Although born in Hawaii in 1961 to an American mother and a Kenyan father, Obama was from an era where if you had 1/16th of Negro in you, you were considered Negro. There was no listing for bi-racial on birth certificates at that time, or a box to check that read "Other" or "African American".

As a mother of a child who has mixed ethnicity - I find the word bi-racial...

Although born in Hawaii in 1961 to an American mother and a Kenyan father, Obama was from an era where if you had 1/16th of Negro in you, you were considered Negro. There was no listing for bi-racial on birth certificates at that time, or a box to check that read "Other" or "African American".

As a mother of a child who has mixed ethnicity - I find the word bi-racial offensive, we are only one race, the human race. Like Obama, my son knows who he is, and when he looks in the mirror each morning he knows what he is... American.

Too much emphasis has been put on him as a person, based solely on the color of his skin, a person should be judged on who they are, not what they are, or what others perceive them to be. As Martin Luther King stated years ago, "We should not judge a person by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character".

Be well,
Annie
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) Strength to Love, 1963

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Tyra Banks has black parents. Basically, Obama, Halle, and others are considered "black" by society because that's how they're treated. They're still living the life of black people. Society will hand them the same...

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Tyra Banks has black parents. Basically, Obama, Halle, and others are considered "black" by society because that's how they're treated. They're still living the life of black people. Society will hand them the same obstacles as other blacks, so that's how they identify themselves. Just because of the dominance of black genes, the children will phenotypically look more black, so that's how they'll be seen.

Examples: If a 1/2 black man is walking down the street and he sees a woman begin to clutch her purse tighter as she walks past him. Is he supposed to stop her and say "Excuse me, m'am... no need to worry. I'm only 1/2"

If I ever have 1/2 black children and my little girl comes home saying that someone called her hair "nappy" or told her she was "pretty for a black girl", that will have happened because she's black.

If a biracial person goes into the wrong side of town or runs into the wrong people and gets called the N word, are they to inform the insulter that they're not full black, but 1/2? They're still experiencing the problems that a black person does.

I'm all for biracial/multiracial children embracing all sides of their heritage. I wouldn't have it any other way. But they need to be made aware that society will view them as black.

The answer to that is because we have never had any other color president besides white. If he is nmixed then he is different then white so, we label him as african american.

Shouldn't your question rather be:

"Why do Americans persist in calling black people in the states African-Americans when most of them have never lived in Africa?"

Should I call the majority of the inhabitants of Boston Irish-Americans?

...

Shouldn't your question rather be:

"Why do Americans persist in calling black people in the states African-Americans when most of them have never lived in Africa?"

Should I call the majority of the inhabitants of Boston Irish-Americans?

I personally come from Iceland and I've yet to hear a single Icelander call a black person living in Iceland an African-Icelander. They're simply called Icelanders if they live in Iceland, it's as simple as that.

Just call black people black and white people white, because that's simply what they are. Nothing racist about that.

Or maybe just call them all people? :D

It is because we are still living in a patriarchy society. Traditionally, father and son relationship is the backbone of a family line, which makes the family name,the name represented the family, passing from father to son and to the grandson. The same logic applies to the ethnic status. That is why Obama is considered as an African American then a Caucasian.

However, nowadays, we should put away such logic of thinking. The status o...

It is because we are still living in a patriarchy society. Traditionally, father and son relationship is the backbone of a family line, which makes the family name,the name represented the family, passing from father to son and to the grandson. The same logic applies to the ethnic status. That is why Obama is considered as an African American then a Caucasian.

However, nowadays, we should put away such logic of thinking. The status of mother is as essential and important as the father. Patriarchy tradition is just a tradition, nothing more then a memory of human civilization.

When analyzing the parental background of a person, it is more appropriate and reasonable to consider the educational influence more instead of the traditional heritage.

In my opinion, Obama should be consider as an American instead of anything else. However, his bi-racial status and experience may give an advantage for him to understand the racial issues.

Obama is considered an African-American because of his skin color and the way he speaks. If you had never seen what Obama looked like but heard him on the radio speak ,you would bet he was black. In America, land of the free, the most culturally diverse country in the world, labels are the order of the day.
I am Puerto Rican, U.S. citizen by birth, my father is tan colored and my mom is white. I have brithish ancestry from her part of the family,but if ...

Obama is considered an African-American because of his skin color and the way he speaks. If you had never seen what Obama looked like but heard him on the radio speak ,you would bet he was black. In America, land of the free, the most culturally diverse country in the world, labels are the order of the day.
I am Puerto Rican, U.S. citizen by birth, my father is tan colored and my mom is white. I have brithish ancestry from her part of the family,but if I go to the U.S. , by my skin color alone they would say I'm Mexican. If I looked like a native from Peru, or El Salvador, or from Costa Rica or Brazil, the majority of americans wouldn't see a difference. To their eyes if i spoke english with a little spanish accent and my skin was tan, I was a hispanic, a spic, therefore a mexican, therfore an illegal alien until proven otherwise!!

Y does this matter?

I think god create us equally and I can't understand why people insist to have this racism
and i agree with "one racial group"

because he's a predominately black male.

meaning...

he has more black than white in him.

his mother was mixed also.
...

because he's a predominately black male.

meaning...

he has more black than white in him.

his mother was mixed also.

duh.

They (we) could consider him millado, meaning half-black, half-white, but we don't. People say that we aren't playing the race card, but I rarely hear that Obama is half white, or that he isn't 100% black. He has some african american heritage and that is what we see. The color of his skin. That is why we don't acknowledge the fact that he is bi-racial. Plus if we considered him to be white, this race between him and Hillary wouldn't be so historical....

They (we) could consider him millado, meaning half-black, half-white, but we don't. People say that we aren't playing the race card, but I rarely hear that Obama is half white, or that he isn't 100% black. He has some african american heritage and that is what we see. The color of his skin. That is why we don't acknowledge the fact that he is bi-racial. Plus if we considered him to be white, this race between him and Hillary wouldn't be so historical.

The reason for this is historical: when we still had slavery in this country, people were considered "black" if they had one ounce of "black blood". This definition largely persists as an unspoken belief within our society (whether you want to admit it or not).

The government and many people have abandoned any such definitions, and race or ethnicity is almost always "self-identified"-- you can say ...

The reason for this is historical: when we still had slavery in this country, people were considered "black" if they had one ounce of "black blood". This definition largely persists as an unspoken belief within our society (whether you want to admit it or not).

The government and many people have abandoned any such definitions, and race or ethnicity is almost always "self-identified"-- you can say what you want on the census forms and generally won't get an argument. Many people of African American ancestry can choose to "pass" as "white" -- whatever "white" is!. (There are a few exceptions to this, as certain laws require a certain percentage of native American blood or such.)

Finally, I agree the term doesn't always sit right. I once saw a concert of African American songs written by George Gershwin, performed by a "black" pianist from Paris and a "white" singer who grew up in Africa. Confused?

If you want to get picky about it, though, Obama is probably more "African/American" than most people-- his father's African and his mother's from the United States. What more do you want?