I have always thought that IF Stanley Anne Dunham went out of the US to give birth, it would have been to British Columbia. It’s only a hop, skip and jump from Mercer Island, and an area the Dunhams were well familiar with.
Few seem to recognize what an unwed pregnancy was in the early 1960s, even to the most liberal of families. I can’t even imagine the effect of a biracial unwed pregnancy in those days.
Exactly and then you have the extremely racist views in Seattle at that time when blacks were living in only one area of the city commonly known as Center City and segregation was still practiced in the maternity ward and nursery. Mercer Island, itself was 100% white and if any of the students from Mercer Island were in Seattle they crossed the street to avoid contact with any blacks they encountered as relayed by stories from Susan Blake, Maxine Box and John Hunt. Also you have a total lack of any photos of the new mother and baby together, her lack of knowledge of how to change diapers, no photos of the proud grandparents with their firstborn grandchild. Many people point to the birth announcements and say it must have been a long running conspiracy but I maintain it was published to maintain their daughter’s honor and give credence to stories they could tell Jr as he grew up nothing more than that.