Insensitive statements by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) not only infuriates many, but also raises one titillating question: Why isn't President Obama considered white? Obama's mother is white, and his father is black. He relates more to his white side of the family given his father left him as a child. Hence, isn't it logical to think Obama is more white than black? Let's see if we can change Obama's default setting to the world.
THREE SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHY
1) “He doesn't look white.”
Well, what does “white” look like? Yes, Obama doesn't look like a Norwegian Viking, but you can still tell he's mixed. Since when does being half black mean that he's full black? If a white person is only supposed to look like Tiger Wood's wife Elin, then we need to revise what the definition of white is.
2) The media needs something unique to sell.
Saying the first black man wins the Presidency is more eye-catching than saying another rich white man wins. Mitt Romney, with his hundreds of millions would fit right in with the Clintons, Bushes, and Cheneys. However, since we've already had 43 Presidents who all look the same, it's more exciting to have someone new. Everybody loves an underdog story, and Obama's story is no different.
3) We're all racist and we don't even know it.
Senator Harry Reed is unable to see Obama as a white man because he doesn't fit the stereotype of what a white man should look like. Harry can't help his racist condition because he was born in 1939. Segregation didn't end until 1954, so Harry had a good 15+ years of brainwashing to think he's unjustly superior due to his skin color. Try as Harry may, he's been influenced far too long to change. Obama, watch out what Harry says about you behind closed doors!
CONCLUSION – WE SEE WHAT WE WANT TO SEE
The definition of the word majority, is simply more than the minority. Since the majority of Americans are white, we can conclude that white America has the majority say in shaping our perceptions, especially in the past.
But, what about tomorrow? Ethnic cultures are mixing at a rapid pace. Are white folks endangered of stereotyping themselves out of existence? That answer depends on whether we can abolish thinking between just white and black. What about Asians, Latinos, and Mixed? If we can include other races, and multi-cultural groups into the main stream, we have a chance of being more balanced.
The better Obama does, the more he will be embraced by his two ethnicities. If it so happens Obama becomes the greatest President in history and finds a cure for cancer while he's at it, how do you think perceptions will change? In essence, we see what we want to see, and hear what we want to hear. Our biases are so deeply rooted that it takes a mental nuclear bomb to go off before we realize our prejudices.
Just like politicians, the mass media will eventually be influenced by big business. Once the target demographic with the most amount of money is identified, news and opinions will cater towards their cause. Your mission if you choose to accept, is to open your mind and start embracing diversity! Don't become another Harry Reid decades from now!
****
Famous People Who Aren't Considered Asian Even Though They're Half Asian: Dean Cain, Rob Schneider, Vanessa Hudgens, Tiger Woods, Keanu Reeves, Carmen Elektra, Phoebe Cates, and Lou Diamond Philips.
Famous Folks Who Aren't Considered White Even Though They're Half White: Booker T. Washington, Bob Marley, Mariah Carey, Thandie Newton, Alicia Keys, Derek Jeter, and Lenny Kravitz.
Readers, why do you think Obama isn't considered white?
If you're not white or black, do you feel left out?
Regards,
Sam
the one drop rule is akin to the Nazi rule with Jews – i dont know why anyone is talking about identification since racial identity is a yardstick for many handounts and benefits these days and it you check the minority box your chances of getting a break are increased.
The one drop rule was adopted by America during Jim Crow with regards to blacks, it was actually TOO EXTREME for even the Nazis (who decided 3 or more grandparents of Jewish heritage) and that’s the truth. Since this guy didn’t give you any sources, here you go.
history.com/news/how-the-nazis-were-inspired-by-jim-crow
And screw you whoever in the chat said America is full of racist bigots, please direct me to one country that is any better. I’ll wait. I’m sure you can’t but have fun going to the middle east, communist china, or anywhere OUTSIDE the US where Freedom of Speech doesn’t exist and try telling them they are racist bigots. Watch what happens. Try to change China’s, Russia’s, or the Middle East’s National Anthem while you are at it. Or better yet Israel lmao watch how well received you are. While your at it go tell Japan they can’t be majority Japanese cause it’s racist to minorities there, Chinese in China, Russians in Russia, yeah please tell me culture isn’t relevant or doesn’t matter and go let all the other cultures know the same. Let’s all be one under the globalists! Keke yeah good luck with that cause America has been the only country to allow other races to take office within it (including Presidency, the house, the senate, etc), tell me how that’s racist? I’m so tired of seeing the ignorance, btw even our poorest is still richer than third world countries around the world. Look at Africa, why aren’t the billionaire blacks helping it out? Aren’t they AFRICAN Americans? Yeah naw, they don’t cause they are Americans. If we are true second world, what are those third world countries that still have sex slavery, still have slaves and sweat shops, etc? Yeah at least we made laws against those, not every country has.
