Was Barack Obama poor growing up?

Answer 1

His parents were students when he was born and so did not have much money. His grandmother had a good job as a bank vice-president and his mother became a professor after she finished her college, so his family was upper middle class most of his life.

***************************************************

Answer provided above is correct for the first part. The second part requires clarification and further research.

At the time of Barack's birth, his mother and father were living with his grandparents in Honolulu. His grandmother was a VP for the Bank of Hawaii, and his grandfather worked in a furniture store. Ann Dunham was an anthropologist, but she did teach for a few years early on in her career, mostly in Indonesia. She did research and consulting, which doesn't necessarily provide for an upper middle class life.

President Obama lived in Honolulu with his grandparents for most of his life upon his return to the US in 1971. It is not known if there was any financial arrangement made by his mother to his grandparents regarding his care. There is no indication of what salary Marge Dunham made during her banking career, nor how much Stanley Dunham made in his position. The fact that women are historically paid less than a man for the same position and duties still applied during this time. Also, a salary in Hawaii does not translate into a similar salary elsewhere. The current cost of living in Hawaii is roughly 50% to 78% higher than that found on the mainland US. The fact that the Dunhams had an apartment, not a house, reflects their solid middle class attainment. I do not think that they could be considered upper middle class.

Answer 2

His family was never destitute but not really rich while he was growing up.

The family income was rather limited after his father left and his mother was still a student, but his grandmother always had a good job. After his mother got her PhD and remarried their financial situation was upper middle class at least. He was sent to good private schools in Hawaii because he was poor enough to earn need scholarships.

Answer 3

Not exactly poor, but not wealthy either. Perhaps middle-class would be an accurate description. At first, in his infancy, money was tight, given that his mother was a single mom, and a college student; there is little evidence her husband (the president's dad) supported Barack after leaving the family. Barack's mother re-married, but there is also no evidence her new husband was well to do, although he seemed to have a stable job, and they lived comfortably in Indonesia. Ultimately, the president's mom became a college professor, but sources do not paint her as someone who ever had a lot of money; she spent long periods of time out doing research and field work (interviewing, living amongst the people she was trying to learn about). Barack Obama lived with his grandparents for much of his youth, but while his grandmother did become successful, she had to work her way up from a secretarial position, until eventually, she became the bank's first woman vice president. Thus, you could say that in Barack Obama's early years, he was lower-middle class, and by the time he was in high school, his grandparents were financially more secure and definitely middle to upper-middle class.

Answer 4

No, his mom and biological dad were both college students, and his dad abandoned the family when Barack was still a little child. By most accounts, Barack's mom would have been considered lower-middle class when he was born.

Answer 5

Most sources do not say he was "poor" but his family certainly struggled financially. He was the son of a single mom. His mother and father were both college students when he was born, but his dad abandoned the family and his mom had a very difficult time making ends meet. Most sources say he was lower-middle class at that time, and without some help from his maternal grandparents, he might indeed have been considered poor.

Answer 6

no obama didn't come from a poor family. infact his family was very succesful

Answer 7

Obama grew up as a poor child and most of his youth life he spent with his grandmother. His father was an African who left them and this made the family income to be insufficient.

Answer 8

No.

Answer 9

No