” to be black or white unless we had a truthful “confession” from Barack. One could argue it was his surroundings including peers, fans, or the media forced the black image onto him, or it could be argued that for political reasons and gain, he selected and went along with the title as a black candidate. Either case, social pressures and issues have still shown to be a more influential force than personal psychological forces. In many cases, it is not up to the individual what he hopes to become as a person.
Since Tuesday, when the first African American president was sworn into office, it seems to be the only topic people want to talk about. It is remarkable when considering how far the United States as a whole has changed in relation to race. Although Barack Obama is “multicultural and multiracial” he identifies himself as “black” or “African American.” I believe that Obama did choose his identity by labeling himself as an African American. Since his mother and grandparents, whom which he spent considerable time with, were white, he has the ability to label himself as white. If Obama choose to label himself as a white male, more citizens in the U.S. would do the same. Moreover, if he decided instead to identify himself as Indonesian (the roots from his stepfather) he would be recognized by that culture. People are labeled by the identity in which they wish to be. If one wanted to be Hispanic, white, African American, Indonesian, etc. they are entitled to that decision even if that is not their true culture. For example, I am white, but if I wanted I could claim to be African American even if others did not necessarily believe me. Since President Barak Obama claims to be an African American, it is what others decide to refer to him as. Although Obama’s dominant features immediately propose that he is African American, he is not forced to accept that label. During many of his public appearances, Barack could have enforced the notion that he was white or Indonesian or claim a biracial status. I believe that most people are happy that Barack indentifies with his African American roots because it makes such a difference in history. From the year that he was born (1961) our country as a whole has made significant progress in race relations. No longer are schools, water fountains, and transportation segregated. Little did anyone know that 47 years later the 44th president would become the first African American to be sworn into office.
We choose the racial, ethic, and ancestry labels that form our own identity. Many of us conform to the previous labels that our grandparents, parents, and other family members have created. When asked, “What are you?” one is likely to respond according to the dominant culture they feel most connected to. The environment in which one is brought up sets the norms of the culture that usually becomes their preferred label. Mostly this could be because many are not educated enough on other cultures other than their own which presents a problem in the ability to relate to any other ethnicities than those presented by the adult figure. Therefore, I strongly agree with the notion that many of us are simply mimicking our parents and grandparents when considering racial, ethnic and ancestry labels.
This definitely gets me thinking about the issue of nature vs. nurture. From where do our identities truly come – our genes or our environment? I believe it’s a little of both, but I lean more towards the nurture side. Sure, we possess certain physical traits and perhaps emotional dispositions due to our ancestry. But in reality, we are a product of our environments. We grow up to mimic our parents even after trying desperately to avoid resembling them.
Obama identifying as an African American is accurate at the very least. We generally do identify with our genealogy, and in the case of adoption, I don’t think those children assume the ethnic identities of their adoptive parents. I think it’s absolutely wonderful that Obama identifies as an African American because it undoubtedly has inspired people to open their eyes. I see him serving a transitional purpose; he falls somewhere in the middle of the race spectrum, providing comfort to white traditionalists and hope for black (and otherwise) modernists. I don’t know that Barack would have had the same opportunities for success if he were not the son of a white woman. If he was 100% Kenyan, his life may have taken an entirely different path. His being exposed to several different races throughout his life paved the way for his success.
Sam says that Obama is clearly more connected to white culture than to black culture, and that holds some truth. But that statement is assumptive that white culture is equal to success (in terms of occupation and academics) and black culture is equal to the antithesis of that. For this reason, Obama’s multiracial identity is advantageous. He has an ability to connect with people of all colors and religions, and is taken seriously when he does so. He comes from what many might consider a broken family, and yet he is the modern illustration of success via overcoming barriers. He really does provide inspiration to many, and his race surely plays a role in that.
I don’t necessarily think that since Obama identifies as an African American, he feels most connected to that racial group. Are we able to choose our identities? Not really. But given an array of options, meaning our ancestry happens to be a hodgepodge like Barack’s, we can tip in any direction. Obama is African-American. Obama is Indonesian. And Obama is white. Whatever his reasons were for identifying most strongly with and “advertising” himself as African American, it is doing more good than bad. We accept this about him because his skin is black; it’s as simple as that. Race is color; it is visual. He has the ability to represent the black community with the resources of the white community. Now that is progressive.
Although I am a supporter of Barack Obama I find do find it slightly bizarre that he chooses to identify himself as an African American even though he had the closest relationships with the white culture. I can’t help but to think maybe identifying himself as an African American was a tactful campaign strategy to win over the votes of the African American citizens who have gone years without voting in a presidential election. I’d like to know if Obama had always identified himself as an African American in the past or if this was a campaign decision. Also, in a situation like Obama’s, at what point in your life do you decide which race you feel most identified with. My freshman seminar professor once told me that race is socially constructed. If this is the case then did Obama’s schooling and extracurricular activities become the cause for his current self-identification? Were it the individuals around him that he grew up with decide his racial identity for him? However, if this is the case, then why did he not identify himself with his white mother and grandmother, both of which he was closest with?
One major example of race being socially constructed is my first encounter with people from Philadelphia. When I came to Penn State I had never met anyone from Philadelphia and I can’t help to notice that many of the guys from this area almost seem to identify themselves as black. They wear the flat brimmed hats, the tall t’s and even slightly speak in Ebonics. I can’t help but to think that the demeanor of these guys and even girls is due to their social engagements. I myself identify as a white individual, but being a native of southwest Florida and having many friends of Hispanic decent, I at times identify with them especially in the form of music selection. If race is socially constructed then that still leaves the question of white Obama identifies himself as black unanswered.
I feel many people accept the identities that individuals put on themselves because we feel they know themselves best. Until this blog I had never thought to question a self-proclaimed racial identity, it almost seemed unjust. Perhaps we claim ourselves as black or white or whatever else because we were told by our parents what we are. Maybe Obama’s parents identified him as an African American because he physically looked like other black kids and thought it would be the easiest and most obvious lifestyle. Perhaps race is just a choice that we can all make in the identification of our essence which in turn represents who we are, our daily actions, and our point of view in this world. Maybe race is just another form of categorizing ourselves into cohesive groups like most things that we ourselves categorize.
I think each individual person chooses how they want to represented in life. Most people identify themselves based on their dominant feature, but there are some people that express themselves however they want. For example, there were many white students in my school that wore Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Ecko, Sean Jean, and other brands of clothes you would normally see black people wearing. However, there were also black students wearing Abercrombie & Fitch, a typical white person brand. I had both white and black friends at school, but I wouldn’t identify them based on their skin tone. I would identify them how they chose to be identified. I feel the same applies for Obama. If chooses to label himself as black based on his dominant skin color then that’s his decision. He still delivers intelligent speeches that everyone can comprehend, so why is it such a big deal that he is labeled as “African American”? It is not like because he is African American he can only relate to other African Americans.
In class today we learned that if you have 1/16th black in you, you can be considered black. Therefore, if we figured out our ancestry, a lot of us could potentially walk around calling ourselves African American. However, I doubt many people would do that. I think it is more comfortable to us and to others around us to identify ourselves based on our skin color. I’m sure as a kid growing up, it was easier for Obama to identify himself as black instead of white and there is nothing wrong with that. I had a friend in high school that was half black and half white, but he identified himself as black. Did people say well you’re white too so why are you calling yourself black? No. If people asked if he was white too did he say yes? Of course. Just because Obama is president doesn’t mean he has to identify every ancestry he is.
Although, the problem I have is all the people making it a big deal that our president is African American. So what. Based on today’s class discussion, it is likely that previous presidents could have been labeled African American too, but chose to identify themselves based on the color of their skin. I understand that it is a huge step that we now have a president that is African American, but he is white too. African Americans are acting as it finally they have broken through and Obama can represent them. Obama represents American. The USA. Everyone. Just because he identifies himself as African American doesn’t mean he is anymore more relatable to blacks then he is to whites. We all need to stop obsessing over the color of people skins and more on the people.
I think each individual person chooses how they want to represented in life. Most people identify themselves based on their dominant feature, but there are some people that express themselves however they want. For example, there were many white students in my school that wore Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Ecko, Sean Jean, and other brands of clothes you would normally see black people wearing. However, there were also black students wearing Abercrombie & Fitch, a typical white person brand. I had both white and black friends at school, but I wouldn’t identify them based on their skin tone. I would identify them how they chose to be identified. I feel the same applies for Obama. If chooses to label himself as black based on his dominant skin color then that’s his decision. He still delivers intelligent speeches that everyone can comprehend, so why is it such a big deal that he is labeled as “African American”? It is not like because he is African American he can only relate to other African Americans.
In class today we learned that if you have 1/16th black in you, you can be considered black. Therefore, if we figured out our ancestry, a lot of us could potentially walk around calling ourselves African American. However, I doubt many people would do that. I think it is more comfortable to us and to others around us to identify ourselves based on our skin color. I’m sure as a kid growing up, it was easier for Obama to identify himself as black instead of white and there is nothing wrong with that. I had a friend in high school that was half black and half white, but he identified himself as black. Did people say well you’re white too so why are you calling yourself black? No. If people asked if he was white too did he say yes? Of course. Just because Obama is president doesn’t mean he has to identify every ancestry he is.
Although, the problem I have is all the people making it a big deal that our president is African American. So what. Based on today’s class discussion, it is likely that previous presidents could have been labeled African American too, but chose to identify themselves based on the color of their skin. I understand that it is a huge step that we now have a president that is African American, but he is white too. African Americans are acting as it finally they have broken through and Obama can represent them. Obama represents American. The USA. Everyone. Just because he identifies himself as African American doesn’t mean he is anymore more relatable to blacks then he is to whites. We all need to stop obsessing over the color of people skins and more on the people.
Every single person in this world is different. Each being has different beliefs, views, ideals, thoughts and comments on issues and topics. As a human being, each person can think for themselves. Some people feel extremely strongly about one topic where others do not. The topic that I am going to talk about in this blog is the topic of race.
When asked if Barack Obama had a choice to identify himself as black, I would answer yes and no. Yes, when showed a picture of President Obama to most people, it is safe to say they would think he is black. There is no way to avoid people’s own opinion on what race or ethnic background Obama has. Obama can’t sanely change his image to be white. He looks black that is the bottom line. Because Barack Obama has predominantly black features, he is looked at as black. If someone had to identify a Obama as black or white, I think more than ninety nine percent would say he was black. But what if he didn’t want to identify himself as black? The question is: could he ethnically identify himself as white?
I do think that Barack Obama can identify himself ethnically as a white man to a certain extent. Barack Obama, and every other person in the world, has the power to declare themselves as whatever they want, as long as they actually possess the background in their blood they want to identify as. Obama can identify as a white person by speaking this in his speeches, presenting himself as a white man, and the list goes on. But I still don’t believe that Obama can get over the hurdle of his appearance. A picture tells one thousand words. I don’t think Obama can speak one thousand words on how he is white. The image of Obama portrays his cultural identity as a black man very strongly.
Personally, I was born in America along with my parents and grandparents. We are all white and Jewish. My great grandparents emigrated from Europe, Russia to be exact. I identify myself as a white American Jew. When asked if I am Russian, I am hesitant to say I am because I really have no connections to Russia, only by my great grandparents’ blood. Their culture has been washed away generation by generation. I identify myself this way because my parents do the same. In my case, I am exactly what my parents are. I don’t think I am “merely mimicking my parents and grandparents.”I just am what they are. My parents and I have the same situations. We were all born in America and so were our parents. I am not going to proclaim myself anything my great grandparents were if I am asked what I am. My cultural identity is so watered down. I don’t want to say that I am something of a very small portion; I don’t believe there is a point.
After reading the blog, it really got the wheels turning in my brain, why do we identify with the most obvious characteristic of ourselves? Sure, on every bubble sheet I say I am white/Caucasian, but really my ancestry goes back to Germany and Ireland. I don’t think there are any boxes asking what your ancestry is… it’s just asking your color. As for Obama, he identifies with his color as any other normal human being. He has been accustomed in our society to go along with the “fill in the bubble” system and choose the most obvious answer. From our beginnings as children, we were always taught to choose the obvious answer. I still have professors tell me during exams to choose the obvious answer. Maybe when it comes to race there is no obvious answer and we are just filling in a bubble so we can move on with our lives and be normal. If Obama would try and accommodate all of his background in a bubble sheet, he would have to fill in other and write a few ethnicities down, as would many people who live in America today.
On the other hand, I started to think about why Obama would identify with the black community, when indeed he is a part of both communities. There are many reasons that pop into my head that could be good possibilities. There is no doubt in my mind that his identification with the black community definitely helped his campaign. Don’t get me wrong, he is a very smart and abled person to do the job, but who says Hillary wasn’t or McCain? Through identifying himself as black, Obama put himself in a category that he knew would get the most votes. If a poll was done to see how many African Americans voted when Bush was running for office versus when Obama was running for office, I guarantee that more African Americans came to the polls when Obama was on the ballot.
Choosing to identify himself as black even before he began to run for president is something I feel he did solely due to outward appearance. Also, his wife is black and his children are half black as well, therefore they are seen as a black family. It is easier to identify himself with the community that he most resembles, as for everyone else. We have been taught at an early age colors. What color is this, what color is that? When you look at Obama you see black, therefore you say he’s black. When you look at me you see white, so you categorize me as white. Color is something that truly has been taught to us and therefore we have been chosen by “it” meaning color. We don’t have a choice what we identify by because our world is such a visual world and people want immediate answers. When people look at someone they will immediately know their race. They won’t bother to ask where there are from or if they live in a bi-racial home. When handed a questionnaire there isn’t room to expand, so we fill in the bubble of the most obvious answer. So to answer your question Sam, race chooses us in my perspective.
Electing the first “black” president is certainly a historical moment for the United States, but I would not go as far as to say Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has been realized. I feel the numbers are a bit inflated due to the fact Barack Obama was just elected president, even though the results were not out in March. If this poll was taken again a few months from now I believe the results would be very different. I believe people would realize yes this is a step forward but is not the finish line. In my opinion as a white person, I think Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has not been realized. Just by having a black (well ½ black), which is another point I will make, president does not make racism go away. It does not just make all people accepting of one another. I do however believe we are making progress. Many things have changed since Martin Luther King Jr. made his speech. Segregation no longer exists, that I am aware of. Both black and white people attend Penn State University for example. When King was making his speech blacks and whites did not even eat together let alone attend the same university or college.
I think another point to make is that Barack Obama is only half black. He is as much white as black. I feel though by his wife and family being black and him having a darker skin tone everyone quickly associated him with black. Also as the press pointed out many people at first associated him with Muslims due to his middle name. This association just goes to show how much we really do classify someone before we know much about them.
I think more people were optimistic because they believed Barack Obama would bring change as his slogan suggested. In my opinion though others may disagree I felt many blacks were caught up on the fact that a candidate was black and received the nomination from the Democratic party and less on his ideas and stances on various issues. I am aware that this can go both ways though. We discussing the issues with family, friends or classmates, I learned that some white people were not going to vote for Obama just because he was black, not because the disagreed with his beliefs. I think as a nation we should be ashamed that we would cast a vote solely on the race of a person, whether it is for them or against them. With people not voting for a candidate because of their race I cannot say Martin Luther King’s Dream has been realized. To conclude my entry I feel we will have racism in our country for years to come, but we are making progress which is something I feel Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud to see.
There are several questions posed in this blog that cannot be so easily answered in a single response, or even in several responses. In reality, for years people have been asking themselves and others what in recent years is it that makes our society put so much emphasis on the color of our skin. Ultimately how one should have to define themselves? I feel Obama defines himself as an African American because of the color of his skin and the way society has raised us all to define ourselves. However, even if he did think of himself as more of a white man or he relates better to the white male rather than the black male, it has definitely been more beneficial to him, at least in recent years, to stick to his African American label. In the 2008 presidential election, not only did Obama appeal all of his ideals to the vast majority of voters, but he was able to inspire others, particularly those who defined themselves as African American, to become more interested in politics all together. For the first time in a long time, people saw the real opportunity to change America, for what I believe is for the best, and put a man of a different race into the White House. I think many people of the African American population found Obama more relatable and could see a little bit of themselves in the man running for president. Obama is a symbol, or a blessing in disguise, to show that America is still able to change and we are in fact moving forward in the sense we are willing to accept people for more than just the color of their skin. I feel people would have listened to Obama regardless of his color because he is an intelligent, well-mannered candidate, but at the same time, I feel he attracted an interest in the election that there has never been before and it has made our country even more united. We accept this color system of classification because it is all we have ever known. Whether we agree with it or not, it is something that not until recently we thought could not be changed. This sociology class, the race relations project, and people like Obama hopefully inspire us to take action and really put forth an effort to change the way people see the world. One day the color of our skin will be of about the same importance of the color of our hair and eyes. It is good for recognition purposes, and can give insight to our ethnic background or what traits we have inherited from our parents, but at the same time, should not play an overwhelming role in defining who we are as people and how we treat one another. This is something that not only white people need to realize, but people from all walks of life. For the dream to truly become a reality, everyone must in some way become color blind. Obama certainly will help lead us into a brighter future and help others look past all of the labels, but of course, there will still be a lot more that needs to be accomplished. Obama can give us hope though. Hope that America has not finished evolving and that future generations will see a more colorful, tolerable nation and they too can still make a difference.
I think that society chose Obama’s race more than he did for himself, but I feel that our president should have the privilege of choosing what race he wants to be classified as. Every other person of our society with more than one race has the choice. Obama may have a white mother whom he loves and respects, but that doesn’t mean that he feels like he fits in with the white race as much as with the black race.
I feel that looks have a lot to do with whether or not someone feels accepted. For example, I asked my biracial friend what she classifies herself as and why. She told me that she classifies herself as black because she has all the black features and she doesn’t have white features. Therefore, if she were to classify herself as white who is to say the white race would accept or worse yet believe her. The black features she is talking about is the skin color and the facial feature, such as the wider nose and the bigger lips.
Even though some people accept Obama for his different backgrounds doesn’t mean that everyone will accept him. I also thought about what one girl from Sociology had to say about the president. She said that during slavery people who were more than one race were only recognized as being black, and she thought that maybe the only reason it is being debated now is because it has to do with power. I feel that if Obama has classified himself as being black all his life then this issue should not be under debate. I do wonder if some people may think the only reason he classifies himself as black now is to gain more votes.
Obama himself knows of all his different races and so does the rest of America. I just don’t understand the big deal about what race he considers himself. What is the importance of race? Does it make him less qualifies because he considers himself black instead of white? I don’t feel that if he were the average Joe anyone would care that he considers himself black when he has multiple races in his background. I ask myself these questions: What if Obama would have considered himself white instead of black? Would people have considered him racist or criticize him as much for not embracing his African American ancestry. In my opinion, I think more people would criticize him if it were the other way around. I think people would see that as him denying the black race because of the many struggles the black race has had to overcome.
I understand that this election has been a dream come true for many people. This is the first time that a black person, even if he is just half, has even been in position to become President, yet alone win it. However, I do not get why so many people want to focus on the fact that he is black. If a non partisan person would look at not only his ancestry but also his personality and lifestyle, they would see that Barack Obama is more white than he is black. His ancestry says that he is about 50/50, however, he was definitely brought up in a white lifestyle. As a white person, I could just as easily “claim” him to be of my race and focus on this just being another election.
