--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people see Barack Obama, they don't…" description: "\"When people see Barack Obama, they don't necessarily see an African-American president. They see someone who is a child of immigrants. They see someone..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/grace-meng-33131_african-american_when-people-see-barack-obama-they-don-t_311986.jpg" --- # When people see Barack Obama, they don't necessarily see… ![“When people see Barack Obama, they don't necessarily see an African-American president. They see someone who is a child of immigrants. They see someone whose family has worked hard and struggled. And they see many similarities between themselves and Barack Obama.” quote by Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/grace-meng-33131_african-american_when-people-see-barack-obama-they-don-t_311986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/grace-meng-33131_african-american_when-people-see-barack-obama-they-don-t_311986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/grace-meng-33131_african-american_when-people-see-barack-obama-they-don-t_311986.jpg) > “When people see Barack Obama, they don't necessarily see an African-American president. They see someone who is a child of immigrants. They see someone whose family has worked hard and struggled. And they see many similarities between themselves and Barack Obama.” [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often identify Obama by his immigrant background and shared struggles rather than race, highlighting common humanity. **In simple terms:** People see Obama as an immigrant story, not just a black president. Key Takeaway Recognize shared experiences across backgrounds. Themes identity immigration commonality Mood reflective thoughtful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - community building - political discourse - education - media analysis Key Concepts sociology political narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does shared struggle shape political perception? - What aspects of identity are emphasized in public narratives? A Different Perspective Focusing on identity can overlook systemic racial issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [American president](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-president/) [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Barack obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack-obama/) [Between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/between/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Necessarily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessarily/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-barack-787778/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Similarities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/similarities/) [Similarities Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/similarities-barack-2959815/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Struggled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggled/) [Struggled Similarities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggled-similarities-2959816/) [Themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/themselves/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Whose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whose/) [Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked/) ## Related quotes > [ Both the Bush people and \[Barack\] Obama people had no problem working with the holdovers. They weren't out to get them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/both-the-bush-people-and-barack-obama-people-had-no-problem-working/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [One of the things about leadership is that you've got to show up. And if you want to be president of the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/one-of-the-things-about-leadership-is-that-you-ve-got-to-show-up-and/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [Hillary Clinton wants open borders. People are going to pour into America. People are going to come in from Syria. She wants 550 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-wants-open-borders-people-are-going-to-pour-into/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You keep wondering whether people will see that Barack Obama is a liar and not very bright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-newman/you-keep-wondering-whether-people-will-see-that-barack-obama-is-a/) [Randy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-newman/) > [Unfortunately, as inspiring as people find Barack Obama, change can be interpreted in so many different ways. I think he might do a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/unfortunately-as-inspiring-as-people-find-barack-obama-change-can-be/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [The Democrats are having all kinds of problems uniting people here, and Barack Obama is the lead unifier, and it ain't going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-democrats-are-having-all-kinds-of-problems-uniting-people-here/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think the people that Barack Obama has been associating with are anti-American, by and large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/i-think-the-people-that-barack-obama-has-been-associating-with-are/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [Ralph Angel, for me, was about getting in touch with the similarities between the characters. I felt like he was a human being that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-siriboe/ralph-angel-for-me-was-about-getting-in-touch-with-the-similarities/) [Kofi Siriboe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-siriboe/) > [Every single character and every single person in real life can all be 16 or 17 years old and maybe live in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-sweeney/every-single-character-and-every-single-person-in-real-life-can-all/) [Sydney Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-sweeney/) > [Philadelphia might not want to hear this, but I grew up in Cleveland, and I think there are really a lot of similarities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kelce/philadelphia-might-not-want-to-hear-this-but-i-grew-up-in-cleveland/) [Jason Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kelce/) > [ It's so funny, all the similarities that we have \[with David Copperfield\] of being obsessed young people and finding a way to be around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/it-s-so-funny-all-the-similarities-that-we-have-with-david/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [We are fantastic and awesome in our own