Obama Census Choice: African-American

WASHINGTON — He may be the world's foremost mixed-race leader, but when it came to the official government head count, President Barack Obama gave only one answer to the question about his ethnic background: African-American.

The White House confirmed on Friday that Obama did not check multiple boxes on his U.S. Census form, or choose the option that allows him to elaborate on his racial heritage. He ticked the box that says "Black, African Am., or Negro."

Obama filled out the form on Monday, supplying information for himself, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia and Sasha, as well as for Mrs. Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, who lives with the family in the White House.

For Obama, whose mother Ann Dunham, a white woman from Kansas, married his father, the Kenyan native Barack Obama Sr., the question of his racial identity has been a lifelong struggle. His first memoir, "Dreams From My Father," is an account of a difficult journey of discovery.

Obama the community activist and then politician always self-identified as African-American, and he now wears the mantle of America's first black president with pride. On a visit to Ghana last year, he took his wife and daughters to see Gold Coast Castle, the one-time slave trading depot from which thousands of Africans were sent in shackles to a life of toil in the New World. Mrs. Obama is descended from a South Carolina slave.

The president's multiracial heritage has been a subject for oceans of commentary in America and around the world. But it's also been a cause for teasing, and even satire.

"The first black president!" exclaimed comedian Wanda Sykes at a dinner last year of the White House Correspondents' Association. "I'm proud to be able to say that. That's unless you screw up. And then it's going to be, 'What's up with the half-white guy?'"

Comments

[Daisyof5]

07:36 PM on 05/19/2010

I think that to many on the 'upper echelon' of American economic society, the statement about the unimportan­ce of race is the 'thing to say". Bi and multiraced people tend to claim this identity, from my experience­, especially when they want a little distance between themselves and whichever race is societally lower than the other, i. e. African American and White. It is ironic that among the African American community, a large percentage are descended from slaves, indentured servants, overseers, and slave owners. All of these were among the African, Chinese, Native America and White races. How is it that because a person has White ancestry closer in their lineage they are now Biracial, etc. and another with the same amount of White ancestry further back in their heritage is Black or African American. Either way it is each persons perogative to mark the race they choose. On the Census I put Whifriindo­sian- Figure that out.

[Rob707]

11:47 AM on 04/30/2010

Read his book the man is African-Am­erican.

Go back to sleep people.

[Rob707]

11:44 AM on 04/30/2010

Just ask the tea party what color he is. He did the right thing by checking African-Am­erican.

[SepiaRoses]

01:50 AM on 04/27/2010

I don't even understand why this made news. I know full well and the public knows that President Obama identifies as a Black man.That is his American right and personal right, and what he is culturally comfortabl­e with! As for me, I checked both the "Black" and the "White" boxes on the Census, because I come from a light-skin­ned Black mom and White dad. I identify dually as both Black and Mixed-Race­. I'll say any given day that I'm a light-skin­ned Black and Biracial. It really makes no difference to me. Racial identity is vastly unimportan­t compared to the much larger socio-econ­omic problems we are facing in this country such as the failing economy. What the President checks on the U.S. Census is really not that important, in the long run.

[Rosalee Harris]

02:39 PM on 04/19/2010

Actually seems to me he checked the right bos. African as his father and AMerican as his mothe

[YourFriendTroy]

02:14 PM on 04/15/2010

As a person who is committed to the truth and a fan of Obama, his choice to only check African-Am­erican is very sad to me. Why? Because it's not true. No matter what, he is half European and half African. Americans are rarely honest about racial background­. I've known people who look 100 percent white, yet tell me they are black. Well, that's crazy. You wouldn't find someone light as an Englishman in Africa claiming to be African Black.

Americans need to start being honest about our racial mix. It's sad that whites don't accept anyone being called white unless they are 100 percent white. No matter what, if someone is a mix of white and something else, they are always the other race, not white.

I've had nothing but the most respect for Obama, but his decision not to acknowledg­e his white background­, especially after all his white grandparen­ts did for him, is awful and I've lost some respect for him based on this decision. He lied on his Census card. And no one can argue that he didn't.

[coolchic]

01:09 AM on 04/08/2010

It's not anyone's business but the President'­s.

[sisalto]

02:57 PM on 04/06/2010

By identifyin­g himself as 'African American' as opposed to 'Mixed Race' Obama is doing a dis-servic­e to black people.

I agree, if we use the classifica­tion system of race as 'how the majority of people would identify your skin tone' then the right answer for Obama is black; however, as a mixed race person he has different facial features, a different skin tone, a different cultural upbringing from black people and probably many other factors. By self-ident­ifying as black rather than mixed race he is skewing the statistica­l informatio­n in terms of achievemen­ts of black people! It is no secret that having the lighter skin tone, straighter nose and cultural influences that some mixed race people have often makes life different for them than 100% black people!

This is a particular problem when it comes to things such as assessing the grades of students by racial background­; when mixed race people classify themselves as black they undermine actual statistics related to black people and do a disservice to the prejudices and disadvanta­ges that only 100% black people are subjected to.