Throughout my junior high and high school days, I would also hear blacks claiming that people who are biracial are not real blacks. However, when Barack Obama came on to the scene, all of that changed. He is now seen as a black person, with very few blacks actually recognizing that he is indeed half black and half white. It’s amazing how that could change so quickly.
Also, I realize that many people voted for him because of his politics and the fact that they wanted something different than the Bush administration. However, I also know that a lot of people voted for him strictly based off of his race. These are the people that had no idea what any of his platforms are, or even who his Vice President choice was. That was my biggest pet peeve with the election. People were voting for the President of the United States, the most powerful person in the world, based solely on his looks. Various late night talk show hosts all held various skits where they would send a “reporter” in to the field to get people’s thoughts on the election. All of the questions focused on then Presidential candidate Barack Obama. These people were asked various questions about his platform and running mate. I’m sure the people they showed were chosen to make a point, but it was astonishing to see how many people had no idea what was going on. One question went as follows: “What do you think of Obama’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate?” There were people that actually answered this question saying that they agree with it and that if Obama thinks she’s good enough that that is good enough for them.
Now, having said all that, I do agree that this is a big milestone for the United States. Just the fact that he is half black and has been elected is amazing. I just wish more people would focus on his policies rather than his skin color. Who knows, someday we may have a “actual black person” elected to President.
The first thing which comes to my mind when I read about Barack Obama’s ancestry is how amazing our country is, that a man of global ethnicity has been chosen to lead a country which has so often been called “the melting pot of the world”. Barack Obama’s racial background allows him to appeal to all race and ethnicities unlike any other political figure has done before him. But when faced with the question of does our identity choose us or do we choose it, I think the true and honest answer is both, and Barack Obama is the perfect example. I believe Barack Obama considers himself to personally be black and my reasoning for this is the choices which he has made for himself through out life, such as the inner city community service work which he had participated in, the church service which he attends, and the individuals he surrounds himself with. My argument for why the black identity has chosen him is because of the support which he received from the black community, black actors and black athletes. Whenever I heard any individuals from these three categories talk about or praise Barack Obama, they only referred to him as a black and completely neglected to acknowledge the side of him which was half white. I felt that this was an unfair act by the black community and felt that it was almost an attempt to claim Obama as their own, as to say “He’s our guy, not yours”. But now that Barack Obama is finally in office, I hope that we as a country are able to identify him as our president, and not our black president.
I believe that I too am an example of how I have chosen my identity and it has chosen me. The nationalities which I am considered are Irish, Italian, and German. Both the identities of Irish and Italian have found me through traditions with my mother’s side of the family (Irish) and my father (Italian). I was never exposed to any type of German culture and even though I possess a German last name, I am unable to identify myself with that culture. My exposure to both my mother and father’s sides of the family have been equal but for some reason when asked I identify myself as Irish. Ever since I was young I did this and was never through the encouragement of either one of my parents, but rather through a general curiosity of Irish culture. I am proud to identify myself as Irish, but I did not chose this identity alone years of ancestry help to bring it to me.
I have always believed that just as a person chooses their own destiny, they also choose their identity. They choose this identity by how they choose to dress and act, and who they choose to hang around with. Whether or not they like to believe it, the people a person hangs out with appoints them to a certain group, which, in itself, has an identity. Or maybe it’s the way they talk, whether it is very proper, or with a lot of slang. This is what they choose, because of how they wish for others to see them. On the other hand, it is very common for people to identify others because of stereotypes. Although a person may only be half-black, or half-Asian, or for that matter, half-white, they are most likely to be labeled as simply black, Asian, or white.
It is not uncommon for people to be uneducated about race. I, myself, until the other day, had no idea what it meant to be African-American. I thought that any black person that lived in America considered themselves as an African American. I feel that this is a good reason why often times other people choose a person’s identity.
Another reason why people are labeled with an identity is because of their physical features, the most obvious of which is skin color. A person can be only half-black or half-white, but their black characteristics will shine through, so others are more likely to label them as black, or if it is a person uneducated about race as I am, they may refer to them as African-American.
I also think that a person will label themselves as the race that they look most like. I feel that some half-black or half-brown people are ashamed that they are white, maybe because of the area that they grew up in, or the people that they hung out with, or maybe they are just simply more proud to be of a colored ancestry, but for one of these reasons, or maybe another reason unbeknownst to me, they claim to be black, or brown, something else, rather than labeling themselves as white or Caucasian as I do, growing up as a young white male.
To be completely honest, I really don’t know the true answer to this question, and probably never will, and it is very likely that no one will ever know the true answer, but I would certainly like to think that I do. So for now, I am going to say that there is no real answer. The person, as an individual, along with society’s perception of them, whether it is because of the way they act or who they hang out with, or even because of their physical features such as skin color, determine a persons identity.
Identity chooses us as we as us choosing it. When it comes to the identity of a multiracial person, I first look at their phenotype meaning the way they look. There are some multiracial people the look more like a certain race. For example, in Barack Obama's case he looks like any average, light-skinned black man. But in some cases you can look at a person with the same mix and wouldn't know that they were mixed with black. In these cases identity has chosen them. Because Barack Obama looks like an average light-skinned man society has accepted him as an African American despite his white heritage. There is no doubt that Obama recognizes and appreciates his white heritage, he just identifies with his African American side better.
Being raised by his Indonesian step-father and his white mother, as a young child Obama more than likely identified himself as white. This is because he was really close to white grandparents and was more than likely exposed to this side of his family. Once he became a teenager, he started looking for his own identity. It is normal for a young man to look for his place in society no matter what race he is. In this he found himself and identifies himself as a black man. This is the place in society in which he felt comfortable therefore, he chose his identity. Despite being more exposed to the white side of his family, he later decided to identify himself as a black man.
There can be the example in which a black boy has been brought up in a predominately white neighborhood. This could more than likely cause him as black man to identify as a white man in society despite the his phenotype. He may just feel more comfortable around white people because of how he was raised. He may not completely ostracize or deny his black heritage, he may just identify better with a different part of society. Therefore he chose his own identity.
I would like to think that we chose our own identity but society has a big part in it as well. I was raised in an all black family and we live pretty well. I identify myself as a black man, but some people in society would identify me as white because of some of things that I am into. For example, I train horses and in the summer I spend majority of my free time going to the beach and surfing with mostly white friends. Every summer there is always someone that will say, "He is the whitest, black kid I know". I am not at all unnerved by this comment, I just call myself cultured. This is just one the examples of me choosing my identity. There are some cases in which I identify better with my white friends and other things with my black friends. Even though I do things that society identifies as white, I identify myself as black.
In my honest opinion, I think Barack Obama has decided for himself that he is “African American” and not white. The many cultures and beliefs and ideological standards of this country are so diverse, who are we to say what is what? Who are we to say that this person is black, this person is white, and this person is whatever? Obama could have just as easily labeled himself as a White American.
Knowing someone personally that is of bi-racial decendancy, (her mother was white, and her father was black), I can honestly say that it depends on how you want to perceive yourself. This friend of mine, (we will call her Jane) is dark in complexion, but she seems to identify with the cultural and social norms of the “white” people more so than with the cultural and social norms of African Americans. Jane is, in theory, the whitest person I know, even though she has the appearance of an African American.
People decide who and what they are. Just because I’m white in appearance doesn’t mean I can’t go around telling everyone that I’m Chinese, or Portuguese, or whatever. I honestly think that it’s because going against what is in plain sight makes us different, and no one wants to be different. Barack Obama associates himself with the African American population, probably just because of his physical appearance. And the same goes for the rest of America. If you see a blonde haired blue eyed girl on the street, one of the first things that pops into your head is “there’s a nice looking German girl”. But what makes her German? Maybe she’s Russian, or Slovenian, or Czechnian. No one really knows. The point is that we all decide what we are and relate to just based on the physical appearance that we portray. It’s pretty difficult to tell your eyes and your brain that everything that you’re seeing is a lie. It’s right in front of you. How can it be wrong? If it’s there, if you can see and touch it, then it must be true and real, right?
Look at the millions of people that are have some sort of Native American heritage in their bloodline somewhere. Today, unless they are 100% Native American, you would never be able to tell that they had this heritage in their bloodline. I myself have some Native American ancestry on the good ole family tree, but you would never guess it looking at my white ass.
Indeed, Obama, and the rest of us just try to relate to what is obvious, to what the eyes and the senses can really experience. Obama could just as easily label himself as white, being that he was raised by a white mother and white grandparents. It’s just his father, being from Kenya that helps him be more persuasive of him being African American. When it comes down to it, we can’t, he can’t really say that Obama is white or black, because he is both of those things.
Remember my friend Jane? Even though she definitely has a darker skin tone to her complexion, she never says “I’m black”. She is constantly calling herself white, and I honestly think she is white. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, or what your bloodline says. What matters is what and how you want to be portrayed. White people constantly submerge themselves into the hip hop culture, and start acting like “thugs” and “gang-bangers”. If they wanted to they could associate themselves as being black and not white. It just depends on how you feel you should be looked at.
identity is shaped through one’s environment and also how one are brought up or raised as a small child. The choice is not made as an infant nor as a child but as an adolescent as it was made by President Barack Obama. When you simply learn more about your own self and what you are comfortable with, one can find it helpful to utilize in defining one’s identity. I personally identify as Jamaican-American although I am a mixture of other nationalities such as Hawaiian, Cuban, and also African-American. This is simply because my mother who is of Jamaican and Cuban Decent, has had the most influence on me and also has raised me. The Jamaican roots in my family are very strong because everyone on her side of the family originates and or still lives there today. My Biological father who is of Hawaiian and African American decent was not present in my life at a young age, therefore I was not exposed to his culture and views. Also I do not identify as Cuban because I was never really expose to an environment where a that certain type of music was played or food was eaten although that is half of my mothers race. An example of a person gaining knowledge of their identity by not having culture forced upon them is a Mexican girl living in a suburban area in Arizona. This teenage girl grew up and hangs with Caucasian teens her age. They listen to the same type of music and dress the same way as well as speak similar. This Mexican girl then goes to visit her grandparents in Mexico. Her family residing in Mexico are upset because they take the young girls dialect and the way she carries her self as an insult and think that she is “embarrassed” of her background. This is not true the only reason the girl seems so distant from the culture that her family expresses is because it viewed as new and fresh to her because she did not grow up around it therefore was in no way influence by it. The girl may relate to the Caucasian race but identify herself completely as Hispanic. This is how the girl’s knowledge of who she is plays a role in shaping her own identity. Another case may be if the girl is constantly reminded by other teens of the race that she identifies with or the race that she does not and is told that she in fact is not Caucasian, and she in all aspect thought she was of that race, there may be an identity crisis. Overall, to me identity is not chosen and I believe that environment plays a huge role in shaping it.
This is very debatable question and controversial issue about how each of us chooses to identify ourselves. In my opinion, most of people choose to identify themselves from their dominant physical features. That is why I am not surprise that Obama identify himself as African-American although he is half white and was raise by Indonesian step father. I would like to believe that “it chooses us” rather than we choose it. I think Obama choose to identify himself black because he feels more connected to black people and I don’t see anything wrong with it. I even find it interesting that some people get annoyed by Obama identify himself black. If he feels comfortable being black, then why is it bothering other people. His wife, Michelle, is also black and I think people connect to people with similar background easier or at least the one that is most influenced you. Although, he didn’t grew up in black environment, but he grew up with other people saw him as black and constantly told him, he is black. Then how could he identify himself white or Idonesian?
I was born and raised in Thailand and came to United States 5 years ago. I never thought that race is such a big issue here because I was surrounded with people in the same race for all my life. I have to admit that I somehow feel more comfortable around Asian people because of similar culture and background. I went to high school in Idaho that about 99 percent is white. At first it was very weird to them because they are not familiar with Asian at all and they thought I am very different. But by the end of the year, we all get along very well and became really good friend regardless of race. Although I considered myself Thai but I can say that more than half of me is Chinese. My grandparents moved from China. But I was born in Thailand and grew up with Thai cultures so I am comfortable identify myself Thai rather than Chinese.
I think race is going to be an issue as long as people still talk about it. For example, on the day of election, there are polls ask people from different races that what percentage of them choose Obama. I think we shouldn’t even consider that because people should be able to choose the president from their ability not race. It doesn’t matter that Black people have to choose Obama and white people have to choose Mccain. To me, it doesn’t matter what race he is. I see him as a very good man and will be a good leader of the country. So does it even matter that we choose to identify ourselves or it chooses us? When we start seeing people for who they are, not by race that is when the race issue comes to an end.
When faced with the question regarding choosing identity, I believe that our identity is placed upon us to an extent. When a child is born, they are given an identity based on the race and ancestry of their parents. They do not have the ability to choose for themselves and they are characterized by this classification given to them for the rest of their life. Although people may change their perspective on their race and ethnicity as they age, many choose to continue life the way they started due to the beliefs and values instilled in them via their parents.
Due to many changing aspects of the world today, people have the ability to change due to trends, fads, experiences, and people around them. However, they change their ways of living their life and the way others perceive them, not their inherited race or ethnicity. These external factors shape a person into the person they are in everyday life. In my personal experience, I have been greatly influenced by the people around me including: teachers, classmates, friends, and organization members. Each group has different perspectives and thoughts about various issues concerning religion, ethnicity, and race.
I am primarily influenced by my family member’s viewpoints concerning many issues. My family is Catholic and goes to church every Sunday. Since I was a young child, I was an alter server for about 10 years. This experience has been the foundation of my childhood and created many of the beliefs and ideologies I have created over the years. If someone were to ask me, “what are you”, I would respond Catholic. I have a strong personal connection to Catholicism and attribute much of my relation to religion as a result of my parent’s strong influence. Being a Catholic has helped shape me into the person I am today. On the other hand, if I did not believe in the religion I was raised with, I would not be able to identify myself with my primary religion. Therefore I would have to create my own identity.
In current society, a person is considered African American even if they have inherited a small percentage. When it comes to questioning a person having high status within society, the situation should not be any different. When I look at President Barack Obama, I see him as an African American. I believe that even though Obama was raised by his white mother instead of his Kenyan father, it does not make him anymore white than he is African American. I feel that this is the reason that African Americans feel so connected to him. Although he may only be half African American, he has the support of the majority of the black population.
I agree that much of the increase in percentage of black Americans polled who believe that Martin Luther King’s dream has been realized results from the overwhelming achievement of Barack Obama’s election. His winning of presidency is so monumental that it has lifted an entire racial group’s hopes and spirits for a brighter future. This renewed optimism has combined with other social advancements in the black American community to turn out numbers such as the noted sixty nine percent. African Americans across the nation are now respected doctors, professors, scientists, and athletes, as well as government officials. Just a few years ago, the United States saw its first black coaches of the Super Bowl. This was a notable occasion because so many sports are dominated by black athletes, and yet it took until the 41st Super Bowl to see a black coach. I think that events such as that have also helped to mold a more positive outlook on African Americans’ status in American society.
It is extremely interesting to see the comparison of the sixty nine percent of blacks to forty six percent of whites who see MLK’s dream as realized. I agree with the idea that the white percentage is lower because they are not coming off the high of Obama’s victory, but I think that there is more to it than that. By in large, Corporate America is still run by white executives and workers. I think that this is probably over looked. When white workers look around and see their fellow employees who are black make less money, receive less managerial jobs, and far less executive positions, it probably gives them a sense that Martin Luther King’s idea of equality has not quite been reached yet. In the Dow 30 companies, there is only 1 minority Chief Executive Officer—Ken Chenault of American Express; as of 2007, there were only five black CEOs in the Fortune 500. That means that one percent of the CEOs are black—in a country where African Americans make up over twelve percent of the total population. It is difficult to look at statistics like that or the fact that black males make about seventy eight percent of the salaries that white men do, and think that equality between races has been reached.
Barack Obama’s election is a milestone in the achievement of MLK’s dream, and it is easy to see why the African American community has found increased hope for equality in these times. White Americans are also seeing the leaps toward equality, but view them in a different light. They can look at the upper hand they have had throughout American history and see the still present mistreatment and undervaluation of black Americans and have a less optimistic view of their current equality.
Yes, Obama is multicultural. Biologically, he is 50% white and 50% Kenyan. And although he was raised predominantly by whites, this does not mean he should not identify with African-American culture. Not matter how small of a percentage it might be, he is still black. As someone mentioned in Tuesday’s class, in the days of segregation, if you were just the smallest bit black, you were treated as one. In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, Plessy was one-eighth African-American and seven eighths white, but was arrested for riding in a “all whites” railroad car. Unfortunately in this country, sometimes society dictates who you and I identify with, and that may be identifying with people of the same race, people of the same economic condition, or people of the same intelligence. You say that as a teenager, Obama rendered himself African-American. I do believe he had a choice. When asked his ethnicity, he could have easily stated that he is half white, half black. The thing that would have made it difficult to say he is white is his darker skin color. Not that his skin color should determine his culture. But as we see now, he and the rest of the country consider him to be African-American. I admit I am a little confused by this, seeing as usually one adapts the culture of that of who he or she is raised by. But obviously there must have been another influence in his life, maybe a friend. Personally, I’m not sure if Obama calls himself black and lives the white culture. Then again, what is “white culture”? Is that supposed to mean living in nice neighborhoods and getting a good education? It doesn’t make much sense to me. When people refer to Mexican culture or Indian culture, one thinks about the traditions they bring from their country. But white culture? Maybe someone can tell me what that means.
As for the rest of us, you ask, “why do we select the racial, ethnic, and ancestry labels that are applied to us?” Seeing as it is commonly unaccepted to respond as, “I am American”, I chose to say that I am 75% Irish and 25% Italian. Although these are my ethnicities, I do not choose to live as either. I guess I just live my life and am influenced by the people around me. These people are of many races: white, black, Dominican, Indian, Persian (Iranian), and even Australian. I feel that it is this way for many of today’s youth. We are exposed to so many different cultures, which keeps us from being narrow-minded. I guess this is where my question of “white culture” comes in. Yes, my environment growing up did include mostly white people, but I don’t think I let that shape me as a person completely. Maybe Obama had a similar experience growing up.
I feel that in some way it is both, we choose our own identity and others choose an identity for us. If you are a white person then obviously the answers would be the same. If you are a black person, most people would identify you as African American, although not all blacks are African American. The hardest race to determine would be the people that are biracial or multiracial. Most biracial people identify themselves as on race more than the other, but their answer is most likely different than that of the rest of the world.