USA is a country of dumb but arrogant racist bigots, poverty and the super rich, a true second-world country.
President Obama identifies himself as being black or African American because that is the face he has stared at in the mirror since he could see a reflection. Especially being closer to the “white” side of his family, he was always “different” from them. Why doesn’t my friend who just adopted a precious little girl from Taiwan just ignore that her daughter is different and just call her white? Because it would be foolish! If the president grew up in a home where his differences were never acknowledged, it would be very natural for him to, being aware of those differences, to inflate the importance of those differences. For those who have never had this experience (the experience of being different than nearly everyone around you) I can’t imagine it is easy to
understand. I am part African American, native American and Irish. I have darkish skin, kinky
curly hair, dark eyes, etc. By the world standards I am black. Three of my children are blond
with wavy/ straight hair and blue eyes. By the worlds standards they are white. I think the problem stems with everyone caring so much about which side the president identifies with in the first place and then taking issue with it. Statements like, “I wish he identified more with his white side” seem bazaar to me. Why do you care! What, there haven’t been enough “white” presidents for people to identify with?! I just wish he identified more with being an American!!! I’d be happy with that.
I agree except factually, Obama is multi. My black friends are outraged he is considering black.
Yeah ok but if he was full black would he have won? Look how poor africa is. They have natural resources but are still poor. Being a black man is nothing to be proud of. Deadbeat dad, criminal, bum is what a black man is. Not a president of Anerica. They sold their own people into slavery.
Always good to come here … there is no shortage of stimulation both from the post topics and the responses.
Three Points:
One: I think that it is the predominant color that takes precedence and I hate to use such a cliched example but I think it demonstrates what I mean best: Take a particularly dark chocolate milk, dilute it with half regular white milk, to all appearances it is still chocolate milk albeit a much paler shade. I don’t know at what point it becomes “white” milk – when the color is beige or champagne?
Two: First Nation Artists. Up here in British Columbia, Canada we have several world class artists who work mostly in wood, stone or metal media. In practically every case one of their parents is white, yet they are known as native, first nation, aboriginal etc., anything but white. One of the most famous is Bill Reid whose father was a Scotsman … but of course Bill Reid is never referred to as a white artist.
Three: Mixed racial marriages are on the increase. Every so many years the trend watchers put up a composite of the emerging media beauty “face” Increasingly that “face” is not only a mixture of two races, but more, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what is in the mix. To our eyes of today these faces appear beautiful in a very exotic way.
It won’t happen in our lifetime … but maybe sometime in the distant future there will no longer be a white or an asian or black. Think about it, waaaaaay back, the countries flanking the north Mediterranean Sea were white, even blond and blue eyed (think the Romans, the early Greeks and even Spain). The south was flanked byNorth Africa – all black. The slaves of these white countries were more often than not black. Eventually the races mixed and “dark and handsome” became the norm in Italy, Greece and to some extent peoples living on the coast of what once was Yugoslavia This change is particularly noticeable in Spain which was under Moorish rule for 700 years, hence the distinctive darker complexion and facial structure that is different from that of the rest of Europe.
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Really good perspective. Obama doesn’t want to be considered white. It’s worth many more votes to be considered the black underdog. 92% of all blacks voted for Obama last election, most of them because they considered him black. That is far more racist than 6% of white people wouldn’t vote for him because he was black!
But 92% of the black population in America is still much smaller than 50% of the white population in America.
That does make it right.
I agree except factually, Obama is multi. My black friends are outraged he is considered black.
@Roger
I would have admired Obama much more if he had addressed Harry’s insensitive comment more directly and reprimanded him. I know a lot of others would feel the same.
It amazes me people can consider him black, but people can’t consider him white. At most, it’s bi-racial. That’s ridiculous. If Obama wants to consider himself white, then so be it.
OK that picture is funny as hell
The picture is worth the read! About the race issue, I suppose it may have been my upbringing, but I seldom think about what race anyone is. I don’t think of Obama as white or black. He is simply the President. When Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record, some were incensed because a black man broke this hallowed record. But I just didn’t get the hoopla. Hank Aaron is Hank Aaron…period. I am not smugly saying I never have racist thoughts. I probably do. You said our biases are deeply rooted and I know I am not immune. I am just looking forward to a time when ethnicity is not an issue.
I suppose I am culturally naive, but it never occurred to me that Mariah Carey isn’t white.
