Family of Barack Obama

"It's like a little mini-United Nations, I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher." - Barack Obama, at an interview in 2006.

Barack Hussein Obama II, the current US president, is also the first African-American president of the United States. He was sworn in as President on 5th November, 2008 and ever since has been working towards the betterment of America in all spheres. Although work takes up most of his time, being family-oriented is one of the many highlights of his persona. He is known to give his family, both immediate and extended, the utmost importance. That all of his family members belong to diverse backgrounds, is established through his biography, 'Dreams from My Father', and also his political career. His family has representatives of the African-American, Kenyan, Indonesian and English heritages.

Parents
Barack Obama was born to Barack Hussein Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father belonged to Kenya, while his mother belonged to Kansas. They got divorced when he was two and when he was six, his mother married an Indonesian oil manager named Lolo Soetoro.

Immediate Family
Barack Obama's immediate family is known as the "First Family" of the United States. It comprises of his wife Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Natasha Obama. The Obamas are a closely knit family.

Michelle Obama
Michelle Robinson Obama, the first lady of the United States, is a lawyer by profession. She met Barack Obama in June 1989 at a Chicago law firm. They got engaged in 1991 and got married on 3rd October, 1992. She is currently one of the vice presidents at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Malia and Natasha Obama
Malia was born in 1998 and Natasha, also known as Sasha was born in 2001. Natasha is the youngest White House resident. They both attend the Sidwell Friends School, a private school in Washington, DC.

Extended Family
Barack Obama has many paternal and maternal relatives belonging to diverse heritages. A few of them live in the United States while the others are scattered in Kenya, Indonesia and other places.

Grandparents
His paternal grandparents were Habiba Akumu Obama and Hussein Onyango Obama (1895-1979). His grandfather was a cook and had converted into Islam. They belonged to the rural village of Nyangoma Kogalo in western Kenya.

His maternal grandparents were Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham (1922-2008) and Stanley Armour Dunham (1918-1992). His maternal grandmother was the vice-president of a bank in Hawaii while his grandfather was a furniture salesman and also a US army sergeant during World War II.

Parents In-law
His father-in-law, Fraser Robinson, was a secretary at a bank. His mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has been a constant source of support to him, especially during the polls. She lives with the Obamas at the White House.

Other Relatives
Other relatives of Barack Obama include Charles Thomas Payne (great maternal uncle), Malik Obama (half-brother), Maya Soetoro-Ng (half-sister), Konrad Ng( brother-in-law, Maya ng's husband), Kezia Obama (stepmother), Auma Obama (half sister), David Ndesandjo ( half-0brother), Zeituni Onyango (half-aunt) and Craig Robinson (Michelle Obama's brother).

Barack Obama also has many distant relatives and it is also established by genealogists that George. W. Bush is his 11th cousin!