Well, I have to disagree with Shanna Ross' comments about this journal. I do not understand why, if someone looks at an individual who looks black, they're automatically assumed to be a black guy, especially by the white community, and why, now that a man known as Barack Obama who clearly presents himself as an African American (or black), should identify himself as white. It is huge for Obama to present himself as a black person who is trying to be the most powerful man in the world. He would not be where he is now if he presented himself as white. He is proud of his color even though he has spent a good amount of time with his white mother and grandparents, but he knows where he is came from and who he really is and he is proud of it. The world is proud of him. The world of racism is proud of him to take such big step and truly make a big change in this world and make history. This is something really big and not everyone is capable to be where he is and have such confidence. Not everyone is able to do everything so well. I am glad to be part of this history and I am sure, even though he was raised with white people for the most part, he did go through many things and he struggled like any other black man. I'm sure he was treated as black growing up, so he feels what black people or African Americans have gone through and he wanted to change that for them and he did. All these votes have shown that this country is not reaching for another white president, nor a Muslim, Christian, etc..This country and this world is thirsty for freedom of racism, and a president who is capable and knowledgeable to do things for his country regardless of his color and religion. Obama has proven to many people out there that no matter what color you are and whom you grew up with, you can have hope and dreams and NOTHING and NO ONE can stop you or tell you otherwise. God has created everyone equally and loves everyone equally and does not judge them based on their color, race or ethnicity. I truly believe he would have never become the president of the United States of America if he identified himself as while. Everyone was seeking for a change to happen and it did. I have so much appreciation for all the people that went through slavery and suffered every day of their life for a day like January 20 to happen.
As the article states, Obama had only spent a few weeks in the presence of his Kenyan father as a young boy, and was instead more heavily influenced by his Indonesian stepfather and mother, who identifies herself as a white woman with some Native American ancestry. He also spent a considerable amount of time with his grandparents, yet he identifies himself as African American. I can’t necessarily say why he chose that identity, but the article inspired me to think about why I’ve chosen my own.
When I look in the mirror, I see myself as Caucasian, and more often than not, I’ll simply say I’m “white.” Everyone at my high school, which is still made up of a 99% white population, would agree, but something strange happened when I came to college. A lot of people started to assume I was an International student?? I assumed they thought so because of my very Russian-sounding last name; however, when I went with a friend to New York City, people on the street, people who didn’t have any knowledge of my last name, also thought I was from another country. Some thought I was originally from Venezuela, Jordan, and the majority guessed Russia. My paternal grandparents are indeed Russian, but I never noticed my Russian features before. Since coming to college, I’ve wanted to know more about my ancestry, but I would never all of a sudden say I was Russian. It’s not something in which I feel connected. Since my parents divorced even before I was a year old, my mother’s ancestry remains a mystery and is also something in which I will never feel connected.
These events have made me realize that people ultimately choose their identity; their identities do not choose them. After all, we as individuals have been granted the great gift of free will, and even if we’re not technically Chinese, Irish, etc., we can label ourselves as so because no one can stop us. How technical are we really? Most of us can’t trace back our complete ancestral tree, so if we say we’re white, how do we know for sure we don’t have a black ancestor? I’ll admit that growing up in a small town with a lack of diversity has influenced me, I no longer live there and cannot rely on them to tell me who I am. My family might want what’s best for me, but they, too, will not always be there to tell me who I am. I learned this the hard way after coming to college. I really had to know who I was or else other people here weren’t going to know who I was either. It’s my life to live, and there’s a peace of mind that comes about knowing you’re aspiring to be who you want to be and doing exactly what you want to do. I chose carefully who I want to spend time with, what clothes I want to wear, what major I want to pursue, etc. I chose to ignore the advertisements that say only blonde hair and blue eyes are beautiful and refuse to strip my follicles of their natural color or invest in colored contacts. I realize that people automatically make rapid judgments within seconds of meeting someone for the first time, and unfortunately, these judgments aren’t always accurate. When people assume I’m something other than “white” based on my dominant features or last name, I simply correct them and go on with my day doing what I want to do and being who I want to be.
I do find this situation of Barrack Obama to be a bit complicated when it comes to assessing what exactly he should call himself in terms of race. Technically yes, his skin color is dark which is where his African roots are coming from. However, if we are to examine his background and his upbringing, there are no close ties to African American culture. Therefore, wouldn’t a better title be white or just African? Then again, why is it that when posed the question of “what are you?” people answer with colors? To me it makes no sense. Being white yellow black or red says nothing about who you are. Just the same way Obama saying he’s black doesn’t tell us anything, nor does saying he’s African American. Wouldn’t it be better that when asked “what someone is” that we respond saying what our native culture is or perhaps if its more complicated then that, we respond by saying what our upbringing is. For me the whole concept of race is confusing, being completely honest. Im not quite sure what makes Barrack feel that he is African American or what connects him to that particular race/ culture so much that he calls himself this. Is it just easier for him? Less explaining to do? Or is t because it was a good campaign tactic in a certain sense? I wonder if identifying himself as African American helped his campaign and helped him win votes. Personally, I feel that the answer to that is Yes. Who wouldn’t want to say that they broke the barrier… that they have succeeded to become the first President to be a different race other than white. Its certainly a big accomplishment, and its also certainly something that people would feel passionately about. Now to tackle the question of why we as society just seem to accept that he calls himself African American without little thought. Isn’t it funny how superficial society is? I feel that most people just go along and tend to accept the image of Barrack Obama as an African American because they are solely looking at outward appearance. I don’t know if its lack of education of his background or ignorance, people just don’t seem to care what he really is and just look at his skin color. They see a dark skinned man, who has no foreign accent whose lived in the states his whole life and automatically is conceived to be an African American. I don’t know the answers to these questions but just reading this blog really made me think about how we as people tend to represent/ perceive ourselves in certain societies. Also I start to wonder if there even is a right answer to the question “what are you?” I mean on the surface it may be easy to identify but if we all go way deep into our family trees…wouldn’t we start to see that we all evolved from the same place anyway? So why make such harsh “racial” distinctions solely based upon skin color?
Barack Obama let the people of the United States decide which race he was for him in order to gain the most political points and thus win the presidential election. However, the American people's decision to label him as African American was not made solely by a single racial community. In other words, black people were not the ones to decide, nor were white people. This labeling of President Obama as African American came from multiple factors and feelings of both communities.
First, I think society, in general, tends to label bi-racial individuals as black to begin with. So, it was not surprising to me when President Obama was labeled as black when he emerged from the U.S. Senate and announced his candidacy. I think African Americans were waiting so long for a black candidate that they overlooked any other racial or ethnic heritage separate from him being African American. In addition, President Obama was one of the first credible African Americans to run for the highest office, and in my opinion it was hard for them to get behind a candidate like Al Sharpton in 2004 due to his radical demeanor in television interviews.
However, I do not think African Americans are alone in labeling biracial individuals with black heritage as black and not anything else. The same could be said about individuals who are half Asian and half white. If an individual shows typical characteristics of being Asian, they will probably be labeled as Asian, regardless of having a White parent.
But, getting back to the subject, I also think the white community had a big part in the labeling of President Obama as African American as well. Whites, along with blacks, were able to recognize that President Obama was a very credible candidate for the Democratic nomination, unlike the previously mentioned Al Sharpton. Upon recognizing this, I believe that whites saw someone that they liked and could vote for, and redeem themselves from the leftover guilt they felt from the days of slavery.
What I would really like to know is what President Obama would identify himself as had he not become a politician and felt like he had to accept the racial identity that was forced upon him by constituents. If President Obama had identified himself as white as opposed to black, would he have won the election? I would like to think he would have because I want to believe he was elected based on his accomplishments and credentials, and not on the basis of race. Determining whether or not he was elected on credentials will probably be done by evaluating his performance and successfulness at restabilizing a nation that is in the middle of a financial crisis.
The way society has developed as a nation has led to the creation of different races based merely on physical appearance. As we discussed in class, race is an idea that people made up recently, within the past 300 years, as a way to divide groups of people according to physical characteristics. First off, race should not even be an issue of concern; but as society has progressed, civilization has developed this concept of race and it has blown up into a major issue around the globe. Race can be interpreted based on physical appearance, cultural norms, history of ancestors, biological components, or anything people can be grouped together as. When it comes to determining the identity of our president, race is naturally the key element which comes to most peoples minds. It is in what way, and how, that makes discovering his identity interesting. It is not because of Barack’s culture or lifestyle that he identifies himself “African American”, it is because of the shade of his skin color as a result of his biological father’s “identity” in addition to the viewpoints created by society. However, identity is something much more complex than just physical appearance. Due to today’s modern society, our culture is so fast paced that the general public often tend to forget about this. This is why people accept that Barack is “African American” with little to no question or thought about it. Despite his dominantly “white American” influences from his mother and grandparents throughout his life, people ignore that cultural aspect of identity and focus primarily on his physical, “African American” appearance to depict his identity. The cultural aspect of his lifestyle and influences that his mother and grandparents and stepfather had on him throughout his development as a person have a bigger impact on his identity than the biological traits from his father. Nonetheless, the identity selected by one for oneself and for others depends on one’s meaning of identity. Although most people assign identity based on physical characteristics, identity is a universal concept which consists of unlimited amounts of definitions. Given how people decipher one’s identity in our current society, I believe that if Barack were to identify himself as a “white American”, it would turn out to be a controversial matter. The typical American would probably have difficulty understanding how someone who has darker skin identifies himself as “white American”. However, I honestly don’t think it is that big of a deal. The leader of our country should be someone who is strong enough to support us, wise enough to make intelligent decisions, someone who every citizen can trust. All these things should be what the people are concerned about and discussing, not the color of his skin or what his identity is. Whatever he identifies himself as, whether it be “African American” or “white American”, it does not change who he is as a person.
Even though President Obama is of mixed cultural and racial decent, he identified himself as being “black” because of the way he looks. If someone were to ask me what I was, I would just say white because that is how I look. It is easier to say, “I am a white person” or “I am a black person,” than it is to say, “I am a Russian-Italian-Lithuanian-English-Irish American.” That is definitely a mouth-full! It is just easier, especially when in the public eye, to shorten up your identity. At least I think so. If you really wanted to get a politically correct, than yes, President Obama probably should list his cultural and racial background. He is just taking the easy way out and shortening it up a bit. Plus, I think if President Obama were to say he was white, even though it is half true, people would not buy it. He does not look like a white man and the white man cannot identify with him, looks-wise. Another thing to look at is President Obama’s family. His wife and kids are black. It would be a little confusing to Americans, because of how we are, for him to identify himself as “white” when clearly he is a black man with a black family.
I feel like our identity is chosen for us simply by the way we look. I have a lot of friends who are of mixed racial and cultural backgrounds. I know what their identities are. Someone walking by them on the street may think “that girl is Asian” or “that guy is black,” when really the “Asian” girl is half Hawaiian/ half Italian and the guy is half African American/ half Dominican. We, as a culture, are quick to judge people on how they look and act. It is not fair, but we do it. We do this because we are creatures of habit and it is how we were raised. I hate to say that we have not evolved from how are parents and grandparents think, but we haven’t. Even though we may not judge people out loud, we do it. I am fine with being a white girl of mixed European decent and I am fine with other people being of mixed racial and cultural descents. So if President Obama wants to identify himself as “black” or “African American,” let him do it. It may not be politically correct, but who cares?
I will be happy when a day comes that we do not automatically judge someone based on how they look. It is ridiculous that we, as Americans, cannot get passed it. I am unsure if there ever will be a day when that happens.
The fact that Barack Obama considers himself an African American is an issue that I have pondered since he first stepped into the limelight. His skin color clearly indicates that he has African roots, yet his other features show traces of different heritages as well. The fact remains that we live in a society that loves to categorize everyone and everything. On first glance, I think that nearly all of America would consider Obama an African-American man. Undoing this initial impression would prove extremely difficult. For example, if Obama identified himself as a white man, the public may think he was trying to hide his African ancestry. As a person in the public eye, Obama probably finds it easier to simply go along with people’s assumptions about his race. Race is a sociological figment and thus, the pressures of society are what determine a person’s race. In that sense, an individual really has no choice about his race since the opinions of society are what determine it in the first place. In all reality, I do not think that Obama ever had the option of considering himself anything other than an African-American man.
Furthermore, I’m sure that from a young age Barack Obama was grouped into the African-American category by peers, teachers, and the rest of society. When people continuously tell you throughout your life that you belong in a certain category, you begin to believe it yourself. For Obama, I think that erasing his identity as an African-American man from his own mind would prove even more difficult than changing the public’s opinion of his race. Despite his mixed ancestry, Barack Obama psychologically thinks that he is a black man. If that is the identity that he feels most comfortable with, who is the public to argue otherwise? Obama must feel a strong connection with the African-American community because for his whole life, people grouped him into that category. A person naturally gravitates toward others like him, so Obama’s tight bond to the black community does not surprise me.
I can relate a little bit to Obama’s situation since I appear white but actually, my grandfather immigrated to the United States from El Salvador. Technically, I could list myself as Hispanic on job and graduate school applications and possibly give myself an advantage. I have never done this, however, because I do not consider myself to be Hispanic. I speak little Spanish and I have never even visited El Salvador. At a young age, society threw me into the melting pot of white people and I personally do not feel the need to dispute this classification. If society truly invented the notion of race, then society should ultimately get to determine a person’s race. I look like a typical blonde, white girl so I guess I am white! Similarly, Obama appears black, so by society’s standards he is black.
I feel that Barack Obama feels more socially connected with the black community for a variety of reasons. Having read President Obama’s book , ”Dreams for my Father” he felt that African Americans views on race and social interaction were more in sync on how he viewed certain issues. He felt more connected with certain students of African American dissent, while attending Columbia University in New York City. He became exposed to poverty and issues of African Americans. One also must assume that President Obama may consider himself African American because of his skin color. His skin color causes people of the opposite race to stereotype him as black, not knowing that he is half white. Despite his Caucasian blood, through life experience he felt that his character was more black than white. Obama lived in New York City, Indonesia, and Hawaii. He has been exposed to all different ethnicities and cultures. Now many critics of Obama say they are fed up with the uproar that his presidency brings as the first African American President. The fact that Obama is multi racial and has achieved the presidency is a huge break through in a nation that once enslaved Blacks. For the first time in history a African American will occupy the white house which slaves once built. President Obama has the right to consider himself African American for all the stereotypes he has endured growing up. In his book he told a story about when his white grandfather was playing with him on a beach in Hawaii when he was a young child. White vacationers were staring and pointing because at the time it was looked down upon for having bi-racial relationships. His grandfather said as a joke to one of the white vacationers and said you see that young colored boy; he is the grandson of Hawaiian royalty. Their perceptions changed of the young boy and his white grandfather. I feel that Obama’s critics have helped him make his decision on feeling more black than white. The constant stereotyping may have influenced his decision.
I too can relate to the Presidents story. I am also multi-racial. I am half Caucasian and half Latino. I have a very Hispanic sounding name and when my name is called people often look at me in confusion. I appear to be Caucasian, however my father’s ethnic roots are in Puerto Rico. When I was growing up I often felt confused with my identity as being Hispanic or Caucasian. I grew up in the city and most of my friends were black or Hispanic. However, I never felt more of one race than another. I did spend a lot of times at my grandmother’s house which they spoke Spanish most of the time. They always had Telemundo on the tv and Spanish music playing while my grandmother cooked Spanish rice and beans in the kitchen nearby. I do not think it is biological characteristics that make one part of a race if you are multi-cultural. It is the culture you feel most comfortable with. I consider myself both Latino and White; I do not feel I am one race. I am not mimicking my parents’ ideas, because they come from two totally different racial groups. I feel comfortable with both sides of my family and feel very comfortable with both races. I often would like these critics of President Obama to put themselves in the shoes of a multiracial person. This is the only way they will understand the process. As a multicultural person myself, you go through a period of your life when you explore both cultures and try to develop what ethnicity is good for you. It is a good idea to surround yourself with the different cultures and figure which one you feel most comfortable with as President Obama did.
A person’s first judgment and conclusion of another is solely based on the outer appearance and that’s the truth. This first impression, of course, can be molded and altered and eventually not resemble the original opinion at all, but the fact remains that the exterior of the person will not change.
I believe that Barack Obama did not choose to be given the title of African-American, but instead it was given to him by society based on his dominant appearance. His culture and ancestry clearly molded his personality into being that of a white and Indonesian descent, but clearly his features do not show that. From personal experience, I understand why Obama has no choice on the title of an African American even though it he is just as much part of that culture as I am.
I am an Indian who was raised in the Western Society. Though both of my parents are from India, I identify myself more with the American culture than I do with my Indian heritage. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my Indian culture; it’s just easier to relate to people in a society where I grew up and learned to socialize in that specific manner. Though I might internally identify myself with the American culture, most people, if not all, initially identify me as an Indian. Along with that identification, there comes along the attached stereotypical connotation. Most of my friends are white or at least American born and raised, and for the most part they see me as an American too. For the most part. There are always those occasional jokes about being Indian, which by no means do I find offensive. I am not a believer of ignoring a race of person, because race does to some extent, more so for some than others, affect who you are. However, those comments prove the point that whatever title society gives you, it can never truly be erased even by your closest friends.
Barack Obama may have once chosen his white or Indonesian heritage, but society’s title of African American are what most people in society perceive of him. Most would agree with the statement that African American still face underlying racism in America; this racism that makes it just that little bit much harder for black people to succeed in this nation. Though Obama was not raised with an African-American heritage, he did face the similar if not the same struggles on his path to success that most black people in this nation would face. This struggle is what most African Americans, I feel, empathize with. Eventually this label became a major advantage during his time in the campaign, and as any politician would, Obama took full advantage of the title of African American.
Aside from physical features, such as the color of Obama's skin, I am not sure what makes Obama identify more with African Americans. When looking at the facts mentioned, it would make more sense that he would identify himself as being Caucasion or multiracial. It would appear that he would identify himself with a race other than African American because he was raised by his mother who is Caucasion and his Indonesian step father. However, just becaues he was raised by a white woman does not mean that culturally he was not influenced in one way or the other. People do not always share the same beliefs that their parents practice. A lot of people form different beliefs or ideas than what they were originally taught by their parents.
Also, I think when most people think of race, people automatically think of skin tone as a defining factor. When asked to fill out what race a person is on a test there are usually very limited options. Not to mention, if the person happens to be of more than one race they are still sometimes asked to bubble in only one option. When that is the case they may choose to pick whichever race they physically resemble the most. This may be why people are not thinking so much about what makes Obama relate more to the African American people. From just looking at physical features one would assume that he does look African American, in which case when he chooses to identify himself more with African Americans there are no questions asked. Another reason Obama may have chose to identify more with African American's is because politically it was in his favor to do so. Saying that he thinks of himself as an African American allows other African American people to identify with him even more. History in the making also seems much more exciting and powerful when one hears words or phrases such as "black president." It makes society seem like it has really come so far. Where as the new president is multiracial and raised "culturaly white" does not seem to depict the same image. When looking at it from this angle it would seem that for the most part and especially in this case, people can choose their identity at least to an extent. Many people are of different ethinic backgrounds and are they themselves culturally diverse. However, they may pick a certain race or ethnic background that they feel they relate more to or feel more strongly about. This could be due to certain beliefs that particular group shares or becaues of what it means to be associated with that group in society.
I feel that people choose to put Obama under the black column because it was the easy choice because of his skin color. I also believe that people wanted to have a battle of the firsts for the presidential battle, the first “black president”, and the first female vice president.