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Hi Joe – You don’t think about the race issue, because you are white (at least according to your gravatar). If you’re white in America, it’s very hard to understand what minorities go through. There are all these little things here and there which begin to add up over time. People looking at you funny thinking you might rob them, people walking suddenly in a different trajectory, people asking you when you are on a cruise ship if you can get them some water when you are a vacationer yourself!
I’m impressed you think Mariah Carey is white. That’s fascinating because most people would think she’s hispanic or black.
Powell
.-= Powell´s last blog ..Marc Lipsitch catches the flu in action =-.
While this article posed an interesting question, I just wonder this. In the general scheme of things does it really matter what race Obama listed himself as on the Census? Does it really matter whether he is perceived as white or black? We put so much emphasis on labels in this country, that who you are seems to get lost in the color of your skin.
.-= Mike´s last blog ..1Cover =-.
Amen!
It is also used in some cases as evidence against Gerrymandering!!!
OK that picture is funny as hell
Hunh, interesting subject, as always, FS. Let me give answering them a shot:
Readers, why do you think Obama isn’t considered white?
As has been mentioned, there is a tendency in America to associate anyone who isn’t completely white with their non-white ancestory. Part of it is the history of racial relations in this country (as mentioned, there used to be laws defining anyone with the slightest bit of African ancestory as black). In Obama’s case, there’s also the media issue, as you mentioned; running as white (which I don’t think he could have pulled off; maybe bi-racial, but white seems a bit of a stretch) wouldn’t have been very historic.
If Obama does a phenomenal job for the next 7 years (very debatable currently), will the media change Obama’s ethnicity to suit their business constituents?
I’m not entirely sure what you mean by this. I don’t think that Obama’s performance, bad or good, is going to convince the media to consider him white. If he engages in actions that disappoint the African-American community (or at least, the persons who have taken it upon themselves to claim to speak for said community), you might see more emphasis of ‘Hey, he is bi-racial’. (Of course, that gets into another issue: who’s allowed to decide your race? If the group you associate as decides they don’t want you as member, can they kick you out, or what?)
Why is there not a bigger uproar against Senator Harry Reid (D) and his remarks? If a Republican said his words, he’d be booted out of the country!
Partially, I think that it’s because Obama hasn’t made much, if anything out of the comments himself (for reasons we could speculate on but not know for certain). Plus, as mentioned in the link you provided, it was a private conversation where Reid made those remarks, as opposed to on the Senate floor or in a New York Times op-ed (or on, say, a nationally syndicated talk radio show). As for there being a double standard between how Democrats and Republicans are treated, well, if we’re going to start to list all the ways in which the two parties are treated differently by their members, we’ll need a whole new blog!
@Roger
I would have admired Obama much more if he had addressed Harry’s insensitive comment more directly and reprimanded him. I know a lot of others would feel the same.
It amazes me people can consider him black, but people can’t consider him white. At most, it’s bi-racial. That’s ridiculous. If Obama wants to consider himself white, then so be it.
Fair enough, FS. Although goodness knows, there’s plenty of situations where both sides of the aisle have overlooked racial or other offensive remarks to keep members of their party around. (Case in point, look at Joe Wilson’s scream of ‘You Lie’, and the GOP’s lack of condemnation, even tacit support by opposed House Democrats in their attempt to reprimand him. If it had been a Democrat yelling at former President Bush, would the Republicans have let up a great hue and cry? Neither party has a monopoly on offensive statements, or on (possibly feigned) outrage when those statements are made by someone they oppose.)
As for Obama, if I remember correctly, he listed himself as black (not biracial or white) on his census form, so apparently he’s fine with considering himself black. As for me, I’m perfectly fine with following his lead and consider him black.
You can’t compare “You Lie” with the remarks Harry Reid made.
I’m disappointed Obama lists himself as black on the census. What about the millions of white supporters who think he’s white? Obama just slapped them in the face.
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True; as mentioned, Reid’s remarks (although deplorable) were made in the course of a private conversation, while ‘You Lie’ was screamed in the middle of an address to the Congress by the President of the United States acting in his official capacity. I don’t condone what Reid said, but frankly, I’d like to see less (feigned) outrage from both sides of the aisle, trying to pounce on every slightly offensive comment made by their opposite numbers. People say stupid things, sometimes without thinking, and it’d be nice to not have every questionable statement turned into a major political issue. But I’ll get off my soapbox; I’ve ranted long enough.
I have to be honest: you’re the first person I’ve seen making the argument that Obama should be considered white. There’s any number of reasons that Obama’s supporters (myself included) would cite to consider themselves slapped in the face by the Administration so far, from the slow progress on repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to the continuation and expansion of the war in Afghanistan, but what race he considers himself hasn’t been raised by anyone I’ve been reading (again, excepting you).
