Barack Obama
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Throughout his life, Barack Obama has had to struggle with his identity. Caught between white and black heritage, the lands of Indonesia and Hawaii, and the contrasts of his life with those of his parents growing up in Kansas and Kenya, Obama was forced to endure the pull of many different cultures to shape him into the “ideal” member of the community. Though the community Obama was thrust into was constantly changing, he was able to overcome these cultural differences in order to find his true identity as a man of mixed race. Obamas struggle is reflected in his search for idealism, community, and likeness amongst his peers.
Growing up without a his father figure in a primarily white home, Obama states that he did not understand that he was his lack of a father and unusual family situation were strongly against cultural norms. However, Obamas first major crisis with his identity comes in his early years in Indonesia, when he stumbles upon the picture of the man who has tried to lighten his skin to the pigment of a white man. This instance reflects one of the first moments when he realizes the cost of being black and the burden it bears; the moment he realizes that his being black is a struggle. (30) This passage signifies how Obama began to realize that he was truly different from those around him, and that something as insignificant as the shade of his skin could stop him from leading a fulfilling life. As an individual, he feels limitless; but when he is put into the constraints of a community fascinated by race, Obama realizes that even this small detail of his appearance could complicate his life.
Eventually, however, when his father comes to visit, Obamas world is shaken to the core. His fathers arrival helps the young Obama to realize not only the struggles his father endured to receive the education he is taking for granted, but the relationship that he has to his heritage. His fathers explanation of life in Kenya leads to Obamas realization that life and struggle exist beyond the world in which he has grown up (65). However, Obama does not utilize these realizations fully until his college years, when he organizes a movement for awareness of the ongoing struggle in South Africa. Here, Obama truly expresses his disdain when he is forced off stage, and he reflects the struggles of his ancestors.
Obamas questioning of himself is a result of his mixed heritage, and his confusion over his mixed race. As a byproduct of his parents opposing backgrounds, Barack Obama must struggle to find his true identity, and the place in which he can best fit in the community.