way. similarities in others make the differences of us from them special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pheonysia-biden-missgerrard88/we-are-fantastic-and-awesome-in-our-own-way-similarities-in-others/) [Pheonysia Biden á¦â« (@missgerrard88](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pheonysia-biden-missgerrard88/) > [There are a lot of similarities between Jonathan Higgins and Juliet Higgins: they're both British, they both come from military backgrounds, and they're both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perdita-weeks/there-are-a-lot-of-similarities-between-jonathan-higgins-and-juliet/) [Perdita Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perdita-weeks/) > [“Understanding languages and other cultures builds bridges. It is the fastest way to bring the world closer together and to Truth. Through understanding, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/understanding-languages-and-other-cultures-builds-bridges-it-is-the/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“I’m not like her. I don’t steal people.” Mr. Tibbalt watched her, saying nothing. The silence made Victoria bristle. “Well, I don’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-legrand/i-m-not-like-her-i-don-t-steal-people-mr-tibbalt-watched-her-saying/) [Claire Legrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-legrand/) ## More by Grace Meng > [I want to see America thrive. I want to see all different families here succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/i-want-to-see-america-thrive-i-want-to-see-all-different-families/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [I take the definition and title of my job - Representative - seriously. That's what I will be above and beyond everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/i-take-the-definition-and-title-of-my-job-representative-seriously/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [Queens is famous throughout the world for diversity and tolerance. But really it's what we have in common that makes our neighborhoods work, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/queens-is-famous-throughout-the-world-for-diversity-and-tolerance-but/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [It's nice to be a woman, and it's nice to be an Asian. But what's more important is what I can bring back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/it-s-nice-to-be-a-woman-and-it-s-nice-to-be-an-asian-but-what-s-more/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [As the daughter of immigrants, growing up in New York City, you are either at the table or on the menu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/as-the-daughter-of-immigrants-growing-up-in-new-york-city-you-are/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [I'm just going to let my record in Congress speak for itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/i-m-just-going-to-let-my-record-in-congress-speak-for-itself/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [Being the only Asian-American in the State Legislature, I've had no choice but to reach across the aisle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/being-the-only-asian-american-in-the-state-legislature-i-ve-had-no/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [I've loved being in legislative office on a state level, and I think on a federal level there are so many more opportunities. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/i-ve-loved-being-in-legislative-office-on-a-state-level-and-i-think/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [There are many Asian-Americans who are living in poverty, especially our senior citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/there-are-many-asian-americans-who-are-living-in-poverty-especially/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [I was raised as a Christian, where all you're taught is to be humble, even if you did something right. Politics is the complete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/i-was-raised-as-a-christian-where-all-you-re-taught-is-to-be-humble/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [Queens is so often treated as a stepchild and labeled as an outer borough. At the very least, if I could help bring more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/queens-is-so-often-treated-as-a-stepchild-and-labeled-as-an-outer/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [That's the one thing I probably don't like about politics - the focus on the individual. To me, it's more important to get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/that-s-the-one-thing-i-probably-don-t-like-about-politics-the-focus/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [Oftentimes, the only evidence left behind at the scene of a shooting are bullet shell casings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/oftentimes-the-only-evidence-left-behind-at-the-scene-of-a-shooting/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) > [I take the definition and title of my job - Representative - seriously. Thats what I will be above and beyond everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-meng/i-take-the-definition-and-title-of-my-job-representative-seriously-2/) [Grace Meng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) [Explore all 15 Grace Meng quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-meng/) ## More African american quotes > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. If I am moved or forced away from what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-agreed-a-long-time-ago-i-would-not-live-at-any-cost-if-i-am-moved/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [“This popularity extended to Trump himself, who, according to private demographic research conducted at the time, was even more popular with African American and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/this-popularity-extended-to-trump-himself-who-according-to-private/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I know I'm more forgiving than most African Americans when it comes to second chances for White people who not only commit a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-more-forgiving-than-most-african-americans-when-it-comes/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [I think it's easier for African American and white comics to be praised than it is Latinos because they think our culture or our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lopez/i-think-it-s-easier-for-african-american-and-white-comics-to-be/) [George Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lopez/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. 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