With bi-racial people it’s never about what they consider themselves to be, it’s about how they have been treated by others their entire life. Obama is mixed, but he grew up his entire life being treated like a black man. After all those years of being treated one way, you can’t all of a sudden say, “Hey why do you consider yourself to be black when you are obviously mixed.”
Which presents the question, why did people treat Obama as a black person growing up, when he’s half white? Why wasn’t he treated as a white person instead? These are the mysteries I’m trying to understand given he’s 50/50, and can go either way.
he was treated as a black man his whole life? really? what does treated like a black man mean – when he was under 18 he should not have been treated as a man at all? how do you mean? is it typical of being treated as a black man to get a Columbia Univ degree and then go on to Harvard Law? Is it typical for a black man to want to marry a mixes Asian and white American woman? Is it typical for a black man to be raised by a single white woman in HA and Indonesia?
Eric, I think you hit the nail on the head. Being half white in a majority white country, the majority will always see him as “black”. That’s probably where his identity is because that’s the way he’s been viewed.
What we should all be focusing on, rather than his racial composition, is how he’s doing as president. Whether we agree or disagree with his policies, Obama isn’t behaving like an “African American” president–as some of his detractors asserted prior to the election–but as an American president. That should be encouraging to us all.
The real racial issue of Obama will be in posterity. What will future generations say about his election? If the day comes that people will look back and see him as a president, and not as a “black” president, America will have made great strides out of an ugly past. I’m not African American myself, but I consider his election to be a shining moment for this country. It will be even more so when the day comes that we’ll look back and not think of it as anything but ordinary.
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There is a Russian saying, “Mix a black with Russians, and all of Russia will turn black.”
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wow i did not even recognize him at first, this is one crazy photo
What about tomorrow? “Ethnic cultures are mixing at a rapid pace… that answer depends on whether we can abolish thinking between just white and black.”
You can be assured that Americans won’t think between just white and black in the future. We all learn. And the diversity of this country gives us a great opportunity to learn, learn other cultures’ values.
I don’t think Obama will ever identify himself white and the media or the world will ever say he is white. He happens to be the first president who doesn’t have both parents white.
When I hear “All American Girls” or “All American Boys”, I think of the role model American girls and boys!
Nothing like a good discussion on race to spark some conversation. :)
I think Obama identifies himself as black because it is more resourceful for him to do so. It serves his purposes better than if he we were to say he was white. But then again, if he identified himself as white, we’d still be having the same conversation.
I wonder what the racial composition of the people is who commented on this post. It is probably overwhelmingly white. Whites have been writing the rules. So, let us now just agree that Obama should identify with both races – “gosh darn”. Or as a novel idea, how about we allow him to make the decision based on his life’s experiences?
On a different note, I think it is big of him to have married a black woman. Black women have a hard time finding a good black spouse because of the mass incarceration of black males according to this article in the Economist: https://www.economist.com/world/united-states/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15867956 Black women probably also have a hard time finding a white spouse but for different reasons.
@Len Penzo
“Diversity is fine for cuisine. Not so good when trying to build a nation…” I don’t agree with you on “diversity is fine for cuisine” only, but I think you meant well when you said “not so good when trying to build a nation.
I asked myself, would Obama be able to consider himself white, or be considered white, when he was growing up in the early 60’s? I also tend to think his mother had done a good job in bring him up when I got to know her a little more. She might have also taught him to acknowledge (and respect) his african heritage…
I remember reading an excellent article on bi-racial by Lucinda Roy, a Virginia Tech professor, about her own personal experiences. It was very enlightening! I thought it was published in Washington Post (or USA Today) around 7/28/2009. Too bad, I couldn’t find the article and therefore can’t share it with our readers.
Lovingkind,
Just to be clear, I didn’t include the word “only” when I made my point about diversity being fine for cuisine. That was your assumption. If I had more time I could have included other instances, but I didn’t. :-)
Best,
Len
Len Penzo dot Com
Lovingkind, you make a great point. Forget about whether Obama could consider himself white in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s. If Obama wanted to consider himself white right now, do you think the media and the world would accept him as the 44th black President? Or at most, would everybody say he’s the 44th bi-racial President? B/c if so, that’s a double standard, as many consider him the 44th black President.
.-= admin´s last blog ..Why Are President Obama And The Democrats Against Charity? =-.
You bring up a very good topic in this article and I have wondered that myself ever since he started campaigning. I don’t think it’s wrong if someone chooses to label themselves in one racial category if they’re mixed, but I think it’s fantastic to embrace all of your ethnicities and not feel stuck to choose just one. I didn’t realize either that you could pick more than one race on the census.
