Barack Obama

When my son started First Grade, come the start of African-American History Month, he coolly informed his (predominantly East and South Asian) classmates that his otherwise very Pakistani-looking, and sounding "dad is an African-American". I do not remember ever having used that phrase within earshot of him. But he knows that I was born in same region of Africa that is the origin of most of the people who came to this country as slaves. And thus I came to this country as an African-born grad student much like Barack Obama Sr.

From the NY Times:

Emily Nordling has never met a Muslim, at least not to her knowledge. But this spring, Ms. Nordling, a 19-year-old student from Fort Thomas, Ky., gave herself a new middle name on Facebook.com, mimicking her boyfriend and shocking her father.
“Emily Hussein Nordling,” her entry now reads.

Overdoing it abit. As quoted at this website http://thekenoshakid.blogspot.com/2008/06/bacongate.html

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Supposedly, "The View" had its "Best of Breakfast" segment set up before it booked Michelle Obama as a co-host for today's show. But such a huge deal was made out of the Obamas' lust for bacon, that I've started wondering if it was intended as a denial of the rumor that Obama is a Muslim.

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p>Is the Obama campaign in danger of overdoing the I-am-not-a-Muslim routine? After all, it's not bad to be Muslim.

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Is anyone else concerned about the campaign to "smear" Obama as a Muslim, and what it implies about Islam and being a Muslim? (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/06/20/obama/)