[NathanR]

“Mulatto” is an obsolete word. The word is “African-American”, which Obama, as a child of an African father and American mother, definitely is. Me, I went from “Negro” to “black” and stayed there.

[isrul]

When I looked up the word in Webster's online, an ad for Obama was posted on the same page. African American could apply to a white American with white parent(s) from South Africa. While you may believe the word is obsolete, it accurately describes Obama’s ethno racial makeup .Even bi racial is vague, given the fact there are more than two races. In any case, it's not a major issue.