Do I believe that Obama is black? No, I believe he is biracial, just like most of the people out there. I am personally biracial as well; sometimes it is easier to say you are one thing over the other to explain yourself I understand that, but by no means do I just think of myself as only Portuguese where there are other cultures that make up my code. In the cases of Obama I do not think he could have identified himself as solely white either because people would not believe him because of his skin color, so that put him in a tough spot. People tend to just label me as white because of my features; I am a lighter Hispanic biracial person. There is more to me than just the color of my skin; I am Portuguese with a bunch of stuff in between. So to forget about everything else is an injustice to my ancestors just like it is an injustice to Barack Obama’s ancestors to just say he is black. He also just dropped the culture that he was raised up in, throughout the presidential race he would say he was black, but as a child he was raised up in a white household.
I believe that Barack Obama uses his race card was also so he could get more votes. Like someone had said in a response before me, someone had shown me that same humorous clip about some black people being asked questions about Obama after the election, and most knew nothing of Obama’s policy, they just liked it because it had his name attached to it with the idea that he was black. In fact the questions asked were about McCain’s campaign if that does not further show that they only said yes because Barack Obama’s name and race were attached to them. Which I feel is crazy because it should not be able to work that way. People who vote should know who and what they are voting for. Why would he go on the platform of change when he is not even going to end the war, that is not change.
Now do not get me wrong, I am happy that we have a president that identifies himself as black, but he should represent himself more fully, and not forget any parts of what he is. He should be proud to be biracial like most of the people in the rest of the world. Like what was said in class, we almost all have a bit of black in us.
Barack Obama was raised by his white mother and white grandparents. He said he met his African American father once during his childhood and as a result been shaped more by his absence then his presence. Why then, in his post teens, did he choose to identify as African American as oppose to biracial?
I believe identifying as biracial has practical and political consequences. Firstly, the title of biracial can be a bit vague. It could refer to someone who is half Jewish, half Iranian or half asian. No politician wants to deal such a headache. Secondly, many African American voters may have felt abandoned had he chosen the biracial title. It would have made him perceivably invisible to his African American roots.
The blog asks 'what is it that allows most of us to accept this identification with little dissonance?'. I think the bigger question here is "why do we care what label he sides with?". Why do we have to go through the trouble of trying to label ourselves in the first place? What purpose does it serve? What if he identified as 'a person' rather then 'a black person' and left the trivial task of racial labeling to the public? Obama may have felt it a trivial task, but not at this point in time. The country's history of severe racial divide still resonates. Labeling himself black, if anything, proves a point that labels are in fact trivial, or at least ought to be. Getting as far as he did in turn made him living proof that race can have no bearing on what any black person can accomplish in this country. 'White Americans' never needed such proof because they have been assured forty-three times prior. In all honesty, it shouldn't matter if our president is black or white. Whoever happens to be the most qualified at that moment in time should in fact be the one elected to run our country. Every individual in our country has equal rights and it should not even be necessary for Obama to have to prove that blacks are just as capable and accomplished as whites. The issues that have occurred with race are history; they are in the past. So why can't we just leave what is in the past, in the past?
I believe our identities and ethnic backgrounds come from our ancestries. You are who your ancestors were, no questions. I know that people of the same identities and backgrounds can connect and relate to each other. Take Judaism, for example. Growing up in a Jewish community, I know that understanding background is very important to me and my family. Remembering where it is you come from is always crucial to identifying who you are.
Race and ethnicity. After more and more thought on those two words, it seems as though people are choosing to be a certain race or ethnicity, or are even raised and told what in fact they are. If we were simply shown a picture of Barack Obama, not knowing any background information on him, I would say that a majority of respondents would say that he is “African American” or “Black”, simply by his exterior features. We would see his darker completion, wide set nose, dark eyes, and textured hair that is similar to others who label themselves to be “black”. After finding out more about this man, my view of him being black has become hazeier. He is half white and half black, and could have easily decided to go with the other half. But the simple fact of him not looking white makes all the difference. Does the fact that his father was Kenyan, with true African blood, make Obama more alike with people from that same background, even he did not spend more than two weeks with the man?
It is an interesting concept to think about ones ethnicity or race and choosing if comes from the way they appear, or the blood that runs through their veins. Here the upbringing of a person almost has no impact on a person’s race. Obama was raised primarily by his white mother, the person he says to have the biggest impact on himself as a person. I was raised by my white mother and white father, so are the President and I on the same page here? Yes my hair is light brown and soft, my eyes light and skin the same, but don’t we have more in common here then say someone with two black parents? Race and ethnicity to me is more than skin deep, and simply looking at a person and labeling them to be one or the other is unfair and absurd!
If someone were to look at me, I believe that they would label me as Caucasian with European decent. Just taking what they see on the outside, and not considering where my parents or grandparents may be from, they have already made that distinction. I could have an African American great grandfather, and the features passed down by him may have just been lost with time through generations. If this in fact were true, I don’t know necessarily how strongly I would feel tied to any African American roots. Obama on the other hand, he still has those African American features, and when one looks at him, they can see this. Granted, African Americans still feel some hardships in their day-to-day lives, and the fact that they look that way may cause others to treat them differently. Here is where the skin-deep factor comes into play. Many don’t understand that the way someone looks really says only a fraction about them.
In my opinion I think Barack Obama labels himself of thinks of himself more as “black” because it goes along with the idea that things have changed in the United States. It helps show that we are growing as a country and coming closer to making Martin Luther King Junior’s dream really come true. If he labeled himself more with whites it wouldn’t be as big of a deal that he won the presidency. The fact that Barack Obama and the rest of the world sees’ him as a “black” man instead of a “white” man changes everything. It changes the way people look at him and think of him. No one can honestly say they don’t notice the fact that Barack Obama is “black” and our new president. When thinking about if Barack Obama chose to be thought of as a “black” man I don’t think he did. I mean no one really chooses to be thought of as “black”, “white” or “brown” or anything. It reminds me of the Labeling Theory in criminology. In the Labeling Theory it talks about how when some one is “labeled” as a criminal they continue to do so called “criminal” things or not stop their “criminal” behavior. They don’t stop because they feel that no matter what they do they will never be able to get rid of their so called “label” as a criminal. This relates to Barack Obama being labeled as a “black” man because he didn’t necessarily choose to be looked at or seen as “black” that’s just the way that people have always seen him or thought of him. I think that even though Barack Obama is multiracial people would never really see him or qualify him as “white” even if that’s how he saw himself and categorized himself. I feel like it doesn’t matter how Barak Obama sees’ himself whether it’s as a “black” man or a “white” man other people would always see him and categorize him as “black” because of his dominant features. Even though he is a light skinned “black” man his skin color is still seen as “black”. Barack Obama accepts the fact that he is seen as a “black” man because he knows that’s how other light skinned people are seen as well. No one really gets to decide how other people see them. I don’t think any one really has the option or choice to decide if they’re seen as “black” or “white” or what ever they may be seen as. It’s other people that decide for them based off of how they see them. How they define their dominant features or the way they look. Not how they define or see themselves.
I believe that our identities grow from our culture and the things that happen around us. People in society naturally associate certain features to certain heritages. This isn’t necessarily right to do, but nonetheless it is a fact of life. People see someone with light skin and automatically assume they are white. Or someone with slanted eyes is for sure an Asian. Obama is seen to many people as black because of his dark skin, even though he truly is multiracial. I think it’s sad that people of the Untied States are so uninformed on the background of our President and they automatically assume that he is just black. The fact that Obama considers himself African American could very well be because he associates his dark skin with this, even though he wasn't raised by his black father. Although I am not multiracial, I think the environment in which I live has shaped how I identify myself. Obama was raised by his white mother and Indonesian step-father and I find this kind of weird that he doesn't associate himself with those cultures. Even if he does look more like his father, I think he should still be proud of the fact that he has a white mother and a very diverse background.
The fact that people consider Obama as the first black president of the United States, I think is not right to say. At the beginning of Obama’s campaign, at first I thought that he was just black, going by looking at his skin. I regret the fact that I just jumped to this conclusion without actually looking further to see if that was all he was. I am proud to say that America has a multiracial president and I think it’s cool that he represents so many different cultures.
As for my own identity, I have always known that I was Irish and Italian, but I mostly just associated myself with being Irish. My last name is very Irish sounding so people just always automatically assumed that I was only Irish. I feel like because that it was what other people referred to me as, that is what I associated myself with. Everyone has their stereotypes when it comes to different races and it annoys me that because people see something on the surface, they form an opinion without really getting to know someone.
I don’t know why Obama only refers to himself as African American, but part of the reason could be because that is what everyone has always seen himself as. I just wish that people would try to get more informed before jumping to conclusions. I know it is a fact of life and I even find myself forming opinions before I know all the facts. But maybe now as people learn about our President, they will take the time to think before assuming.
I do not believe President Obama chose to identify himself as African American because he wanted to gain votes. For all we know he was identifying himself as African American from the moment he could speak. And though he may be more personally connected to "white culture" (if such a thing exists anymore) because that's how he was raised, maybe he is more proud of his African American ancestry and feels more comfortable identifying himself as "black" rather than white. I mean just because the African American culture was never around when he was growing up doesn't mean it still isn't a major part of him.
Though one could also argue that if he didn't embrace his African American heritage, it would have cost him more than ignoring his white heritage would have. White people would have looked at him as a sort of poser, who was just trying to win over the white vote, while the African Americans would have ostracized him for denouncing his African American heritage
I think it is important for everyone to learn about their true ancestry and ethnic background; whether it be from your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, family tree, etc. If they feel more comfortable identifying themselves as a descendent from a certain background, then they should feel free to identify themselves how they want. For example, I come from predominately German descent, but I am also of Dutch and Irish decent as well. I feel I relate most with my Dutch heritage, though I was raised in a "German American" culture. I simply feel more comfortable and more proud to be identified as Pennsylvania Dutch, the same reason President Obama may want to be identified as African American.
I also feel that our society is the main reason he is identified as an African American. Even if he does identify himself as biracial, we only see the color of his skin. In any society, and just our species in general...the majority of our sensory input, and in turn our opinions, is visually based. It's a biological fact that humans rely more on sight than any other sense and through that sight, people see an African American man. So honestly... if he tried to claim he was a white man running for president, people would flip out. They'd say "look at your skin; you are not white," the key word being "look."
The media also plays a huge part in his identification. They want to exploit the election as much as possible and make it more historic; because having an African American president is more exciting than having a biracial president (half of America's presidents were probably biracial anyway).
I feel the question of identity can be tricky if you really sit and think about it. Why do people who are in fact multiracial identify more with one side over the other? In my opinion it’s the people you grow up with (i.e. your family, friends, and relatives). When thinking about why President Obama identifies more with his “African American” roots then either his “white” or “Indonesian” roots does not make much sense to me. In some sense I feel like it was a strategy of sorts to win over certain demographics. One can’t judge or be mad with the fact that he chooses to identify himself as black. That’s one of the great things about being multiracial! One day if you feel like being black you can be black, if you want to be white the next week, hell, that’s cool as well! With all this being said I think it’s clear to see that we do in fact have a big part in choosing our identities. Regardless of our ancestry we are each individuals and can chose to live our lives however we see fit. Do our parents and ancestors sometimes play a role in how we identify ourselves? Absolutely, but a person is not held down and tortured to follow the way of their previous family members. This is what makes America great and being an American so great. We are a land of refuge and opportunity and that is why we are the melting pot in which we are today. People came from countries across the world to escape people telling them how to shape their identities. Immigrants fled to America to set up a life and an identity of their own. So do you have a choice in shaping our identity? The answer is again, absolutely.
Now just because we have the ability to choose our identity does not mean that in some ways our identity chooses us. The color of our skin clearly is beyond our control, and in the eyes of some people this already puts forth an identity that they believe to be true, stereotypes across races and ethnic groups of all kinds. When you look at identity in this light the answer to the question is identity chooses us. But then again there is always that little glimmer of hope that you can erase those stereotypes and show people who you truly are when they get to know you. We all have the ability to choose and make up our own identity. We do so in the way we dress, the way we act, and the way we interact with people on a daily basis. I know for a fact that I have complete control over my identity. Do you have control over yours?
In my opinion, people’s identities are chosen for them, but they can also choose their identities. I didn’t choose to be born Polish, Czech, or Slovakian. I didn’t have a choice for that matter, but I did get to choose many characteristics about myself. Michael Jackson was born black, but he wanted to be white. He bleached his skin and went through numerous surgeries to obtain the features of a white person. Also, Barack Obama is half black half white, and calls himself black because that’s what you see. How can he consider himself black? He was raised by a white family and hardly knew his black father. He was never raised by a black person, but he can call himself black and let others refer to him as African American. I don’t consider him black what so ever. He’s biracial, but has the qualities of a white person other than his skin. He says his mother inspired him and shaped his character, but why doesn’t he refer to himself as white? He identifies himself as black, and he gets that characteristic by a man who walked out on him. I’m sorry, but if I was in his situation, I would refer to myself as white to acknowledge the woman who raised me. He chose to identify himself as black during the election. And in my opinion, he used it solely to his advantage. He never acknowledged himself as being white, rather African American. This worked quite well during the 2008 election. There are many Americans who did not know anything about him except for the fact he is black. There were speculations that black people were voting for him solely because he is black. There was a survey conducted in Harlem, New York, and they gave Obama all of McCain’s attributes. These people believed that Sarah Palin was Obama’s running mate; we should keep our troops in Iraq and many other things. Does this justify people voting for Obama because he has all the attributes of being a good president or because he is “black?” I was watching the news one night during the campaigns. Obama just finished one of his speeches, and a reporter went up to this one woman and asked why she was voting for Obama, and her response was, “If I help him, he’ll help me. He’s going to help my pay my bills and my mortgage.” Is this really the society we live in today? Don’t get me wrong, I believe this is a huge accomplishment in America. People are finally realizing that we can have someone of a different race in the office. This is big step for our generation and the generations to come. Martin Luther King would be proud of this country.
Before discussing whether we choose our identity or our identities choose us, I think it is important to point out that a person’s true identity is not always how they identify themselves. We have no power over choosing our true identity. I am German and English, and that is my identity. I could say I was black or Asian but that would not be acceptable to outsiders because it is so blatantly untrue. On the other hand, my best friend is Filipino and white American. When people ask her what her race is she says Filipino because that is how she chooses to identify herself, and since it is partially true, people accept that without question. Her identity of Filipino and white chose her, and she chooses to identify herself as Filipino.
Since Barack Obama seems to be the talk of the town, his situation should obviously be addressed in regards to this question. Everyone is aware that he is not exactly African American, or actually even fully African. However, he is most commonly identified as, and identifies himself as African American. But is this such a bad thing? With all the emphasis put on his “blackness” by the rest of the rest of the world, why would he want to go around saying, “Well actually I’m half white,”? A rap song came out with the lyrics, “My president is black,” before he had even won the primary election. Another with the title “Black President” held the lyrics, “It is my distinct honor, and privilege to introduce the next President of the United States - Barack Obama.” The idea of a black president is so exciting to Americans that the other half of Obama’s heritage is overlooked. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Let the people be excited about their president. After all, he remains a symbol of how far America has come regardless of the fact that he isn’t one fully black.
I did not vote for Barack Obama because of my political views, which are mainly republican. However, I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and his family nonetheless. While Barack himself may be less black than people would like to believe, his wife is black and they have two beautiful, primarily black daughters. The fact that the first family is black is an absolutely amazing feat that really does show how much progress America has made. Despite my political views, I have complete respect for the Obama family and how they have brought the people of our country together to close the segregation gap even further. Although my candidate did not win the election, Barack Obama is my president now, and I have complete respect for this new leader of our country.
I think when we are young our racial identity is chosen for us based on what we look like and in what cultural ways our parents and family raise us. However, when we reach adulthood we are able to accentuate what part of our race we want to be associated with. For myself I am white with ancestry from different parts of Europe but I usually associate myself with my mom’s Italian heritage because I grew up mostly around my Italian side of the family. But I am just as much Hungarian and Slovak but I don’t recognize it as much because I don’t really know much about that part of my family. Also my features look Italian so no one questions it. Of course when I’m with my dad’s side of the family I am told how much I am like them and they see the Slovak not the Italian. But that is just natural to want to associate people into your culture, it shows your acceptance of others who are like you, because you share a common bond.
For people of mixed races that are not all white, or all black, or solely one race while they may want to identify themselves as one over the other or both, the world today will chose for them. Usually it’s based on their skin color, like Obama. He is half black but for the way the world sees him, he might as well just be all black, being white doesn’t make his presidency something special, if you say he is half black he is only half different from all the other presidents, but being black is a radical change for this country so why not sell it for all its worth. Now don’t get me wrong I think Obama is a great man with a lot of great ideas for this country, but I would rather hear about what he plans to do as president and see those plans get accomplished than constantly talk about the color of his skin. And if I were him I would be proud to be the first black president but in history I would want to be known and remembered for something more. I would want to be remembered for the amazing job I did while in office to make the country I love better. To be judged by character and not the color of my skin.
All in all if you don’t have a dominant race feature you can pass yourself off and identify with what you want. But when you have a stand out feature, you are basically forced to identify with that race and heritage even though you may not feel connected to or act like that culture in anyway.
Unfortunately environment has much more control over individuals then they would like to admit, or are even aware of. While every human has particular ethnicities in their DNA that have been passed down from their ancestors, it isn’t always up to the individual to choose their race. Everyone’s genetic makeup consists of dominant genes that overpower recessive genes which gives them their physical features. While DNA is the true test of ancestry, race is more or less given to us by stereotypes produced by society.
In the case of Barack Obama he chose to identify himself as an African American even though he could have chosen to identify himself as white because he is half of each. Claiming to a biracial status would have been completely legitimate in terms of race however Barack Obama is a politician that creates the problem. Being a politician involves being constantly scrutinized by the media especially on personal matters such as this one. Also, nothing is worse than a politician who cannot choose a side, or a “flip-flopper,” as many like to call them. Had Barack Obama chose to identify himself as biracial society would have seen him as someone who can’t take a stance on important issues. If Barack Obama chose to identify himself as being white the media would have labeled him as confused, or some other negative connotation. As a result of Barack Obama having more African American physical features in the public eye, it was a wise decision to go with a race that the public would understand and accept the most.
When I’m asked “What are you?” in regards to ethnicity I respond with “English, Italian, German, Austrian, and Irish.” I respond with this mix European explanation because those are the ethnicities that run in my family according to what my parents have told me. Being that I have a few European traits from several countries I can’t really pinpoint which exact physical features I received from each. I enjoy being a European Mutt because it allows me to identify with numerous different cultures all of which contribute to features that separate me from others. We are mimicking our grandparents in the sense that their genes were passed down from them to our parents and then finally to us. However, I believe society often labels certain ethnicities by stereotypes instead of accurate depictions. Society and the media often make people of a less accepted race feel bad about themselves for not looking like the media’s image of a normal, attractive person. This can often force people to repress their dominant characteristic in order to fit in with the preconceived norm that the environment has set. With Barack Obama in office pushing for equality and change I hope to see this pattern regress. It will be a great achievement to celebrate everyone’s different ethnicities, and value everyone as equal. Hopefully a new era of intellectual thinking will allow for everyone to identify with the race they feel comfortable with instead of the race that others would like them to be.
