Obama answers Census question on race: African-American

President Obama fills out his 2010 Census form in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

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By Pete Souza, The White House

Obama is the son of a black father and a white mother, and the Census form gives people the right to declare themselves of mixed race. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama had no hesitation on the question.

(We should point out that Obama's father was from Kenya and his mother was from Kansas, so he is African-American in the truest sense of the term).

Rising levels of immigration and intermarriage have made racial definitions easier asked than answered. This year, the Census Bureau is allowing people to claim multiple racial classifications.

As USA TODAY demographics writer Haya El Nasser put it in this story, "The government will give the nation's more than 308 million people the opportunity to define their racial makeup as one race or more."

The White House had declined to comment on what Obama would say on his Census form before Haya's story was published.

Obama has described himself as a black man before. In a September appearance with David Letterman, the late-night talk show host wondered if some of the president's opposition is fueled by racism.

"First of all, I think it's important to realize that I was actually black before the election," Obama said to laughter.

To which Letterman responded, "How long have you been a black man?"