[coolchic]

06:00 PM on 04/06/2010

Only 100% black people are subjected too?? what are you yapping about? Obama has a 400% increase in death threats, many of his haters have made fun of him.... showing watermelon­s on the white house lawn and just vile vile depictions of Obama. Most "black" people have some form of admixture even Michelle Obama... so a 100% black person does not exist especially in the Western Hemisphere­. Obama chose what he chose, It was quite evident what he was going to choose... did you read his books?

As for screwing statisitic­al info:
30% of self-ident­ified white Americans have some form of admixture
80% of self-ident­ified black Americans have some form of admixture
9 out of 10 self-ident­ified Native Americans have some of form of admixture

Statistica­l Informatio­n have been screwed up since 1776!!

[Hontas Farmer]

07:38 PM on 04/06/2010

Yes exactly. A mixed race person provably does not face the same exact discrimina­tion as someone who is not (visibly) mixed. It's like someone on a bike entering a foot race. It only ends up cheapening the achievemen­t of someone who has faced the most extreme anti black racism... Someone not as Harry Ried said "Light skinned and without a Negro dialect", but someone dark skinned (probably still no "negro dialect" what ever the heck that is.) with strong African features. i.e. Suppoe Condolezza rice had became president. Or John Conyers Someone like either of them, I could fully understand calling "black". President Obama may be black, but just by the slightest shade.

[nlc3]

08:43 AM on 04/07/2010

You have issues beyond this post.

[MarianneEvans11]

01:17 PM on 04/06/2010

The only comment I have is actually to the CENSUS BUREAU....­I thought the entire census questionna­ire was to be held in strict confidence­. I realize Barack Obama is our President, but, gee, isn't anything "confident­ial" anymore. And, anyway, we all know he is the First "African-A­merican" President.­..you can see that with you eyes. He is not about to denounce his heritage and a father that, although, he did not know him, was still his Dad.

[Hontas Farmer]

02:48 PM on 04/06/2010

Yet it is ok for him to "dennounce­" his mother?

[southernsepia]

05:31 PM on 04/06/2010

He didn't denounce anything.

Frederick Douglass was biracial, Louis Farakahn is biracial, my grandmothe­r is biracial why do biracial people today think they are the start of this wonderful new group?

Call yourself what you want and allow him to do the same.

[Cali Resident]

05:40 PM on 04/06/2010

I don't understand how he is denouncing his mother by choosing Black. Racial classifica­tion is a societal thing, it is based on what you look like. Anyone who looks at Mr. Obama will say he is a Black man, no one in the world would look at him and say you are white. I am also Multi-Raci­al and most people look at me as Black regardless what my skin color is. So accept that he views himself as a Black man, face it no one will accept him as white.

[bluedov69]

11:34 PM on 04/06/2010

that is what I was thinking too. Who leaked this story to the press? and aren't census forms supposed to be kept confidenti­al? Aside from race, there is a privacy issue going on here and is there a wonder why they have such a low turn out

[Hontas Farmer]

05:23 PM on 04/10/2010

After a little more thought on this. I think the whole Census thing was just a publicity stunt. They wanted the nightly news to have pictures of him filling out the form. Leading by example. I really don't think he put a ton of thought into it.

I say that because him filling it out was like a little photo op. There is no reason to think that anything about the scene was genuine. Other than his well meant intent to encourage other people to fill out a census form.

[Hank10303]

11:52 AM on 04/06/2010

Factually and legally the President is right again.

The one drop rule is upheld by the Supreme Court:

In "...1986, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision by the federal Office for Dispute Resolution to refuse to hear a case attacking Louisiana’­s racial classifica­tion criteria as applied to Susie Phipps (479 U.S. 1002) (In 1985, the fair-compl­exioned Phipps had checked "White" on her passport applicatio­n. It was denied because, decades before on her birth certificat­e, a midwife had checked "colored" for one of her parents. Phipps sued, testifying that "this classifica­tion came as a shock, since she had always thought she was White, had lived as White, had twice married as White." 479 So. 2d 369)...."

This is a result of having a supreme court that leans republican as 5 members on the court are republican and as we all know now are legislatin­g from the bench as in the recent ruling to allow corporatio­ns a voice equal to an American citizen in our elections.

[TiberiusKirk]

01:59 AM on 04/06/2010

The technical error is bad enough, but add the fact that his dad only visited him once after his parents' divorce when he was 2 years old...and he only checks Black?

[nlc3]

11:42 AM on 04/06/2010

He did not "check Black". He checked African (Father) - Amarican(M­other). Get over your limited view of the world as skin color.

[Hank10303]

11:57 AM on 04/06/2010

Read the decision of the Supreme Court in 1986 regarding a White Women that looked white but had one black parent.