Identity is one of the most difficult concepts to assign to oneself. The concept of identity is difficult to grasp because there is no one definition for identity. How does one define an identity? A possible definition of identity is what someone deems themselves to be. But in most cases people cannot define themselves by just their physical attributes. An identity incorporates physical look but also ancestral background, environment, and upbringing. All of those factors are what an identity can be. But unfortunately, one cannot necessarily ignore their physical attributes by which society identifies them. They must use their physical appearance as their entire identity.
President Barack Obama has one of the most difficult identity issues. As a biracial American he has two completely different ethnic backgrounds. Dr. Richards asks, why does he simply choose to call himself black? Historically speaking, one could not simply call themselves white when they looked predominately black. President Barack Obama has a darker coloring, which could not be deemed white even if he personally identified himself as such. Furthermore, he possibly chose to identify himself as black because he felt a closer connection that form of identity. I do not personally know who President Obama socialized with as a boy, but generally speaking he may have found more acceptance from the African American community. His looks are more so of a black male than a white male. Even in current times, if he had chosen to identify himself as white he would not be accepted by either group. Blacks would see him as a cop-out or a black man trying to be white. And whites would see him as a pretender, some one who was not truly white, and trying to enter their community. It is unfortunate that such a double standard exists, but the fact still remains that it does.
Identity is both chosen and given. President Barack Obama chose his identity, but it was also consequently given to him. President Barack Obama chose to call himself black because he personally believed that what he was. He is not saying that he is more white than more black. He is only identifying himself as he sees fit. But contrarily, he chose to identify himself as black because identifying himself as white would have been a laughing matter. It is possible that he chose to identify himself as black because he had gained more worldly acceptance from the black community. It also possible that he chose to identify himself as black, because he saw himself as a black man when he looked in the mirror. Dr. Richards poses a question as to why we allow President Obama to solely claim his black side. The answer to this question cannot not simply be explained. It can only be speculated.
I think that we choose our identity versus it choosing us. The reason being, just because we are of a certain ancestry does not necessarily mean we identify ourselves as that ethnicity. Like you said our identity comes out of culture and how we are raised. I believe that our parents and grandparents play an important role in how we identify ourselves. For instance Barack Obama is clear of dark skin, now that doesn't necessarily mean he is black or that he identifies himself as black. He can identify himself however he likes. What matters is who he thinks he really is. As with ourselves, it matters only of how we view ourselves. The concerns of others should not affect how we feel about our ethnic background. Similarly, in class we've talked about crossing the color line. Those people of lighter skin who were able to cross the color line were fortunate back then because they did not have to live under the harsh conditions that people of darker skin lived under. But does that now confuse those who are unsure of where they stand in terms of the color line?
Back to Obama, I feel like since he is of darker color he feels more connected to black people. That does not contradict my thoughts above as I believe that even though he may feel more connected to people of his color, he was given the choice to identify himself with that race. If he felt differently, he may have identified himself as Kenyan or Native American. What I believe is a strong reason for some people to believe that identity chooses us is because of certain physical features, such as color, eye shape, nose shape, texture of the hair, etc. which connects you more with a certain group. Just because you look similar to someone or a group from a certain area does not mean that you must identify yourself with that group. Something I found interesting is that many people made it such a big deal during President Barack Obama's election campaign that he was black but rarely did they mention he was also half white, Kenyan, and Native American. Now that he is officially the President of the United States you can see more people referring to him as half black, half white.
Once again I believe that how we identify ourselves reflects much of how our parents and grandparents identify themselves. My mother was born in Lima, Peru but she feels that she has been Americanized. Although she does identify herself as Peruvian, she also says she feels American because she has lived here most of her life and her way of life has altered to more of the "American Way of Life." When someone asks me to identify myself I usually say Peruvian, Italian, and American. I have been brought up knowing both English and Spanish and that is what make me feel that I can identify myself as Peruvian.
Inauguration day for our first “black” president was the day after Martin Luther King’s eightieth birthday. This was a momentous day in history and it seems like fate that there could be a coincedince such as this. It is really incredible how far our country has come since Martin Luther King’s time based on the fact Obama is now our first non-white president. I think that is imperative to recognize about this big leap in history. However, there is so much emphasis on his race and I still find myself wondering why we are so concentrated on what race he is? Our backgrounds are a part of us and our pasts make us who we are. There are so many shades of skin colors, just like there are many different races. So why do we need to label everything about ourselves? We have to identify ourselves by our sexuality, religion, class, ethnicity, and many other labels. It is sad our society judges us based on appearances and our beliefs.
Let’s face it. Obama looks black. I feel a lot of Obama’s campaign was connecting to the black community. He understood what it meant to overcome a struggle. However, the black community would not have voted for him as much if he were not black. Consider a Native American running for president. The black community would not have been as excited. Yet, growing up with his white mother makes him feel strongly towards whites as well. The media was all over the color of his skin and there was more of a concentration on that than there was on a lot of other more important things in our country. I feel people label Obama as the race that will help him be more favored in the election.
I am white. My background is German, British, and Welsh. I do not know personally my German, British, or Welsh ancestors; much like Obama does not have much of a connection with his African father. Yet, I call myself Caucasian. My features are considered “white features”. It is because of my looks and my cultures that make me feel like a white American. In my personal opinion, we judge race all on looks. If I were to look darker, people would think of me as a different race. Most of my friends are white. I have a few friends who are black and Latino. We look at the dominant features in a person and assume we can call them a specific race. Race is a big issue that has a lot of gray areas. So let Obama call himself an African American. His father is African, his mother is white, and Obama was born in the United States, meaning he technically is an “African American”.
Personally, I feel that people form their own identities. Depending on the dominant features someone has, or the way they were raised will shape how they identify themselves. When a person has one white and one black parent they have to choose how they want to identify themselves. The dominant features that person has could help persuade them one way or another. When someone asks what ethnicity that person is they can choose to identify themselves as white, black, or biracial. Also, if a person had parents of opposite race and was raised by only one of them that would most likely help them chose how they wanted to identify themselves.
I believe that parents and sometimes grandparents have a lot of influence on their children while they grow up. My grandma, who is an immigrant from Germany, was around me all the time while I grew up. She made it a point to make it very clear to me that I was a German girl; insisting that I take German while I was young, and participate at a Lutheran church near by. I loved her but always felt so pressured around her to be the perfect German girl that she had in mind. On the other side my other grandma was always easy going and hardly ever brought up ethnicity or race.
Though the German in me was definitely forced at times, I am very proud of my identity. I feel like people portray the part of their identity that they are most proud of, and keep the other part of them inside. I feel that the public ideas shape how someone will sway their decision. Parts of your heritage could be withheld if you felt embarrassed about it or if you felt it would cause you trouble in the future.
Obama had the choice of how he wanted to identify himself in this election. His most dominant feature was African American, and that’s what he decided to portray. His skin is darker then it is white and I think that’s why most accept him referring to himself as black. Obama used his ethnicity in the campaign. As I recall it was all about change. A multi-racial president is definitely one of the biggest changes to date. I felt it was almost used to him as an advantage. Obama probably had people working for him encouraging him to identity himself as black. What I respected about him was that he never straight out brought it up. It shows how, though things may not yet be perfect, we have come a long way as a nation. People knew by look that Obama was black, and they were ok with it, ok enough to make him our president.
With the title, I am going to contradict myself. I do say that we choose our identity yet I also think that it chooses us. When I say that we choose our identity I say that while we are growing up and learning new things as we get older, the environment plays a huge role in our identity. People experience new things and ideas that make us think what we think. When we try something new it gives us a new perspective of things. On the contrast, I say that identity chooses us. If one of my parents were white and another was Muslim, I would consider myself biracial. And in some contexts, depends how much you are involved in your race, I might consider myself a Muslim or American. You can't help that you have both white parents or both Muslim parents, you have to accept that. Their genes are your genes! You have their features and DNA and such. As for Obama, I don't get annoyed when they say that he is the first black president. So what if he's half black? Here's when identity chooses us comes into play. Just because he grew up with his step dad and not real dad (who was black) doesn't mean that he doesn't have African roots. He got his roots from both his parents, obviously, and people should just accept that. No one is going to say "He's our first half black and white black president". Maybe it's because it's better to say he's black than white. Personally, I think it's better to say that he's black when though his mom was white and grew up with predominantly American childhood. But I would also say that he's white. He's of both race so why do people give so much thought in it? So what? Meaning, why do people care when they say "No he's not our first black president, he's HALF black and half white". It's ok for someone to say that their Asian even though their dad was black. And vice versa. It's ok to say that you're black even though your mom is Asian. If a person is biracial, I feel that they are uniquely connected with each of their race that they belong too. He/she might relate more to Asian food or customs but might have a lot of black friends. In that case, he can say "Oh I'm Asian", even though he has the typical dark colored skin. So I consider Obama black, because his dad was black but then again, I would also consider him white because he grew up with his white mother and white grandparents. the topic question can go both ways; it's both of them.
I think that identity is a mix between what we choose and what chooses us (or maybe put more precisely, what others choose for us). I believe that possibly one of the reasons that Barack Obama identifies himself as a black man is that he was brought up with people around him thinking of him as a black person. As Barack Obama said himself, he struggled during childhood to reconcile perceptions about his heritage. If people go along their entire childhood with every around them classifying them as black, they will start to go along with it and make others’ perceptions their own.
While it upsets me to say this, it is the truth: black people are treated differently than white people in America. One example among many would be that black people can go into stores and be looked at constantly by workers because they assume the black person is going to steal something. When Obama went to public places as a child, other people did not know he was half white and half black, and that his stepfather was Indonesian. People looked at him and saw a black kid, and they subsequently treated him that way. People choose for his identity to be a black person.
I do, however, also think as he grew older, Obama embraced being an African American and decided to choose that identity for himself. I think that he wanted to inspire an entire race and be a role model for them. Obama knows how blacks are treated in America and he wants to show the black youth that they can overcome and prevail. Barack Obama wants to let them know that they can’t let perceive barriers stop them and they can’t blame other people for holding them back. He wants to inspire the nation and let people of all color and all ethnicity know that anyone can be whatever they want to be. Identifying yourself as a minority holds a lot more power with that statement than it would with a white person.
Personally, I feel that Barack Obama is just Indonesian as he is black and I think he could even be considered more white than either, since he has white blood and was raised by a white parent. As Dr. Richards said in the blog, Obama spent only several weeks in the presence of his father and therefore Obama cannot be that in touch with his African roots and his African family. I am not saying that because of this, he should deny his black ethnicity; after all he still if of African descent. At first glance, and with the information about his parental upbringing, it would seem odd that he would identify himself as black, but I believe after considering the other things I have mentioned that it makes sense. His ethnicity is bigger than him; it is about uplifting and inspiring millions of others. One can tell that it is already starting to work, as we have already seen from a poll (in the other blog) that for the first time ever blacks are more optimistic than whites.
As a disclaimer, I love Obama, and I can’t wait to see what he does with the country. Anything I express is in a simply matter of straight forward opinion, and not laced with any negative connotations. Having said that, in terms of Barack Obama choosing to identify himself as black instead of white or Indonesian, I think that he chose his identity because it was what benefitted him most as a man who wanted to get far in politics. He understood that he was a symbol of hope for black people all over America, so he chose that identity to get the unique support of virtually most black people and today’s younger generation (who in my opinion, is more about equality and banishing of racial barriers than any previous generation). It is true that his skin is darker than that of a white person’s, but his black father was not too big apart of his life. It seems that Obama articulates himself verbally as if he was white, and he does not seem to carry himself as if he was brought up in an African American culture. So in Obama’s case, I believe that for the most part, he, not society of race, ultimately chose his identity. He took what he was given and identified himself with what would benefit his persona.
I do believe that for the most part, one chooses his or her own identity. However, I also believe that race and society can make it more difficult to overcome identity barriers for some people more then others. It would obviously be more difficult for a black woman to make the same impression as a white woman. I think, as with Obama’s example, it is the way you carry yourself and the choices you make that can make the difference. As an example on a smaller scale, a tall individual may be encouraged throughout grade school and high school to join the basketball team and thus become a “jock” in their school. This person may also reject that societal influence and choose to become involved in that arts, which would (especially in high school) greatly impact his or her identity. As a similar example, a high school friend of mine is both black and white. Physically, she looks more black than white. However, she didn’t hang out with the rest of the black people within the school. Her demeanor was of white culture, but her physical appearance could have swayed her to be more in touch with her African American roots. Nonetheless, being really close friends, we joked around that she was the whitest black person we knew. In fact, I didn’t see her as black, but just as my friend with her own traits and personality just like everyone else. As we both went away to college, we kept in touch, and she told me about all of the African American rooted classes: African culture, African languages, the history of civil rights, and is now a member of an all black sorority. She is now choosing to be more in touch with the “black side” of herself. My point is that in essence, my friend chose one identity in high school, and the other in college.
Another example of race denying societal norms is the famous rapper, Eminem. Eminem is obviously white and from a white background, but somewhere along the line, he was more intrigued or felt more comfortable with certain aspects of black culture (i.e. rap and Ebonics). Initially, Eminem’s deviance from white culture was not well received, but obviously today he is very successful with his records. Again, he is another example of an individual choosing his or her own identity. In conclusion, in my experiences, this is the case: you are given a certain set of genes that when combined with learned culture and society might influence how you identify yourself. I believe that it’s what you do with what you are born with that defines who you are.
My feeling is that it is perfectly acceptable for Obama to call himself an “African American.” He is an American of partial African descent: good enough for me. Yes, he does have the right to claim he is a white American. Yes, he could also choose to be labeled multiracial. Does it matter? As far as I am concerned all that matters is that he is an American. Perhaps it is because the way I was raised, or because it just doesn’t matter to me, but I really don’t feel that his ancestry will affect his ability to lead our country – and that’s what is important to me.
As this article states, “multiracial people … are generally labeled by their dominant features.” Maybe it was his choice to call himself an “African American” but it was certainly the choice that the country would agree with. I imagine that if Obama had decided early on in his life that he was going to be identified as a white American that he would have been ridiculed for trying to hide his black ancestry. I particularly remember hearing a comment early in his campaign that there was a concern that the black community may not support him because he was not “black enough.” I do not know whether Obama chose to embrace his status as a “black” American for the political gain or if it truly is how he identifies himself, but his skin pigment certainly qualifies him. I believe the color of his skin connects him to the black community, and also allows the public to accept this identity without question. With few other aspects of his person linking him to the African American community I am curious how the situation would be if he had been born albino. In any case he has chosen that as his identity and I don’t see it as any of my business to question him.
As for my own identity: I’m not entirely sure. I normally respond to the question “What are you?” that I’m from every European country lacking skin pigment (I would be more on the “clear” side of the skin gradation talked about in class). I have English blood that came to America in the early 1600s, Irish ancestors that dug basements in New York City, a small percentage of Native American, and there is even a rumor of slave blood (never confirmed). I am not ashamed of any of my heritage; I make no attempts to hide any of it, I only attempt to answer the question of what I am as simply as possible. I don’t consider myself to be mimicking the heritage of my parents or grandparents; I was raised by them with the traits and ancestry I received from them. I would say that they have shaped my identity into what it is today. I feel that the word “share” their heritage is more appropriate than “mimic.”
Denial is the biggest flaw in this world. One cannot deny their heritage. In this case if we say since Barack Obama was brought up in a white household so he is white, that is not just completely inaccurate but it is being oblivious to your heritage as well. Celebrities these days adopt children from different parts of the world. Lets take Angelina Jolie as an example; she and her husband adopted a boy from Cambodia. Even though he will live the American life with loads of money, rich and fame but it still doesn’t mean that’s he’s ‘White’. He was born in Cambodia, his parents are from there and his color shows he isn’t white.
The world recognizes white as white, black as black and brown as brown. These are colors or ethnic boundaries that the people of earth have adopted and it wouldn’t matter what one thinks or does. By the end of the day they are what they are. Michael Jackson even though has had over 30 surgeries to fix his burnt skin and now even though he seems white but his past, his ancestry cannot be denied. He was born black on this earth and everyone will consider him that.
Given Barack Obama is a very intellectual person. Attained a degree from Harvard Law. He has no doubly set a precedent for the black community not only in America but also all around the world. It isn’t a question of why Obama feels more connected to the black community but rather what his kind have been through i.e. years of colonial oppression, slavery and unequal treatment. As the President of the United States of America we shouldn’t be pondering over whether he is white or black. There are much more bigger issues faced now a days. As the President he will treat everyone equally since that is how politics works. One cannot be put over the other and him being the first black man as the President will make sure that boundaries aren’t crossed that would make the public unhappy in anyway. Honestly it doesn’t matter if he is white or black. For me he is just another man who goes by the name of Barack H. Obama and now he lives in the White House.
As far as identifying our selves is concerned, this is where we get tangled into a dilemma. We are mimicking our parents and grandparents but at the same time study and research has also sub divided us into these physical, ancestral and cultural categories. It goes without say if someone asks what we are, in response we’d reply with black, Asian or whatever the person’s race/ethnicity is. Though in my opinion these boundaries are unnecessary but people believe that for the sake of finding out ancestry one must know where he or she is from in detail.
Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?
After forty-four presidents finally an African American becomes a president and sets foot in the White House. BARACK OBAMA. Two white parents have raised Barack Obama although his biological father was black. He spent very little time with his biological father. To be exact just maybe a few years from his childhood, which has no effect in shaping his personality. You start developing a personality and knowing who you are at the beginning of your teenage years. During his teenage years, his Indonesian stepfather and his American mother were raising Barack Obama. The reason Barack Obama is seen to be black is not because of his father or his color but the truth is that ancestry and ethnicity can’t be denied. We kept on being told where we are from and we can’t deny it. Even when you try to be someone else no matter, it will be obvious where you are originally from. For example, I’ve met a lot of Asian people who try to pass as American or so called “white” but no matter they won’t be because their ancestry and ethnicity is shown in their color and physical features. Physical features meaning: the texture of their hair, their eyes, and their white skin. In the case of Barack Obama, he’s identified African American because of his skin color. He’s more accepted by black people because of what the black people have suffered. They suffered slavery and being maltreated by the whites all their life. To finally see someone from their own skin color be in the white house, just frees their soul from the fire they’ve been burned by all these years; white people. The white people accept him because I personally believe that the world is starting to change. People are starting to notice that they should not only SEE, NO! They should also see what’s WITHIN. We are all identified or split into different racial groups because of our ancestry, our ethnicity and what we are told by our parents. They are also well in scripted in our physical features because of the unstoppable intercourse between similar racial groups. Just imagine a world with no borders what so ever and we all lived in one place. Taking one person from every racial group. If we all keep copulating then after SOOOOOO many generations we’d all look the similar with no difference. We’d all have one racial group but no matter what we are, we reminded by our parents and ancestors where we are originally from. Difference’s noticeable it can’t be deny it no matter what. But since when did it become the factor that judges your personality or who you are. It’s just a color of skin, a kind of hair, a nose, eyes, a language, a way of dressing up but it doesn’t tell you anything about the person HIMSELF!!!!
