Why is it important that Obama was elected president because of what factors made him the first black president of the United States?

Barack Obama, the black American senator, is one of the popular candidates to run for the next president of the United States. Since he was elected as a senator in 2004, his name has quickly become popular in the American political arena, and his popularity is comparable to Film and television stars.

Recently, a rumor about Obama’s childhood experience spread rapidly in the online media. Although it was proved to be a lie, it also reflected from the side that Obama’s road to running for president is destined to be closely related to his life experience, because His story has become a drawcard for voters.

On the 28th, the online version of the British "Sunday Times" revealed a lot of inside information about Obama's life experience, which is more and more specific than many American voters know so far.

Mother

Obama’s father, Obama Sr., is a Kenyan, and his mother, Ann Dunham, is a white female teacher in the United States. The marriage between the two did not last long, and they only gave birth to one child, Obama. Later, Obama lived in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather for 4 years.

Dunham was born in Wichita, Kansas, USA, and later moved to Hawaii with his parents. In Hawaii, Dunham met and married Kenyan student Barack Obama (Obama Sr.) and gave birth to a son named Barry, who is now Senator Obama. This marriage did not last long and ended when Obama Sr. left home to study at Harvard University.

Dunham later married Indonesian student Rolo Sutoro and came to Indonesia in 1967, bringing 6-year-old Barry with him.

A recent rumor about Obama is that he attended an extremist religious school while living in Indonesia. But the truth is, it was just an ordinary religious school. When hearing this rumor, the most surprised person was Julia Suryakusuma, Obama’s mother’s best friend during her lifetime.

Surya Kusuma, 53, is one of the most famous feminists in Indonesia and has published many works criticizing extreme religiousism. Suryakusuma said that Dunham is a liberal and humanitarian, can speak fluent Indonesian and loves Indonesian culture. Although he is interested in religion, he has not joined any religion.

On the coffee table of Suryakusu Mayagada residence, there is a photo album. The photo album records happy times, and in the photos, Dunham has lively curls, wears loose bohemian clothes, and always smiles.

Suryakusuma said: "You know, Ann (Dunham) is a white person, although she told me that she is of Cherokee (a branch of North American Indians) "According to Obama, a distant ancestor of his mother's family was a pure-bred Cherokee.

When Obama was 10 years old, he returned to Hawaii and lived with his maternal grandparents. Dunham returned to Indonesia with her daughter Maya, whom she had with Sutoro. Dunham was keen on the production of Indonesian women's folk handicrafts, such as weaving and basket weaving, and became an expert in them. Maia is now a professor at the University of Hawaii.

Surya Kusuma recalled: "We were both mothers, and we talked together about how sad it was for a mother to be separated from her children, but she (Dunham) was more concerned about Barry. (Obama’s) education.”

Suryakusuma first met the future senator when Obama visited his mother in Indonesia as a young man. She said: "Dunham was so proud of him. I remember when Obama became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, Dunham was filled with pride."

Dunham in 1995 Died of ovarian cancer.

Father

After his parents separated, Obama only met his father once before hearing that he had died in a car accident in Kenya in 1982.

Although he did not spend much time with his father, the skin color inherited from his father became a flag in his political career. His memoir was first published in 1995 as "Dreams from My Father." After entering politics, Obama borrowed his father's name (Barack) and felt the imprint left by his father in the names he was given every day.

Obama Sr. was born in a poor small village in western Kenya and worked as a cowherd boy. Later, by chance, he went to the United States to study, met Dunham, and gave birth to Obama.

Obama’s grandmother and many relatives still live in that small village, and the elder Obama was buried in the village after his death in a car accident in 1982. In 1992, Obama visited his hometown for the first time and brought his fiancée in.

Obama Sr.’s life is relatively complicated. He married his first wife, Kozia, while in Kenya, and they have two children, son Roy and daughter Oma.

According to Obama, his father never really left Kozia. But Dunham said that Obama Sr. did separate from Cozia, but "because the marriage was a country wedding, there was no documentation to prove the divorce."

Obama Sr. and Dunham's marriage in Hawaii may not have been properly documented. Obama said in his memoirs: "How and when this marriage began is still unclear. There are some details that I will never have the courage to clarify."

Obama Sr. left Dunham and his two-year-old son to After studying at Harvard, he later returned to Africa with another American woman, Ruth.

Ruth became his third wife and bore him two sons in Kenya, one of whom died in a car accident.

However, Obama Sr. often visited Kozia. A relative explained that according to tradition, Kozia was still his wife. Obama Sr. also fathered a son with another Kenyan woman.

Dream

Obama had a complicated life experience and experienced ups and downs, but when he grew up, he organized charities in Chicago and gradually gained fame. While studying at Harvard Law School, he became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. This position is usually seen as a stepping stone for law students to enter the U.S. Supreme Court as a clerk and then advance upwards after graduation. However, after Obama graduated, he chose a small law firm in Chicago that specializes in civil rights litigation.

Obama later chose to enter politics and was re-elected as an Illinois state senator for three terms. In 2004, he stood out at the Democratic National Convention, expanding his popularity across the United States. That year, he won the Senate election and became the fifth black U.S. senator in U.S. history.

Suryakusuma said: "You know, having a white mother, a black father, and having been to Indonesia made him, like his mother, susceptible to identifying with all kinds of people. . ”

Some American groups see Obama as proof that integration can transcend race. William Galston, a public policy researcher at the Brookings Institution, said: "I think American voters are ready to support leaders who embody the American dream."

Larry Professor of Political Science at the University of Virginia ·Savato believes that Obama can attract voters by announcing his life experience, no matter what kind of controversy there is. "Americans love success stories," Savatto said.

Surya Kusuma said she could imagine Obama's mother's "enthusiastic performance" "if she knew Barry, her child How proud she would be to run for President of the United States."

Obama currently ranks second among Democrats who have announced their candidacy for president, behind former first lady and New York U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton