by John Melendez

Created on: July 22, 2009   Last Updated: July 23, 2009

Obama's Chinese Ancestry?

Science and History Say It's Quite Likely

Obama's Kenyan Ancestry

Prior to his election as President of the United States, the issue of Barack Obama's citizenship by birth on US soil lay on the hot coals of debate. This argument brought to light questions regarding Obama's ancestral ties, which decidedly link him to the land of Kenya on the African continent. All arguments ended, we are clear President Obama was born of an American mother (Ann Dunham) and Kenyan-born Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. (now deceased).

This said, ponder the notion that President Obama may in fact be of Chinese descent.

Impossible? Science suggests otherwise.

Kenya's Ancestry in China's Past

While many have long speculated on China's seemingly far-fetched connections to other parts of the world, science has recently proven the world is indeed smaller than we had originally thought. In 2005 a DNA analysis of Kenyan native Mwamlaka Shariff Lali concluded that she and her relatives are indeed genetic descendents of Chinese lineage.

Chinese Explorers Settled in Kenya

Historians surmise Africa's genetic link with China was established as early as 15th century during a series of expeditions conducted by the Chinese explorer Zheng He.

Zheng, a Muslim Chinese sailor commissioned by China's Ming courts, commanded a fleet of nearly 300 junks (ships) whose massive hulls could have easily carried three of the ships used by explorer Christopher Columbus. Crewed by nearly 28,000 men, Zheng's far-reaching armada reached the lands of Arabia, India, Thailand, Indonesia and - not surprisingly - the African continent.

With an assemblage of this size, it is not difficult to consider that some of Zheng's men may have strayed from the expedition. Some sailors no doubt settled in some of the lands Zheng visited, and the results of Mwamlaka Shariff's DNA tests clearly point to this notion.

Obama's Chinese Ancestry?

This said, we return to a sensitive deliberation of US President Barack Obama's background. Now no doubt tied to the east African country of Kenya, Barack Obama's ties with China may now surpass those of mere political dealings.

Mr. Obama may very well be part Chinese.

Far-fetched? Not at all.

Barack Obama's Other Link to China

Consider that President Obama has a half brother living in China who is married to a Chinese wife.

Through a tie established in multiple marriages, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was also father to President Obama's half brother. Having established a half-known presence on YouTube, Mark Ndesandjo is said by other reporting to live in Shenzhen, a bustling metropolis in southern China. He writes Chinese calligraphy, has a passable command of a spoken Chinese dialect, and seems to be living a life rich in culture and admirably fulfilled familial comforts.

Quite simply: Obama's brother is a happy man.

A Ripe Opportunity

What to say of all this? Well... Great!

If Obama's personal ties with China aren't convincing enough even to the President himself, at least they provide ample fodder for some curious discussion. Knowing how such discussions may go, this could start a friendly banter between two nations whose rocky past could use some smoothing out.

Given the blunders at the sullied hands of the former presidential administration, Barack Obama is in a great position to leverage his relations with the Middle Kingdom. Set aside its trade balance and recent funding of America's bailout, China's rise to power provides Barack Obama a ripe opportunity to begin mending the wrongs of the past. Perhaps Obama may forge new ties with China that may help foster cooperation of a kind unseen before.

Simply wonderful.

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