It was interesting to read and to compare Caucasia to Dreams From My Father. Both Birdie Lee and Barack Obama are children of a black father and a white mother. They both struggle to establish a sense of identity, and they grow up chasing after two different races. I know we already discussed Caucasia in detail, but I wonder if it would have made a difference if Sandy had been black and Deck had been white. Was Birdie more determined to identify herself with her father’s race because he’s black or because he’s a male? Could there be some Oedipal longing here (I don’t think so) or is she trying to find a way to relate to her father? Obviously she is more comfortable with her mother, but she ends up denying her and going after her father. It’s just that after comparing this novel to Obama’s, I’m realizing that there is more at work here than just race. Perhaps gender, favoritism, or curiosity affects Birdie’s decision to go after her father. Maybe she does leave her mother because Birdie wants to be black, or maybe she just thinks her mom has gone crazy and can’t relate to her anymore.