What race is Obama?

Barack Obama identifies as black, although he is genetically biracial because of his white mother and black father. Obama considers himself black because society sees him as a black man and treats him as such. He has experienced prejudice, such as being mistaken for a waiter or valet.

Obama has grappled all his life with the question of his racial identity. His father, born in Kenya, left him when he was young. He was raised by his white grandparents and his mother. His experiences with society shaped his identity as a black man, and on the 2010 U.S. Census, he chose to be identified as black.