People definitely choose how they identify themselves. Instead of everyone just being their own person, people feel the need to place themselves in a group or category so they can separate themselves from certain people while connecting them to others. Using the example of President Obama, identifying himself as “black” separated him from other presidents and candidates which was kind of his niche while it also grouped him with a minority. Regardless of the fact that he was probably the best qualified of the two candidates, by Obama identifying as black he probably got many votes from uninformed voters just based on how he identified himself. Many young people and people of minorities didn’t focus on much or any of the actual politics they were only focused on having a black president because they felt they could relate to a minority president or they just wanted “change”. Even for people that had knowledge on each president’s campaign, it is kind of hard to get past the fact that he could be our first black president and they could be there to witness history, how can you pass that chance up? I personally like Obama but I feel like identifying as black was a strategic move and a great strategic move at that and I don’t doubt he knew this when he made that choice. Even though I believe Obama used identity as a tool I also believe that if he tried to go through the race avoiding the topic or trying to “pass himself off as white” he would have been ripped apart by other politicians and the media. So while I feel it was played up I also feel it was unavoidable so he might as well have used it to his advantage.
It may sound like it but I don’t think I am contradicting myself. The question of “identity: do we choose it or does it choose us?” is up to each individual. While people can stereotype others for a hundred different reasons it’s up to the individual to choose whether or not they are going to prove that person wrong. People are what they are and look how they look and there is not too much that they can do about that. Being the norm or the stereotypical black person, white person, Asian person, New Yorker, or Californian whatever it may be is obviously the easier way to do things or that may actually be who you are but being that person you have chose to allow yourself to be identified. Going against the norm, the average, or what is expected can be a much harder path but those are the people that have chose their own identity. People have the opportunity to identify themselves, if they pass that up who they are will get chosen for them.
I think that for the most part our identity chooses us. We are judged not by whom our ancestors are, but our racial features. It believe that it is easier to just go by what people think we are, rather than get into a drawn out explanation about what we actually are. When I look at President Barack Obama, I see a black man, and I am sure most people do. All of his life he was looked at as a black man. People made assumptions based on his physical features, primarily his dark skin. It would be just as easy to look at him and call him a white man since he is after all, half white. However, people (especially white people) would think that you were crazy. Many people have trouble identifying with one particular race if they are mixed. If you are half white and half black, who are you supposed to identify with? Do you hang out with the white kids, or the black kids? What do you tell people you are? My theory is this: if you look more white, you will hang out with white people and vice versa. I think people are sometimes scared to try to do anything other than that. It is the easy way out; there is no risk. I have very light skin and anyone who would look at me would be able to tell that I am Irish. However, I recently found out that many of my early ancestors were Native American. By looking at me, you would not be able to tell that at all. And I do not identify myself as part Native American. I also think the views of our parents play a huge role in how we identify ourselves. So many people (myself included) adopt the views of their parents and never think for themselves. I once had a friend, Brendan, who was very racist and I could not understand why, because other than that he was a great guy. I had the opportunity to meet his parents and soon found out they were the exact same way. I once asked him why he held these views, and he couldn’t give me an answer. He had just been so immersed in it growing up he had lost his ability to make judgments and have ideas of his own. His best friend, who has light skin and dark hair, recently found out that he has African American blood in him. I asked Brendan if his views would now change about his friend and I was told they wouldn’t because “he didn’t look like them”. I found this answer to be astonishing. I guess people really are just judged by what the look like, and not who their ancestors are.
I think that people can identify with whatever culture, race, or other group that they want. My one requirement would be that they have a legitimate reason or connection to that culture. Barack Obama, although he is not completely African or completely white, connects to the same world view as typical African Americans. Living in the United States as a youth, your outward appearance is determined by the people around as soon as you are seen. Barack likely was treated as an African American because the average person doesn't ask your nationality; they tend to just assume. I feel that the things that define you are usually the characteristics that impact you the most on a day to day basis.
As a white, heterosexual, male living in suburbia, I rarely think about my own race because I am considered the dominant majority in practically all respects. For me, the things that define me are the ones that are different from the majority. For example, I am reminded that where I am from (Virginia) is different because at Penn State, that is pretty rare. Since I have gotten to school, I have become more proud of my home state because less people are there to speak up for me. I would imagine simliar responses from people of different races, sexual orientations, etc.
Basically I believe that people define themselves as the minority groups that belong to, aiming to distinguish their differences and to devote time into protecting rights and perceptions. If I were white, homosexual man, I think I would identify first as gay before I identified myself as white. If I were a white, heterosexual, female, I think I would identify as a women first. You don't see people repping their white pride, or man pride, or heterosexual pride. This is unnecessary.
While Barack Obama's ancestors were not slaves, most people in America don't know this. The oppression he has faced has nothing to with whether his family was slaves. He is grouped with African Americans by society. The white part of him is equal in DNA, but not in how his life has been shaped.
To identify with one race or ethnicity is not neglecting other pieces of your heritage. I am sure if you asked President Obama whether or not he is half white, he would say yes. Just as I am sure if you asked a transgendered person if they were once a boy/girl, they would say yes. When asking for ones identity, technicalities should be thrown out the window. Ultimately, it is all about what makes each person the most comfortable with themselves and how their lives have been shaped by having that part of them. This shaping could either be by society and the media or directly by friends and family.
Therefore it wouldnt be surprising to me Barack identified more with white people, being raised by white people. However, once he stepped into society he was reminded that his outward was different, allowing him to reach out for people in the African American community to help him adjust to how people are treated.
Identity is not something a person chooses, it chooses you. From the time someone is born they their skin color separates them from others, the name they are given separates them from other, where they are born separates them from other, and the families they are born into separates them from others. Identity is also placed upon us by expectations and stereotypes. For example the black child who would not succeed with sports. When a black child is born they are given a basketball, or football, and they are told this is how you are supposed to make it through life or else you would be stuck in the same ghetto you were born in. The black children are not give books and their parents don’t tell them that if you reed you would become something special. What about the Asian American kids who are expected to be perfect in every way, good grades, quiet, play several instruments, and are never ever supposed to disobey their parents. What about the white kids who are told they can be anything they want, become president, lawyers, CEO of fortune five hundred companies, and that they should close the circle so no other race would come in be more superior than they are.
Experience is also something that shapes your identity. Many people do not choose the circumstance in which they land in, but how well they hold themselves together and by overcoming difficulties and hardships that’s how their identity get stronger. When you are black, especially in America you would encounter much hardship and by overcoming those hardships that’s how you can build you identity, your black identity. I have came across many African Americans who claim they are not African, but I would not blame them for thinking that way, it’s the identity they were given. All their live they were fed subliminal messages which focus on the issue that black is not a good thing, being white was the way to go. You do not choose your identity; your identity is chosen for you by the people around you. If you are the only black kid in a whit surrounding of course you would despise the way you look and you would want to look like the white kids. The same goes if a white kid was in a black surrounding and he is the only white thing in site, then that kid would also start to talk black, dress black and so on.
When I looked up the word Identity it stated the distinguishing character or personality of an individual. In my head I thought that was a funny definition because now a day’s everyone wants to look like the other person. I see people buying the same close, listening to the same music, walking and talking the same. And everyone wants to look like Beyonce, or Britney Spears, getting surgeries on their nose, eyes, breast, stomach, and so on. No one like the way the look, I see beautiful girls with excellent bodies starving their selves because they don’t want to be fat or gain weight. Like I have stated you do not choose your identity your identity is chosen for you. Right now the American Identity is to BE SLIM. NOT FAT, SLIM because if your fat you are hideous (yeah right give me a break.)
The present day human race is confounded. There are no lines anymore. At least not to most of us, who have become tolerant enough to marry interracially and raise children, who, like Obama, are of more than one background. I believe there is a growing number of us who don’t know what we are exactly. Sure, there are those who for whatever reason, whether they are racist, ignorant, or religious, are “pure blood” (yes, like in Harry Potter.) However, that number is dwindling, and like Sam’s example of lining us all up in some type of racial order, the amount of colors, shades, and physical differences would be overwhelming.
I’ll admit it myself. I feel confused by the question “What am I?” If I have to answer, I usually say Jewish. It’s what I’m most certain about. Three of my four grandparents were Jewish, both of my parents were considered and raised Jewish, and so am I. But Jewish to most only describes a religion. Ethnically? racially? Well I guess I’m pretty white. Not quite the translucent kind, but close to it. Where are my ancestors from? All over: Italy, Poland, Austria, Russia, and one other I’m not even sure of. Apparently one of my grandmothers is an eighth Spanish. So, again, What am I? Well, I’m a mut.
Identity is not only confusing due to all the multiracial and multiethnic people that exist now, but it is partly how we individually define identity. Back to using myself as an example: I identify myself Jewish more culturally than religiously. I’m not a huge fan of religion. I avoid religion. But I am most definitely Jewish in that I received a Jewish education, follow Jewish customs, celebrate Jewish holidays, and eat Jewish foods. It is an ethnicity. It is a culture. Identifying myself as Jewish describes me way better than Austrian, Spanish, or white does. You can already know a lot about me by knowing I am Jewish if you considered identity the way I do. Alas, our problem: We don’t see eye-to-eye on identity.
Barack Obama was probably just as confused as I was when he was younger and before he was a political figure. And if he wasn’t, then he probably wasn’t too concerned with it because obviously neither were his parents. I think two things influenced his decision to identify himself as black. I agree that one, he probably capitalized on his color since he was representing the democratic party and knew it would get most of, if not all of, the black vote and most minorities. But two, he married a woman who is definitely black, and his family as a whole looks black. While he may have been raised white culturally, it would seem pretty strange to identify himself as white while looking at the same picture of the First Family that we looked at in class. He might even seem like he was in denial. I’m not in his head, but these reasons make sense and are pretty justifiable.
Identity is confusing. It makes us uneasy. We suddenly realize we no longer have a definite place in society if we can no longer be…well…identified, or more importantly, classified. Sam’s more recent article describes what I mean here really well: Whites no longer hold the altars of our country up. Not alone, and many are uncomfortable with it. The more we become integrated, the less everyone has a “place.” The more race walls we knock down such as Obama in the white house, the more everyone becomes equal. We are in a time where people are losing their identities due to these transitions, and I think that’s why the theory of identity is being so intently studied and questioned now. I wonder if years from now we’ll still be pondering it because perhaps identity, like race, will become a theory people start to consider abandoning, too.
Obama’s “race” has certainly changed the history of this country if not the world. This election and inauguration of a new president would not been anticipated nearly to the degree it was if not for the race that Obama identified with and the leader he became for the black community. He gave the black community upon which he identifies with a hope that they could finally see a man of their “race” in office and leader of the free world. This happened because of the color of his skin. It would have been difficult to be identified as “white” when his skin color and features did not match those of his “white” classmates when he was a child. Other people identified him as “black” and the label most likely stuck. Having a white mother Obama probably just assumed he was white or the same as his mother until society treated him otherwise. He was labeled a minority by society.
It would have been controversial for Obama to label himself as white in today’s culture in America. He would have been questioned and ridiculed and would most likely not have made it into the office which he holds today. As much as it would be nice to say that we don’t have to accept the labels that society places on us by our dominant features and skin color it would be almost impossible for Obama not to let society label him as black. What interesting however is how open Obama is about his personal ancestry. This openness could one day lead to the conversation as to why Obama chose to identify himself as African American when he had so many other options. It would be nice to live in a world where none of this mattered and people did not have to make a decision about their identity that leads to such scrutiny. Perhaps Obama just felt most comfortable labeling himself with a group of people with similar features and skin color to his own. If it lead the country and a minority group of people to feel such hope and excitement and to lead us hopefully to a time where we no longer see race, then maybe there is nothing wrong with it. Maybe it would lead to a United States where we aren’t forced to identify ourselves based on something as controversial as our “race.”
As for personal identities; it is a personal struggle that each individual has to go through to find an identity through racial, ethnic, and ancestry labels. I have to identify as a white European female when in actuality my ethnicity and ancestry has never really been of much interest or came under scrutiny by most people. I have never really questioned when someone asks, “what are you?” Sometimes I answer Italian, other times German, Jewish or Russian. To be honest it never much mattered to me because no one really questioned it when I said those answers because all have white skin and features similar to my own. I could get away with it. If I tried to identify myself as Arab or African American questions would arise in society. I am most likely mimicking my lineage of white people and continuing the trend of identifying with that particular group. If I had the pressure of an entire nation questioning whether I should be allowed to label myself with a particular group it would be a difficult one to answer. Like mentioned before hopefully one day these questions will be obsolete and we can identify ourselves by the type of people we are and not the “race” we are forced to have chosen for us.
The answer to the title of the blog: “Do we choose it or does it choose us?” I would say both. Obviously, in cases such as myself – the typical white person – I’m going to call myself white because I am white. My white European characteristics and background dominate. Therefore, because it is exceedingly dominant, I refer to myself as white. In this case, it has chosen me. However, in the case of Obama, it is different. Along with many others where two or more different backgrounds mix, it becomes complicated to identify. Sometimes the dominant physical characteristics will match up with the dominant background (percentage), and other times it won’t. I feel as though most people would base what background they would associate themselves with, with the physical characteristics that dominate. Or some people would just associate themselves with the background that would get more attention. For example, I have a friend who likes to occasionally claim he’s Native American, though he does not look it at all and is only about 5% of that background. Also, people may choose a certain label because that’s the culture that they most feel connected with in their lives or even in their soul – and only they themselves are the ones who can decide that (nor are we to judge). These are examples where many people choose what they want to be associated with or called by.
However, who knows what people will associate with. And why should it matter. They can be whoever they want to be. I have no problem with what people choose to be. I do think it’s silly for someone to call himself by a label or category for only the attention of others and to give others a certain perspective. There should be something in it for the person themselves – for inner reasons of satisfaction and completeness as a human being. And it’s our job as human beings to respect one another and not judge. What’s the point? He is who is says he is. There’s no need to point fingers and question why someone associates themselves with a certain identity. If they aren’t doing it for themselves, then it will come back to bite them in the butt eventually because no one wants to live a lie. We all just want to be ourselves and live in harmony.
As for President Obama, I think it’s nice that he’s calling himself “African American”. In a way, he is making a step towards Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream and a taking a big step for African Americans in general. I want them to keep making steps and to keep getting closer to equality (if that’s really what it is or just appearing to be because of everything else that goes unnoticed that shows the true inequality). Some of us white people are ready to shed some of this white people guilt. Anyways, good for him for taking a stance.
I completely disagree with those that think that Obama used his race as a “campaign strategy.” It would be nice to think that the individual can choose what he or she would like to be called/considered. But as a person of a mixed race (French, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Dominican and grew up around a Jewish neighborhood) it is very hard to be considered/viewed as that by others. I look predominately Spanish, and I feel as if others have treated me the way they have because of it. I’ve been asked how to make tacos (which is a Mexican dish, not all Spanish people eat tacos!), if it was hard for me to come to this country…etc etc. During my SATs there wasn’t a box for me to check that stated mixed race and in most surveys, questionnaires in which I have to state my race there usually is never a box that I can check that states mixed. I’m sure that Obama has had experiences where he was treated differently because he mostly looks black, and not white. I think that people are making a bigger deal about his race because we know that he is also half white. But if we did not know this, we would all probably just think that he is black. I think Obama did not really have a choice, people saw him as black, and so his experiences are different than that if he were to look Caucasian. Ask yourself this what would your reaction be if you saw a man/woman check the Caucasian box, if he or she predominately looked black? You would probably not believe the person. It is easier to be accepted/respected by society if you identify yourself with something they find reasonable. This is not to say that it is right, but the truth of the matter is that not everyone has the option of calling his or herself what they like.
People do not like the unknown. It is easier to stick to what is more noticeable (physical features) just because people will feel more comfortable. I find it interesting how many people are now so devoted to advocating that Obama is half white, when many have never even acknowledged others that are half white and half black. Some people would just consider them black. It is hard being mixed – society places you in between your ethnicities. If you’re half white and half black, you can’t act too white or too black. If a white man tries to act “black” he is called names. What does it mean to act black? Just because the media portrays a certain image does not mean that everyone in that race behaves that way.
I think there are many complex variables interacting together to make Obama identify with being black more so than any of his other racial backgrounds and I do not think it stems from any one in particular. Rather, it is more along the lines of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. One variable is the physical aspect. He looks black, maybe not as black as if he were fully from Kenya like his father, but certainly noticeably black. If he were to run and claim he was white, I think people would look at him a little funny and wonder about his mental state rather than his policies.
That brings us to the variable of society’s expectations and assumptions. They say first impressions are the most important ones and one thing that plays into a first impression is physical features. If he is going to be becoming a huge public figure, actually the biggest public figure, there are going to be many first impressions about him. He is a man of color, but if he wanted to, I think he could have identified himself as Indonesian rather than black, or as biracial, but as white would be a far reach just because what we see physically does not match up with our stereotypical white prototype.
Also, I think to say he may be more personally connected to “white culture” is not the best way of putting it. I would say rather he is more connected to “intellectual culture” where both whites and blacks and any other educated individual are included because not all whites are educated and the connotation of “white culture” seems to leave out other parts of white culture we may not be so keen on identifying with. For example, individuals who live in rural areas and down south like the “sippi” boys mentioned in class and the KKK whom have the highest number of groups in PA if my memory serves me correctly. Those seem to also be aspects of white culture that “white culture” doesn’t seem to want to make their own.
I think his identification as black may also have stemmed from childhood and being viewed as black by others and having that racial identity enforced, as well as the fact that it would be a huge benefit in his campaign and presidency in gaining more votes and support by the black population.
I think that most of us can accept this simply because it is most of us. If the majority of people were outraged at his only choosing to identify with part of his cultural heritage, then it would be that most of us do have dissonance about that and have a problem with him. Plus Obama seems to be very prideful about his African American identity and his wife is African American, no one is going to confront him and argue that he shouldn’t identify himself the way he wants to. He identifies himself as a certain race, society is accepting if not encouraging of it, so it works and conflict is avoided.
Sherrell Obaji- 976036594
Sam Richards - Soc 119
Due: 1/23/09
Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?
My father is Nigerian and my mother is American; their culture backgrounds are completely different (which is understandable). As a child I spent most of my time in America, and during the holidays such as Christmas I was back in Nigeria spending time with my father side of the family. I enjoyed and learned so much from both of my parents while growing up; but, it caused a lot of confusion (mentally) as I became a teenager.
Here in the States (America) not all blacks like to be called African American, because some Blacks in America are from the Caribbean, Europe, etc. To give respect to other cultures in the black decent calling them Black Americans is better. In some cases, a lot of blacks really don’t know their nationally nor their ethnicity, and being called Black American or African American really isn’t an issue. With this being said, a lot of Africans that come to America sometimes don’t consider blacks in America as Africans (it’s a very complex situation); growing up when I introduce myself to Africans, they ask me questions like “ are you African or black” and of course I will also give them the same response “I am African American.”