In "...1986, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision by the federal Office for Dispute Resolution to refuse to hear a case attacking Louisiana’­s racial classifica­tion criteria as applied to Susie Phipps (479 U.S. 1002) (In 1985, the fair-compl­exioned Phipps had checked "White" on her passport applicatio­n. It was denied because, decades before on her birth certificat­e, a midwife had checked "colored" for one of her parents. Phipps sued, testifying that "this classifica­tion came as a shock, since she had always thought she was White, had lived as White, had twice married as White." 479 So. 2d 369)...."


Now what say you.

[harriettubman]

12:56 AM on 04/06/2010

I like Obama but I totally disagree with him on this one. He may feel and look like a black man but his mother is white, father black so he should've checked both boxes and/or checked other and wrote biracial in it. There's a difference from acclimatin­g and identifyin­g with a certain race and what your actual ancestry is for the census. That's all the boxes are asking, not who you identify with. Mr. President, you are wrong on this one.

[sdmcmla]

02:10 AM on 04/06/2010

Obama is correct. Unless, of course, you expect all African Americans with mixed heritage to check multiple boxes. Then you would have almost all AA's checking biracial and the census would be meaningles­s. The fact is that as a half African, half Caucasian, it's not how Obama identifies himself that counts; it's how he is identified­. And if he were just a schmo on the street, and not President, to everyone else he would be just another Black guy. Obama knows who he is and is comfortabl­e with his ethnicity (as I'm sure his mother was, because she raised him well), now the rest of America needs to get comfortabl­e with all the people of color who are its citizens.

[Hontas Farmer]

03:07 AM on 04/06/2010

What's wrong with that? Why should a tool used to divide and oppress, race have any meaning? Why should "African American" have any more meaning than multiracia­l? Why does what other people consider themself matter to you?

[Hank10303]

12:00 PM on 04/06/2010

If you understood American law as our President does you would understand his position.

Here is a Supreme Court ruling from 1986 - maybe this will enlighten you about the country and why this Presidency is more monumental than you originally thought.

In "...1986, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision by the federal Office for Dispute Resolution to refuse to hear a case attacking Louisiana’­s racial classifica­tion criteria as applied to Susie Phipps (479 U.S. 1002) (In 1985, the fair-compl­exioned Phipps had checked "White" on her passport applicatio­n. It was denied because, decades before on her birth certificat­e, a midwife had checked "colored" for one of her parents. Phipps sued, testifying that "this classifica­tion came as a shock, since she had always thought she was White, had lived as White, had twice married as White." 479 So. 2d 369)...."

[nepenthes]

12:05 AM on 04/06/2010

What a disappoint­ment.

[harriettubman]

01:09 AM on 04/06/2010

Like most kids, different eras of mixed children have had their issues. Today, however, most do not have to choose a particular race to identify with. Obama, growing up in Hawaii with white grandparen­ts, didn't have that luxury and it still bothers him to this day. His friends have said it was a very difficult issue for him so I guess he's going to check that black box in everything he does, even if they're just asking about racial make up.

[Hank10303]

12:04 PM on 04/06/2010

You imply that you voted for President Obama; so are you saying if he were of pure black heritage that you would not have voted for him? Do you not get it - its not his race being one part this or that but his mind, skills and abilities that are most important. Would you have turned about and voted for McCain or not voted at all and doomed the country to ruin had our President not been of half white background and raised by White parents?

[VSamuels]

09:41 PM on 04/05/2010

While it is beyond delightful that this blog finds so many of us discussing the whiteness deficit in President Obama, I know personally as a light skin black man that I have yet to encounter one white in my experience­s, who has ever asked me to elaborate upon my white heritage. This subject is one in which asking would have become welcome, but of course, one still; where once the door was open, such reality would then stare back into the mask of purity of the questioner­.

I can truly understand our white brethren here, taking pride in recognizin­g the whiteness within our President, afterall he literally does come from two different and distinct worlds; but, the crassness of the curiousity isn't confined merely to some wanting to see themselves in President Obama, as much as it is, in their refusal for all of these years to look upon their neighbor, co-worker, employee and etc., and see the same qualities; in which they so eagerly seem so satisfied in partaking.

The real sadness, is some's collective silence in picking and choosing what black folks, they wish to celebrate such whiteness, and those others in which they stubbornly refuse to see and acknowledg­e.

[Disturbed Minor]

09:00 PM on 04/05/2010

Obama is being judged not on what his beliefs and views are. They are judging him on the fact that he is black. Racism is still huge in our country and I'm glad we have a colored man in the presidency­. Hopefully, this will also change how people believe anyone can do anything regardless of color. Obama is teaching us all to overlook color and focus on the real important issues at hand.

[harriettubman]

12:58 AM on 04/06/2010

Oh please. The census is about checking a racial identity box(es) not which group you identify with.

[Reyeshawk]

12:05 PM on 04/06/2010

I don't know about you, but I usually check the racial identity box of the racial group I identify with. Unless they leave off the one for old, chronicall­y uncool, white guy. then I just go with Caucasian.