Barack Obama and His Childhood in Indonesia
77
The electoral campaign for the next president of the United States is still a hot issue until recent days, especially because one of the candidates is an Afro-American and thus grabs public’s attention, even the world, and Indonesia as well. Why? Because, apparently, Barack Obama spent his childhood in Jakarta in late 1960’s after his mother, Ann Durham, married to an Indonesian student named Lolo Soetoro, who was pursuing an MA degree in East-West Center, University of Hawaii. Then Obama was brought to his new family in Indonesia.
|
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Price: $15.09
List Price: $25.95 |
|
Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise
Price: $5.25
List Price: $13.95 |
|
The American Journey of Barack Obama
Price: $4.39
List Price: $24.99 |
It came to my interest when I found out that Barry, his childhood nickname, also attended a local school twice in an elite Jakarta region: SD Assisi and SD Besuki Menteng (SD or ‘Sekolah Dasar’ in Indonesian means elementary school). Even though rumors said that these two schools are a ‘base-camp’ for future Islamic fundamentalists, but in fact SD Assisi is a private Catholic while SD Besuki Menteng is a locally superior public school which accepts students from various religious backgrounds.
Obama’s years in Indonesia were memorable for some of his ex-schoolmates as well as his teachers. He was known among his friends for his smartness and not to mention his naughtiness towards girls. Following is an excerpt from Voice of America (VOA)-Indonesian Program News (I give you the brief translation below):
“Barack Obama’s background is indeed unique. After Obama’s mother was divorced with a Kenyan origin, she married to Soentoro, an Indonesian citizen when Obama was still six years old. He was then brought to Jakarta together with his new family. What was Obama like when he was a child? Here are comments from his childhood fellows: ‘he used to be a naughty boy particularly among his female seniors. Once he destroyed the school’s fence which made from bamboos.’ ‘In a creative writing lesson, other students said that they wanted to be a doctor or pilot, but Barry claimed that he wanted to be a president.’ ‘He is smart, as he studied not only at school, but also did a correspondent course abroad.’ On his fifth grade, Barry moved back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents..."
Here is also another excerpt about ‘Barry’ Obama’s childhood in Indonesia from Al-Jazeera News that you can listen to in English:
Well, whether or not he would be elected as the next American president, ‘Barry’ or Barack Hussein Obama will always be remembered as the only one candidate who spent his early years in Indonesia, something that is worth for us to learn from, the Indonesian people.
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down [flag this hub]
Comments
Not at all :). Hope this will help you a little bit on answering those questions :).
Very interesting history. I haven't heard before.
It's always good to get this sort of information directly. It was amazing the lies that were being told about his time living in Indonesia. At the very least, the media should have worked harder to report the truth.
In order to attend Indonesian public schools, it was necessary, at that time, to be an Indonesian citizen and that means that Barry has to have been a citizen of at least one other country before. Since you are from Indonesia, you must know this.
You might be interested to know that this disqualifies him for being POTUSA, under Article II of the American Consitution.
See my article about this at http://democratsforrealchange.info/
this box enriches my infos, thanks
the victory of barrack obama as the president - elect of USA shows that God is not a respecter of persons and also it shows that if you are destined to be somebody tommorrow, your family background, whether rich or poor has nothing to do with it, rather the will of God, determination and self confidence can do all.
This is very interesting article. Thanks for the info, dinamars.
Btw, I'd like to comment to vrajavala's. At that time, foreigners don't have to be Indonesian citizen to study in public school (actually, both in SD Besuki Menteng, the public school, and in SD Asisi, the private one). The foreigners then will be said as WNA - Warga Negara Asing (foreigner) in their ID card (or school ID card). The problem they would have would be only the language since all the program in all the public elementary schools were taught in Bahasa (except for foreign language subjects such as English, Mandarin, Arabic, etc).
So, I don't think that Obama had to be Indonesian Citizen to study in those elementary schools.
wat good wit
obama rule
obama rule
now that obama is president he open the gates for many people.
not so much help :( im doing a research on barrack obama
obama is not my type but now being at a christian school im willling to give him a chance hes only human and i wish all of you that read this will just one time for me will pick up the bible and read it after that pray trust me its not back proverb 17:17 talks about being a friend proverb 23 talks about drug do it for obama
whoever is reading this, i just wanted to say that i really did not want obama as our country's president and then i got to know more stuff about him and i realized that as being a christian, i should just get over the fact that i do not like him because he will be our president for at least four years and so i need to except the fact that he will be with us for a while and so im going to give him a chance and so any other obama dislikers out there i just want to let you know that we should try to be an example for others and pray for our president and love our enemies. So I encourage you to read the bible more often if you dont already and give him a chance like me and some others. Love, youst-to-be obama disliker. :)
I HATE BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE U OBAMA 239-856-8455
obama is good person to be president of u s a .and i think people who doesn't like him they don't like anyone in the world and they are just sick people
don't tell me
obama is good person to be president of u s a .and i think people who doesn't like him they don't like anyone in the world and they are just sick people
don't tell me
obama is just great. my ambition in life is to become like him someday.
i wish obama a very very good life.when i become great like you the
first thing i'll do is i'll come n meet u
I think Barack Obama is the best president ever. Barack Obama RULES and ROCKS!!!!
barack obama is the best president so far bout time!!!
Barack Obama ROCKZZZZ!!!!! ALL YOU HATER(COUCH COUGH COLIN H) HATE HIM JUST BECAUSE HE IS BLACK DOSENT MATTER WHAT IS THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN IT MATTER ABOUT YOU PERSONALITY. HIS A GOOD PRESIDENT AND WELL DO GOOD FOR MAN KIND AND THE UNITED STATES OF THE AMERICA.
Barack Obama ROCKZZZZ!!!!! ALL YOU HATER(COUCH COUGH COLIN H) HATE HIM JUST BECAUSE HE IS BLACK DOSENT MATTER WHAT IS THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN IT MATTER ABOUT YOU PERSONALITY. HIS A GOOD PRESIDENT AND WELL DO GOOD FOR MAN KIND AND THE UNITED STATES OF THE AMERICA.
obama obama obama i said djjj obama obama rocks he the best ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
obama obama obama i said djjj obama obama rocks he the best ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
obama obama obama i said djjj obama obama rocks he the best ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
obama obama obama i said djjj obama obama rocks he the best ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think you are interest about Indonesia. Obama still remember, that he spent his childhood in Indonesia. Just only 3 years.
Please , I would like join your center and more information
Please , I would like join your center and more information
omg i love obama i want to join this website too
obama hi is the best..........................i dont have word about him becouse his the last and best
drbruce says:
17 months ago
Thanks for this informative hub. I've been asked a lot of questions about Obama's time in Indonesia, but haven't had the chance to research myself.