My point is, you can’t ever change your culture background, whatever you are made from you just have to accept it. People that are mixed with black decent and white decent (or any other race) I can see where the identity issues can come into play, but your identity choose you and not the other way around!
In my opinion, society has a big part to play when implementing what race a person can be; sometimes people just assume that when you look at a person skin complexion than that’s what race they maybe (that’s not the case). Far as Obama calling himself African American I think that’s completely acceptable.
Sherrell Obaji- 976036594
Sam Richards - Soc 119
Due: 1/23/09
Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?
My father is Nigerian and my mother is American; their culture backgrounds are completely different (which is understandable). As a child I spent most of my time in America, and during the holidays such as Christmas I was back in Nigeria spending time with my father side of the family. I enjoyed and learned so much from both of my parents while growing up; but, it caused a lot of confusion (mentally) as I became a teenager.
Here in the States (America) not all blacks like to be called African American, because some Blacks in America are from the Caribbean, Europe, etc. To give respect to other cultures in the black decent calling them Black Americans is better. In some cases, a lot of blacks really don’t know their nationally nor their ethnicity, and being called Black American or African American really isn’t an issue. With this being said, a lot of Africans that come to America sometimes don’t consider blacks in America as Africans (it’s a very complex situation); growing up when I introduce myself to Africans, they ask me questions like “ are you African or black” and of course I will also give them the same response “I am African American.”
My point is, you can’t ever change your culture background, whatever you are made from you just have to accept it. People that are mixed with black decent and white decent (or any other race) I can see where the identity issues can come into play, but your identity choose you and not the other way around!
In my opinion, society has a big part to play when implementing what race a person can be; sometimes people just assume that when you look at a person skin complexion than that’s what race they maybe (that’s not the case). Far as Obama calling himself African American I think that’s completely acceptable.
Identity cannot be given to people; it is how the people perceive themselves. Obama does identify himself as a black man to the public, sometimes biracial, and it is not hard to see why. Even though the United States has come as far as putting a multi-racial man in the White House, skin color is still going to play a huge part for most people. If Barack Hussein Obama told the nation that he was a white man at the beginning of his campaign, most people would discredit him immediately based on his skin color. One of the comments on here talks about a video that I had also seen, where black people were asked random questions such as, “How do you like Obama’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Sarah Palin?” And the responses were, “ I like her.” “I think she’ll do great.” Just basing it on skin color, people were following him because they could relate to him more regardless of the truth. This shows that people were not taking the time to look into their candidates to see what was going on. Then they would realize that Obama was multi-racial and grew up with his white side, more than his black side.
Obama being biracial allows more people in the United States, and even the world to relate to him on a more personal level. Blacks can relate to him because they believe that he knows what it is like it be black. Whites can relate to him because he grew up within a white family. Any other minorities can relate because he does not fit in anywhere that he should. Going back to the original question, “Do we choose identity or does it choose us?” I believe that Obama chose his identity as being biracial which is what he is, and it is something that he cannot escape from. By calling himself white, he would be denying the African that does run through his veins. By calling himself black, he denies his mother and her parents who helped raise him.
Slightly getting off the topic of Obama, and getting into identity. I know this will get some people mad but it really bothers me when someone who immigrated to America for another life has to claim themselves as an Asian American, Irish American, German American, etc. If you are living in America, you are an American. I understand people are proud of their culture, but you came to this country from another, so something had to be wrong. If you live in this country, legally, you are an American. Unless asked specifically what your culture is, everyone should just be American. It could be because I have no culture to relate to, but if you are here in America, you’re here for a reason.
In the United States today, whether the topic is ethnicity or race, it is clear that identity is now something that we choose. As shown in the blog, it is a fact that Obama is just as much white as he is black. So if he’s equally both races, why the push for him being black, or even African American? It’s because in this country identity is something we choose on our own. A prolific example of this can be shown by the SAT standardized tests all college-expectant high schoolers are required to take. Teenagers these days will go as far as identifying themselves as African American, even if they are only 1/8 black for example. This ties in with the “One Drop Rule” discussed in class – but are they identifying themselves as black because they truly feel part of that culture, or are they identifying themselves as black because it will give them a better chance of getting into Harvard or Princeton? It’s definitely a topic full of controversy.
I think people acknowledge the fact that he is, in fact, multicultural. Although I am speaking from a European point of view, I think that I know the surface of the situation in America, but I have only been here a semester, so I do not understand the complexity of the black-white relationship and tension. In Europe, the reason why so many people felt they could relate to this man who was about to become the president of another country is because he proved that he was able to communicate with people from different backgrounds. People were hopeful that their culture and beliefs would be voiced by a man that has been exposed to many differences. It was important because nowadays the world is extremely interdependent and as the old saying goes “if America sneezes the whole world catches a cold”.
Of course we realized that one big thing was that he was black but then again we are talking about color just as if the president had been a redhead then people, and especially the media, would have used it to relate back to the times where redheads were considered sorcerers and how amazing it is how far these people have come.
Every time a minority will do something that clashes with their historical background they will be picked apart and made icons of a whole generation or movement. But if that happens, if people actually talk about that, if we see change then we accept that something has happened, then people are in fact, becoming more respectful.
Again even if it was geared towards the betterment of his political campaign, is that not something to be regarded as positive? Isn’t the fact the nowadays identifying yourself with the black community something beneficial, an accomplishment?
Why do we necessarily have to look at the negative side of every event? How does criticizing something do any good, it’s not like he lost the presidential race, or that the country is now divided between ‘black’ and ‘whites’. I mean he did win because of the whites too. And its not like he started every single one of his speeches by stating “I am African American and I want to be your President” but in this case change could only be achieved by targeting a particular constituency. I really do not understand how it is a problem, it is just a word- his policies, his views, his opinions were never influenced by which racial category he identified himself with. The only thing that needs to be important about this presidency and the color of his skin is that it shows progress because in the past a person with that skin color, that specific physical characteristics, was only defined as subhuman.
Sherrell Obaji- 976036594
Sam Richards - Soc 119
Due: 1/23/09
Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?
My father is Nigerian and my mother is American; their culture backgrounds are completely different (which is understandable). As a child I spent most of my time in America, and during the holidays such as Christmas I was back in Nigeria spending time with my father side of the family. I enjoyed and learned so much from both of my parents while growing up; but, it caused a lot of confusion (mentally) as I became a teenager.
Here in the States (America) not all blacks like to be called African American, because some Blacks in America are from the Caribbean, Europe, etc. To give respect to other cultures in the black decent calling them Black Americans is better. In some cases, a lot of blacks really don’t know their nationally nor their ethnicity, and being called Black American or African American really isn’t an issue. With this being said, a lot of Africans that come to America sometimes don’t consider blacks in America as Africans (it’s a very complex situation); growing up when I introduce myself to Africans, they ask me questions like “ are you African or black” and of course I will also give them the same response “I am African American.”
My point is, you can’t ever change your culture background, whatever you are made from you just have to accept it. People that are mixed with black decent and white decent (or any other race) I can see where the identity issues can come into play, but your identity choose you and not the other way around!
In my opinion, society has a big part to play when implementing what race a person can be; sometimes people just assume that when you look at a person skin complexion than that’s what race they maybe (that’s not the case). Far as Obama calling himself African American I think that’s completely acceptable.
Personally, I am extremely excited that Barack Obama has become our new president. I voted for Obama because of his policies and character, and my decision was not at all based on his race or skin color. However, I am not naïve enough to think that many voted, or did not vote for him based upon his race. I remember hearing throughout the election a lot of speculation and confusion over what race and religion Obama actually identified with. Although Obama calls himself an African American man, I’ve learned that he is in fact half white and half African; and this makes him a biracial, or possibly even be multiracial as he may have Native American ancestry. However, when I look at Barack Obama I see a black man, and I don’t really think that anyone could deny that they see a black man as well. And even if Obama called himself a white man, the public would continue to see him as black. It just goes to show that no matter what ancestry one may have, others may never really know. I think that this proves an important point, and that is that other people cannot always tell what race another person is, and that individual may not be sure about his or her ancestry as well. So, racial identity is not always a clear idea.
In fact, I believe that race and racial identity are two entirely separate things. Obviously, race is genetic and is a part of you since birth. It is undecided and not determined by the individual. However the race that one identifies with is a choice. A person could be of Chinese ancestry, but be adopted into a white, American family. Therefore, although that person would obviously recognize their Chinese heritage, it is more likely that they would identify with white people more because of the environment in which they were raised. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with this either. It is ultimately the individual who can determine how they feel most comfortable in racial identity. If a person is multiracial, the same idea applies. Even though someone has several ancestral ties, they may feel more strongly connected to one of their backgrounds versus another, or others. I think that it is common that most people feel more connected to some aspects of their ancestry than others, and relate better to one race than another. So, if a person wishes to identify with one race more than another it is their right to do. No one can tell someone who they are, only the individual can feel where they belong, and which part of their history that they more easily identify with.
Ethnic identification is mostly determined by our community, and furthermore by society. We all see a black man and I doubt if anyone is bold enough to say otherwise. President Obama’s “Blackness” shouldn’t be questioned because of his upbringing. Like Sam Richards said, ethnicity is learned and Obama in some way learned to be black. I think his wife, Michelle Obama, may have had a huge influence on the cool man we view today. On the subject of cool, Obama possess a very huge cool factor and I think this is what allows him to be accepted by the American public as black, not to say that non-Blacks aren’t cool, but he is what I call grounded. He possess a certain passion that I think is associated with Blacks. White communities often do not tolerate the associated of black blood in the community, and therefore forces the child to recognize that they are not like them and must be what they see in the mirror. This doesn’t just happen in just white communities, but in communities of all racial background. It isn’t until they child had found of since of identity until they choose themselves as to what they want to identify. And most people stick to what is seen.
Some people may think that it is hurtful for Obama to dismiss his white culture and background, but they know what it is and what society requires. For a person to be white they have to look white. Blacks aren’t so critical. And I bet, even in the white community there are lines that divided them.
All I am saying, Blackness is a real concept and no one really measure how black a person, in terms of blackness. There are certainly different degress of how black a person is and they will receive all of heat of they are “borderline black. I am sure if Obama wanted to present is whiteness, whatever that mean, he certainly would not have had the favor of Black Americans. Because if we see Black, we expect Black no matter of education level, income, or heritage.To Blacks, it doesn’t matter if his father was a Kenyan, or his mother was a Kansasian, or his stepfather was a Indonesian, all that matters is his blackness is visible and is being portrayed in a positive light. I think all American will, in some effort, invest a little bit of time, energy, or attention to what it is to be Black. I mean, we all have our generally idea of what blackness is, but Obama will open the door to a innovative representation of the colored folk.
I think Black people are thriving in this moment. Someone other than a WHITE MAN is going to lead our country. From the outside looking in, if Obama was a republic, what majority of Black voted Republician or would they have voted for Democratic White woman?
In response to “Identity: Do we choose it or does it choose us?”
In my opinion, there is absolutely no way that Barack Obama could have or should have considered or referred to himself as a white man and not a black man. Of course his biological make up would point to the unavoidable fact that he is half white, but Barack Obama considered himself a black man throughout his entire life, and there is a good reason for his claim. What I am trying to say is that his identity chose him. Had no one known of the skin color of his parents, I believe that he would be marked by society as a black man – not biracial. It is simple. To the world, he looks black. By the world, he will be treated in every aspect the exact same way as any other black man. If he appeared to be a white man and still possessed the same genealogy, he would be viewed by the world (and I believe by himself) as a white man, because he would have grown up in society appearing to be just that. My mother is Cuban and Spanish. She appears to be Hispanic by any member of society who is seeing her for the first time. My father is Irish and has blonde hair and green eyes. I have light brown hair and olive toned skin, and would appear to most unknowing members of society as a Caucasian. I have identified myself as just that, but that does not mean that I have forgotten my heritage. I embrace and cherish my Cuban heritage, as I am sure that Obama does with both sides of his, however I do not claim to be Hispanic, because I do not appear to be. If someone were to ask me about my heritage, I would proudly announce my Cuban and Spanish roots along with all other aspects of my make-up. I identify more with my white side because of my appearance. Did Kennedy refer to himself as Irish and Polish? Did Reagan refer to himself as Irish, Scottish and English? No. I believe that when Obama refers to himself as black, he is referring to his skin tone and the way that he is viewed by society, not describing his ethnic make-up. We accept this label with little dissonance because it is what he appears to be. He has grown up with every obstacle and marked with every stereotype that any other black man would have experienced. He identifies with his black side because people have chosen that identity for him through his appearance, and honestly, to refer to himself as white would be rejected by society. Is it a good thing that society has the power to stick us with labels? I don’t know, but I can conclude from my own experience that I have found it more comfortable to identify myself as a Caucasian because of society’s assumptions.
Race has been a controversial issue since America was founded. Should the slave population be accounted for when determining voting representation? Should Plessy be allowed to ride in the “white” section of passenger trains? Should military platoons be racially segregated? Why did Rosa Parks have to give her seat up to a white person? The conundrums of racial identity still plague American society. There is a lot of speculation to why we still today identify each other on the basis of our skin color. I believe it has to do with the negative socialization of race. For example, Southerners, stereotypically, are referred to racist. This stereotype, I believe, is from the deep seeded history of slavery in the South. For generations, parents influenced their kids to believe that blacks or any minority were inferior to them. The act of making an individual inferior was a tactic that Europeans used to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of slavery during the Colonial era. In essence, the long history of negative socialization towards a certain kind of group does not disappear over night, and that is why I think that negative stereotype towards southerners still sticks today. In a way, the power of sociology has played an influential role in enacting racial, ethnic, and ancestry stigmas that are still seen today. For example, many Americans and the media see Obama as the first black president in American history. There is some truth in that statement because is father is from Kenya, but why can’t he be 45th consecutive white president? His mother and grandparents are white, and has been surround by white influences his whole life. Why do Americans consider him black, when he is half white and half black? Does the media play a role in this label? Does the media feel it is necessary to apply these racial and ethnic labels to Obama to emphasize the passage of multiracial into the Whitehouse? I believe it is true to an extent, not only for the media but to society as well. I feel people use labels because of family socialization and to cope with mystery of race. What I mean by the mystery of race is that it is easier to categorize individuals in a systematic way in order to understand the complexity of race. There are millions of races that exist in the world, it would be almost impossible to understand race unless it was simplified. I am hate to admit it but I am guilty of this categorization of races myself. As an educated young adult I want to try to rid myself of the labels that other people use to identify race. Sometimes when I encounter an individual and I am unsure what they are and they have some of the similar characteristics of Asian I would label them as Asian. I know that there are a multiplicity of races but subconsciously it easier to just identify the individual as Asian even though they could be a mix between Indian, Chinese, and Korean. It is bad enough as a society that we try categorize the millions of races in the world into three basic categories, but we also tend to apply stereotypes to people that seem to fit in one of the three categories.
While President Barack Obama’s mother, grandparents were white, he is not white. When he looks in the mirror, he sees a black man. When other people look at him, they see a black man.
If a black family adopted an Asian child, the child would still look/be Asian. Race is a social construct. The person raising the child can change the child’s habits, mannerisms, personality – but not his appearance. No, President Obama did not receive any formal education on how to be black from his absent father. Obama did not need his father to have the experiences of an African-American in this country, to not check the caucasian box on the census (before mixed race was an option).
Heritage (parents, those who came before) is not necessarily the most important part of identity. How I see myself with respect to my environment, the way that I have been raised to see myself, and my values make up more of my identity.
My personal lineage is varied – mainly Eastern European and Middle Eastern – but I look Western European, and that is how my peers treat me. Nobody stereotypes me based on my actual background (discounting a high school social studies instructor who insisted that I was “very Lithuanian”). No one has ever assumed that I was a very good student because I am technically Asian (Israeli) or that I can drink a lot because I am Russian. I do not even know what it means to be a mutt like me. I am 3rd generation and do not belong to the D.A.R., but that does not mean that I feel a kinship to other cultures.
It makes no difference that I am half Russian. I have never visited Moscow. My only connections to the place are my love of borscht and impossibly hairy eyebrows.
I am, for all intensive purposes, an American. My parents raised me as a Jew, which is more of a cultural background than a religion. I was taught was it meant to be a Jew. I even know how some Jews commonly look. As far as I am concerned, it is more a part of my identity than any country from which I hail, and it is a bond. I practice no religion but hold on to the traditions of the Hebrews. It is a heritage that I share with other people in this country.
If I were to write a description of myself, it would be: white, American, atheist, Jew, female. They are all definitive. Those five qualities inform others about me, say something about my personality and mannerisms. I hope that others begin to realize that the United States has both a past and a future, and we can lose our tags soon (German-, Italian-).
People identify themselves racially for many different reasons. In Barack Obama’s case, although I have no way of knowing exactly why he chooses to characterize himself as black, I would guess that it is because his skin is dark and most resembles that of a black man. Whichever ethnic group Barack spent the majority of his life with does not necessarily define his racial identity, even though it has cultured him as a human being. It does not decide his racial identity because a person chooses what ethnic group he or she wants to identify with, for whatever reason drives them. There are unlimited reasons because every person is driven by different motives. I know of a girl who although is a white girl, plain and simple. She has grown up with her white family in a white neighborhood, at a mostly white high school. Apparently, this white girl had one black ancestor in her family gene pool at one time. This one black ancestor gave her the right to identify herself as African-American when applying to colleges. What were her motives for defining herself as black? They had to be very different then Barack Obama’s, because she certainly doesn’t look black. That girl was accepted into the University North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received an eight thousand dollar a year scholarship. Now this might not have been solely because she told them she was a black girl, but this girl got into a great school and they gave her money to attend it. This rich white girl scummed her way into a scholarship and took that money from a kid who probably needed it more than she did. Now although her motives were crafty, deceitful, and grotesque, the point of this story was to enlighten you upon the many different reasons why a person will identify there self as a particular race.
This girls motive was financially driven, which is probably far different than Barack Obama’s, and mine for that matter. I identify myself as a white man. If someone were to ask me what my background is, I would say that I’m Irish. I am not fully one hundred percent Irish, my understanding is that I am half Irish (my mom is one hundred percent), and my dad is a mix between Russian, Polish, and maybe a few other things. I call myself Irish because my mom has gotten me in touch with my Irish heritage. I have been to Ireland, met my aunts, uncles, and cousins who live there. So this is why I declare myself as a white Irishman, my reasons for doing so are far less extravagant than this girl’s were. Although we do not pick our backgrounds, we do pick (for whatever reasons suit us individually) which part of our background to identify as.
My entire life I identified myself as American, even though I had never lived on American soil. I grew up in Australia until I was nine years old; but I felt that I was an American. My only ties to America were that my parents were American and my entire family lived in the United States. Even though half my life I lived in another country, I never once identified myself as Australian. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Australia; I just identified myself more with American culture due to the influence my family had on me. My entire life it was just drilled into me that I was American. However, when I moved to the United States, I was labeled as Australian because I had an accent. It was a weird situation having the identity I had for myself be completely different than the identity my classmates had for me.
