Posted on 03/17/2010 3:00:27 PM PDT by COUNTrecount
Grinning happily at the camera, this is Barry Soetoro, the cherubic little boy who went on to become America's first black president.
The charming images taken at a child's birthday party in Jakarta 40 years ago were released as Indonesia prepares to welcome Barack Obama back to the country for the first time since he became president.
The Asia-Pacific tour will also take in Australia and Guam and has been described as an 'extremely important trip' involving 'important partners', a White House spokesman said.
Regional security is expected to be a major focus of the visit.
Ahead of the visit, Mr Obama's former teacher Israella Pareira, described the neighbourhood's reaction to the youngster's arrival.
She said: 'His mother was white, his father was Indonesian, and here was a black, chubby boy with curly hair. It was a big question mark for us.' But if the neighbours were initially curious, it didn't take long for them to accept Mr Obama, his American mother and Indonesian stepfather.
They now speak with pride and affection about the child who stayed for just four years but who left a big impression, before going on to make an even bigger mark in history. The forthcoming visit will also highlight Mr Obama's multicultural upbringing, his early exposure to Islam and his lasting family connections to Indonesia, a mostly Muslim, Southeast Asian nation of some 230 million people.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Chubby: Barack Obama, then known as Barry Soetoro, centre, is pictured at a classmate's birthday party in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1971
Gee, where are all the photos of him in America?
And Grace Slick too!
Sure. It's really extremely totally wonderfully ginormously important. So much so that we'll put it off indefinitely so we can give Dennis Kookcinich a ride on AF1 and twist his arm. BTW, everyone has his price, but Kookcinich is really cheap. A 42 minute ride on an airplane, and he'll say anything the Obozo wants.
That photo is just someone’s imagination! I know it is!
If you look closely you will see little Barry’s COLB in the white purse being carried the girl in the background.
The last two Democratic presidents have changed their names either due to Mom’s inability to hang onto her man or out of convenience.
To be fair, Clinton’s pap passed away.
Aw, dat’s so cute. Wook at de liddle future communist, already controlling the automakers and banks.
Actually, he’s America’s first HALF black president.
Someones jacking with us. Why is Barry so much bigger than the other kids?
I call BS.
technically, would he be America’s first half Indonesian President?
WHERE’S THE BARF ALERT??
*gag*
He’s America’s first half-assed president. Actually that’s not true, there have been many bad ones before him.
The good ol’ days, back when he was an Indonesian citizen. Or is he still? How does that work? fyi, he was also picked on mercilessly by the Indo’s, but doesn’t speak about in autobiographies because it doesn’t fit the “white devil” narrative his mother raised him on.
“Actually, hes Americas first HALF black president.”
How about He’s Kenya’s first half black president of The United States.
looks photo shopped
again
He’s not chubby. His head is way too big
and WTH is that under “his” multi colored arms/hands? The other kid’s leg at an impossible angle?
I thought that we never learned who his father was, that military records proved that the supposed father, could not have been Bill Clinton's dad.
He looks like Harry Belafonte there.
Tearful reunion in the USA
Day by day those memories fade away
Some babies grow in a peculiar way
It changed, it grew, and everybody knew
Semi-mojo
Who’s this kinky so-and-so?
Chubby muzzie
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