I really think that whites are a fading majority in our country. There are more and more stats on the boom of Latinos in our country and how they are having more children that the white population. And more and more interracial babies are being born every day and I think that’s fantastic! We don’t need to be just one ethnicity. What’s more important is to keep our eyes open and stop trying to classify people into rigid racial categories.
@Simple in France
Agree that blond Obama is creepy looking!! =)
.-= youngandthrifty´s last blog ..Variable and Fixed, Open and Closed Mortgages =-.
Hey Sam, I didn’t know that Rob Schneider, Carmen Electra, and Vanessa Hudgens were half asian!! Do you know what “type” of asian =) Is Vanessa Hudgens half phillipino? Dean Cain and Keanu Reeves are smoking hawt =)
I don’t think Obama is considered white because people want to view him as the first black president of the united states. It’s more glamorous because everyone has been waiting for United States to have the first black president.
.-= youngandthrifty´s last blog ..Variable and Fixed, Open and Closed Mortgages =-.
Rob & Vanessa are half Filipino, and Carmen….. I gotta double check.
Bravo
Way to take on another controversial idea in eloquent fashion. I’ll just say I was in Europe in the days leading up the election and on election day and what I found to be astounding was the intense media and subsequent celebration of an election in another country. It was about the same press the election was getting in the US – but in Switzerland and UK! Odd. I don’t know if it was more the notion that most of the world hated Bush or that the “big bad” US was finally doing something “right” in their eyes or that it was a “black” president.
Back to your original question though – you’ll hear many bi-racial people speak to how they never really fit in or felt accepted by either race, which in some ways, probably gave Obama some additional perspective that he wouldn’t have had otherwise. But from a news item standpoint, it just doesn’t sound as “historic” or sensational to cover the first “bi-racial” president as opposed to the first black president.
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There is always that level of interest in the US presidential election in Europe. I’m Irish and can assure you the same coverage existed for the previous elections (since modern news cycles anyway). I don’t know why you’d think it’s odd – Euro news media covers “world” news extensively anyway; US policies can have a large impact over there; and many many Yurpeans are well travelled enough or have business/family in the states to have an interest.
There are Harry Reids everywhere, Sam. They are small minority of the 350,000,000 Americans that make up this great country of ours.
I love my Italian heritage and our holiday customs, as I love the Honeybee’s Hispanic customs. We celebrate our heritages. Heritage should be celebrated! I also love going to the North End of Boston, and Chinatown in SF, and Little Saigon in Southern California!
But you framed this question in the form of how people see our president. I said I saw him as an American and I thought everybody should see him as such because it is important for the sake of a united nation (notice no capital letters). When it comes to matters of national interest, heritage should take a back seat to our allegiance to the Constitution and country. It’s hard to stand as one nation, when we impose these artificial divisions.
As for why did I predict what I did, I figured that was the assumption you had when you asked the question. If not, I’m trying to figure out the motive for asking the question considering my stance. :-)
I feel bad for the white people and bi-racial people of America who want to identify with Obama, Tiger Woods, Keanu Reeves, Halle Barry, etc, but who can’t b/c these “icons” in our country DON’T embrace their entire make up.
Interesting answer to my question to your answer to my question. Your answer explains my assumption perfectly actually! Thnx.
Sam
So people want to identify with being Canadian? Keanu Reeves.
.-= Valentina´s last blog ..Super Blogger Reality Show Starts Tonight! =-.
“But, when they do, you’ll realize why being open to diversity matters!”
Sam, I’m not clear what you are trying to say here.
Are you arguing that it is better to NOT look at ourselves as Americans, but as black, white, hispanic, asian, etc.?
Diversity is fine for cuisine. Not so good when trying to build a nation. Just look at Yugoslavia.
I bet you think I think of a blond-haired blue-eyed boy or girl when I think of an All-American boy or girl. But the God’s honest truth is, I have no preconceived vision in my mind’s eye.
All the Best,
Len
Len Penzo dot Com
It’s great to look at ourselves as Australians or Americans. And it’s equally powerful to look at ourselves as Italians, Mexicans, African Americans, Chinese Americans and so forth because our heritage is extremely dear to many of us. When someone like Harry Reid attacks someone’s ethnicity, it’s NOT OK in my book. It shows his ignorance.
It’s not OK to let things slide and be happy go lucky when someone attacks. Ignorance will lead us to become soul-less Americans.
Why would you think that I would think you’d say blond-haired, blue-eyed boy or girl?!