I believe Barack Obama dealt with a similar situation when he was younger. Although he never really knew his African father, he still had ties to the African culture that he hadn’t even experienced. Even though he was around white people most of the time, he still felt stronger ties to his African American side. This is why he refers to himself as African American. Just like I had never experienced American culture that much, I still considered myself American. I don’t believe it’s necessary to be close to a culture in order to identify with it. If someone were to ask me my ethnicity, I’d call myself Italian and Irish. However, I’ve never been to either of those countries. Yet I still define myself as being from those countries, due to my heritage.
There are facial features and skin colors that inadvertently put people into separate categories. It’s undeniable that Barack Obama has darker skin. Thus he’d be more inclined to call himself African American because of his skin. Part Asian people are seen as Asian because of their different looking eye shape. Society itself has turned these features into ways of labeling people. People are generally influenced by the norms of society. This leads to people defining themselves as how society sees them. If a person knew nothing about Barack Obama but just saw him on TV, they’d consider him a black man just based on the color of his skin. I think in a way sometimes people define themselves as how others see them.
I believe many factors shaped Barack Obama’s racial identity. I believe society’s portrayal of him as a black man played a large part. Because it doesn’t matter how you define yourself if everyone else sees you in a different way. I also believe his father’s Kenyan background gave him strong ties to his African side, such as my parents did for me. Ultimately, I believe Barack associated himself with the label he felt most comfortable with.
As history has shown its what you look like that gets you ahead in life. When slavery was around if you were “black” you were a slave. Yes, there were people who were shades darker then others, blue black we call them, but there were people who were so light that they were able to pass as “white”. These children were most likely the children from slave who were fathered by slave masters. They looked white so they passed as it. They were capable of getting away with being another race because they looked like another race. Back in the day being white was the only right race to be. You could have your pride and cherished your dark skin but the facts remain that you were treated lesser then an animal, which I would think were better off then us, black people.
I myself am one of the lighter skinned “black” people. As I see it I am Black. I look it and so I am it. I don’t have a huge nose but its not pointy straight and slender as the Europeans would want it to be. My hair is defiantly not straight and silky, its tight and crinkly, while the color is different from a usual dark brown it is still not a European texture. True some of my features describe that I may not be alone in my heritage but they are just that, some features. My father is what you say is an African America, or a “Black” person. My mother a mixed race, from her father black, white and Spanish and her mother an African American. So she is defiantly not your typical looking “black” person. Her hair is silky, smooth and full of curls. She skin is one while you suspect her to be a mixed race it would not occur that it was black. Yet when she is asked, either in person or on a slip to identify herself she checks without hesitation African American.
Yes Obama has some mixture in him but that facts remain they aren’t prominent at all. If you were to see him on the street you would register in your head that he is Black and nothing else. If this was back a few hundred years the fact that he was half white wouldn’t matter at all. He’d still be in the fields or in the kitchen serving the “white” people like the rest of the black people. He’d be a slave. That fact that he was half white might even be hazardous to him.
Our ancestors should determine who we are, but in this world until we can see passed color, which we will never be able to do, we will be categorized by the way we look. So while I do have some mixed blood in me I will still be categorized as a black person. An Obama looks and is black, he has some mixed blood in him but he looks…Black! If it looks like a black man, and comes from a black man, it’s a black man.
I feel that Barack Obama should not only consider himself African American. I am just so tired of hearing everyone calling him a legend because he is the first African American president. Yes, he is the first president whose features are dominantly black, but he is multiracial; he is also half white from his mother’s side. I think a lot of people tend to forget that he is not 100% black and that they only want to think he’s all black because it is what’s most appealing to the public. We’re so used to having Presidents with the same skin color, and once Obama comes around, we only want to stress that he’s African American.
I don’t think Obama chose to only consider himself African American to the public. I feel that his identity grew out of culture because it is the people around him and the environment that he grew up in that chose how he should identify himself. One of Sam Richards’ comments in this specific blog is that Obama’s best parts come from his mother’s side, so why would he not want to identify himself as multicultural? My personal opinion is that if I were Obama, I would identify myself as “multicultural” instead of just simply African American.
Though mainly people identify Obama as African American because of his dominant features, I don’t feel that Obama should have to accept the labels that are given to him. Obama has the right to choose how he should be identified and what he thinks is right because he is his own person and nobody besides himself should tell him how he should be identified to the public. You might ask the question if Obama only identified himself as white, would there be more controversy with how he wants to identify himself? Would African Americans be offended that he is neglecting his African American roots? Yes, there might be more confusion because Obama doesn’t look white at all, but you should be true to yourself and say what you feel is right. If Obama wants to change his identification from African American to multicultural, then he should go for it.
When it comes to my identity, the reason why I select the ethnic label that is applied to me is because I do mimick my parents. All my life, I have mostly been identified as only a white American even though I also have an Italian and Irish heritage. Although I am technically multicultural, I never really thought about that growing up. I don’t think me or anyone else should be embarrassed of their heritage; we should be proud of our cultural background and not be afraid to show it.
I think that identity may be personal. It is what you think or know you really are. However, when it comes to race, then most people say they are the race they have the most of in them. So Obama may technically have more African in him than white because his mother may have had a little Native American mixed in her. This makes her a mix herself and not just one single race. His father, however, is from Kenya so I doubt there is much mix in him. He is totally Kenyan, which would make him African. Obama may indeed have more African in him than white so I think it would be okay for Obama to identify as African American because his father is African and his mother is white. The same would be true for an Asian American. If an Asian man came to America and had a child with a white woman then that child would be considered Asian American. I do no think that a person has to live like the stereotype of their race in order to consider themselves a part of that race. For example, even though Obama was not exposed to a lot of “African-American” culture that does not mean he cannot call himself an African-American. Many African-Americans are mixed with white and plenty of other races and they are considered African-American so why can’t Obama consider himself African-American? Is it because he did not have the stereotypical lifestyle of an “African-American?” There is no one culture for them because everyone is mixed in so many different ways. I do not think that Obama should deprived from calling himself a race that he definitely would be considered by most people just because his mother was white and had different traditions.
Another example is the Asian American I mentioned earlier. If an Asian man came to America and had a baby with a white woman then that baby would be considered Asian American. I do not think it matters whether the child grows up in what is considered an “Asian American” household because that is just playing into stereotypes too much. Just because that child grows p with a white mom and follows her traditions does not change it’s heritage. The child still has as much Asian in them as any other Asian American who may grow up in a household that follows more Asian or Asian American traditions.
I do not believe people have to act a certain way or do certain things to be considered part of a race. People should not rely on stereotypes and do what they think they are supposed to do just because of the color of their skin. If an African American man is raised by a white mom then he is still African American.
I think our identity is chosen for us depending on environment, our parents and our friends. I had a friend in high school that was black and white but all her friends were black, she grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood, and when people referred to her a lot of the time she was a black girl. She was often called fake or that she “wanted to be white” when she mentioned that she was also half white because she looked black on the outside. Does looking like a certain race mean you have to identify with them or not identify? Just because you are born looking a certain way does not mean you have to identify with that race but it may make life a lot easier. What the world sees you as has a lot to do with how you identify yourself. If you were 75 percent black but looked white would it be easier to identify as white or black? Most likely as white because this is what everyone sees you as. Eventually people get tired of explaining what their heritage is and why they look the way they do so it is just easier to go with what everyone says you are or what you look like.
Most times race is the first thing we notice about a person. Even when describing someone to someone else race is usually involved. I think that Barack Obama has chosen to identify himself as African American because most likely growing up this is what most people saw him as. If you are biracial and throughout your life most people put you in one group rather than the other eventually it becomes easier to identify with that race or group of people. Obama grew up in a time where America was segregated so even being a 50 percent black or even looking black made you the outcast. Quoting a girl in class (I do not know her name), “back in the day white people only saw him as black so why now when it comes to some form of power would he consider himself white.” If Barack Obama considered himself just white what do you think people would say? He would be accused of denying his heritage, wanting to be white or just “white-washed.” Even though he grew up in a white household raised by his white mother and grandmother his appearance matters much more than who raised him.
The media also has a lot to do with race being such a big issue. On every newspaper and magazine the headlines were, “The First African- American President Elect.” The media focused so much attention on his race and not the politics that it became all about race. I have heard many times that if a white person did not vote for him they were racist and if a black did vote for him they were voting for him because he was black. But if a black person did not voting for Barack Obama they were denying their heritage and/or “not being black.” Although race may have been an issue with this election anyway, the media made it such a big concern that it became all about race and no longer about actual politics.
I don’t think that one is able to choose his identity based on which racial or ethnic backgrounds he likes best. Actually, to say that one is capable of such a choice sounds quite absurd to me. Others identify one according to the color of his skin, the shape of his nose, and the shape of his eyes. Whether a person likes it or not, to the surrounding world he or she is recognized and categorized by the physical features that he or she possesses. To the eyes of the nation, Barack Obama is a black man. If he were to go around claiming he was a white man, people would think he was crazy. Similarly, if I, a 19-year-old white German Irish kid, identified myself as black because I found out that I somehow have African in my blood from generations ago, no one would take me seriously. I would still be viewed to the rest of the world as a white man.
I realize that Obama is a mixture of many different races, yet the world views him as the race that corresponds to the one he identifies with, which makes sense. I’m sure he does not deny any of his heritage or ancestry, and yet he must identify himself as something, and thus, he is black.
In high school, which is in a very rural that contains little diversity; there was a girl in my class who, similarly to the president, had a black father and a white mother. She looked, however, almost completely white. To everyone else she was, in fact, white. I actually didn’t know she was half-black half-white until after many years of schooling with her. Even if she wanted to identity herself as black, I think everyone else would’ve still considered her as white. Her identity was defined by her physical features, not her ancestral timeline.
Everyone of course has an ancestry, and most likely that ancestry is mixed between various technical races, and yet most people do not classify themselves as every mixture of race that is in their heritage. I am a white Christian male. Yes, I am also Irish, German, Polish, Ukrainian, and who knows what else, but ultimately I am identified as simply a white man. I don’t think that Obama is playing his black side to his advantage, it’s just who he is. I definitely think, however, that his black ancestry worked as an advantage for him and his campaign for change, but his ancestry is not his fault.
I saw videos on the Internet of people interviewing members in a black community and asking them what they thought about Obama. They all seemed to be diehard supporters. Yet, when asked specifics about his campaign, they had no clue what was going on, and it became clear that they were voting for him because he was black. And although this may be true for numerous cases, one cannot blame Obama for the color of his skin.
What is it that makes Obama feel most connected to black people? And what is it that allows most of us to accept this identification with little dissonance? Although people can pass judgements and make hypotheses about why Obama labels himself as African American, it really should not bother others why he chooses to refer to himself as African American. I understand the fact that Obama's father was from Kenyan, which makes him African American, and his mother was from Kansas, making him White American. Since Obama's father was absent for most of his life, you would think he would want to associate himself with his White American ancestory from his mother, whose parents have Native American ancestory. What seems to grasp the ropes in Obama's ethnic background would probably quite simply be his appearance.
Obama's dominant features, which make him appear as purely an African American, are the likely cause of people labeling him as African American. Personally, when I first saw Obama years ago, I acknowledged him as an African American; then after I found more information out about him, I saw him as the multiracial, multicultural man he is.
When the question comes to mind whether identity is established from culture, meaning the people in your life and your surroundings, or from your biological background, I seem to think it's your culture that makes you who you are. For example, your personality defines you as a person moreso than the color of your eyes or your height. Just as it's said about how a boy who grows up with only sisters is more of a gentleman, a person who grows up in a religious community is more likey to stay religous throughout life, just to name a couple examples of how your surroundings have an effect on you. However, I think the conclusion of identity being craved out of your culture can really only be related to topics such as hobbies, likes, dislikes, beliefs, disbeliefs, etc, simply because ancestory is something you cannot change.
I don't disagree with the idea that Obama says that he is African American. If I came from his background, I would probably call myself African American also because of my appearance. There is no agruement that Obama does not look predominantly African American and that would be my agruement for referring to myself as African American if I were in his shoes.
When people ask me "what I am", I include all of my ancestory- German, Irish, Italian, and Scotish. I do this because I know that when people look at me, they obviously see me as a White American, which I am, but they are probably looking for more than just that.
First off I feel that it would be easiest if I just state that I am Hispanic right off the bat. In Sociology 119 I have been challenged to ask myself why is it that I relate my identity as Hispanic is. I never really thought about it before now because I know that I am Hispanic. It has always been such a big part of me since my mother is Honduran and my father is El Salvadorian. I don’t think I am mimicking my parents or grandparents because I feel that I view my culture differently than them. I know I am American as well where as I feel that my parents and grandparents still strongly hold on to their cultures from back home. Although I practice a lot of the cultures of my ancestors I still relate very much to the American culture because I was born here and I am very much comfortable as being a Hispanic-American. In all honesty if someone asked me what my race was I would say Hispanic; not Hispanic-American. I cannot say for sure why this is, but I believe I’m just used to introducing myself as such. I cannot lie and say that other people’s opinion of my race does not matter because I do care. I care in the sense that I feel that when someone sees me they see Hispanic because I have obvious facial features that easily give away that I am Hispanic. I feel that this is why Obama identifies himself as African-American. When someone sees Obama for the first time they do not see his white half; they see his black half. Unfortunately, people who are multi-cultured feel that they have to pick and choose which culture they are going to relate to. I personally feel that if someone is multi-cultured they should identify themselves as such. It is easy for us to see someone and base our assumptions off of what that person looks like, but it’s not always accurate. I feel that Obama can relate to African Americans because he probably gets a lot of the same connotations placed on him that they do as well. A person’s looks play a big part in a first impression; when you first see Obama you first think “Oh. He’s black”. Someone identifying a person as black based off their appearance in my opinion is not bad. I just feel that people should place less emphasis on a person’s identity based on their ethnicity or race. Although I sometimes fall victim to making assumptions about people I know that I should not and it’s something I have to work on. As a last note I would like to state an observation I have made. I have been part of a few discussions about Obama’s race and it seems that many of the black people I speak to get very upset when I call Obama multi-racial. WHY??!!! I mean…he is right? So why get upset? If I was multi-racial I would not want any part of my racial identity to be discarded on the chance that I don’t have certain facial features or characteristics of that certain race. It just upsets me that some people feel that by me calling him half white and half black that I am saying he is any less black. That’s not what I’m saying at all.
Do we choose identity or does it choose us. For one to answer this question they must first ask themselves, what do i think of me? Then we must stare at ourselves in the mirror and ask, what would a complete stranger think of me? It is that simple.
To answer the first question you look at yourself and do not judge by the color of your skin or the cloths you are wearing. You are judging yourself by what you feel and the actions you make. So do we choose our identity? In this case I believe that yes we do. In answering the second question of what others would think by looking at us you are essentially asking does our identity choose us. I believe this to also be true that yes our identity does choose us. Now answering yes to both questions may be misleading, but I will explain how it answers the ultimate question of do we choose identity or does it choose us.
When saying yes I choose my own identity I am saying yes because I believe identity is who we are and what we do in this world. If you ask me what my identity is the I am going to answer, I am a loyal hardworking person who likes to have a good time and would do anything for the people I care about. That is identity to me, not what color is my skin or where do my ancestors hail from. In the sense of it choosing us I feel as though that is true as well, but true in the sense of how strangers are going to see us. To someone who does not know you they are going to identify you by what your skin color is and what you are wearing and how all the people you are associating yourself with look. Physically I would be considered a white person, but I have a cousin with a white mother and a black father. Most people would refer to him as black where as I refer to him as my cousin and my friend not a black kid from a city who skin is a different color and who dresses different then me so he must not like anything I like. I was brought up not to see the color of a persons skin only who they were as a person. The way a person dresses or the people they hang out with or even the color of their skin does not tell you that person’s true identity. It is merely an identity that we as strangers have given them.
So from what I have said, the answer to do we choose identity or does it choose us, is both. Our identity is chosen for us until we decide to approach someone and let them know who we really are. By doing that you are able to choose your identity because it takes away whatever misconceptions anyone had of you. All of us should take action and choose our own identity.
Identity it’s what you consider yourself, what people wants to see you as a person. Barack Obama as we know is half white and half black like the article said he grew up in a white family and with an Indonesian stepfather. I think that he doesn’t really have to identify himself as anything but to say where he comes from and what his parents are from. Even though he grew up in a white family, others are not going to see him as a white person, because the description of a white person its light skin completion, blue eyes or green etc. Obama can just say I’m a white man, because he it’s the opposite of a white man even though he is half white. Obama probably feels more comfortable by saying that he is African American because that’s what everybody considers him. Now that he is our president, most of the people didn’t even know he was half white, because his skin completion it’s dark so everybody just assumes that he is just African American. Every person identifies themselves as something, no matter if it’s what sex or what race, for example myself, I identify myself as Hispanic, but everybody just assumes am Asian and half something else, so sometimes we don’t even half control of our own identity. Identity as about who you are, but if Barack Obama its half and half he should be able to say that say half and half, or choose which one he feels comfortable with, but why can he say he is white? Is it because just his skin completion or something else? But all I know is that identity it’s not only about who you came from and who you are it’s also about what other people think you should identify yourself as, because why can white people say they are from Spain, they all light skin. We all say from what country we are from and that should identify what we are, but they are babies that are adopted from the other part of the world and they come to the United States and they grow on a white family, so they don’t know about the culture but just the American culture so that means they are American or where they from? What is Identity about, is it about what people assume that we are or is it what we say we are? Me myself when I see our president I just say he is black because that’s what I see, but I don’t know if he thinks the same. If you ask white people what is Obama’s identity, the majority are going to say he is black. That’s what we see.
Identity has many different meanings such as beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I may think is beautiful, someone else may think is ugly. Identity, in the social world, depends on race. As many people may say that race is not a factor and some people say they do not see color, they are lying. I define myself as African American because my family decedents are from Africa. Obama identifies himself as African American although he is multiracial.
Race or identities may also depend on where you live or was raised. Since Obama didn’t really identify himself until his early teams, we don’t really know where it came from. It could have been where he lived at that time or who his friends were. He knew his mother was white and his father was African but he just accepted the one side of his culture. The world looks at color so differently but also the same in many ways. If we see someone on the street with a brown color skin and brown eyes and rough hair we automatically assume they are black or are mixed with black. Obama was a little hard to find out because he could have been a different race with the texture of his hair and the color of his skin.
I have very dark skin and rough hair so without a doubt I knew that I was black or African American. Since my father was in the army we had to move a lot and to many different places. Many of the times it was in a suburban place. I grew up talking “white” or proper because of the schools that I went to. When I moved to Philadelphia, many of the students tried to make fun of me because I talked white but I never new that I talked white until I moved to Philly. As I noticed the way the people were talking I felt that I had to talk like them to fit in and be considered “black”. Little did I know that I was already considered black because of my skin color. Obama might have went through the same thing. To be considered black he might have had to act a certain way or maybe he always had people telling him he was black because of who his father was.
Identity is a funny thing. Just as we are taught to eat with a fork instead of our hands or to brush out teeth or to even wake in the morning and sleep at night, we are taught who is what and how we identify them. We do not choose who we are, it is chosen for us. I may choose to be white or asian but I will never be treated as that because of the beginning of the world and the color of my skin being identified as black.
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