Robert Kennedy : Obama 's father was of an immigrant family that broke barriers . Maier says the Kennedy brothers supported wider opening of U.S. borders in 1960s . Thomas Maier is the author of `` The Kennedys : America 's Emerald Kings , '' ( Basic Books ) , which was the basis of a Warner Bros. video documentary released in November . He says resulting demographic change helped usher in President Obama 's election . Maier : Like JFK , Obama 's background is much different than other presidents .
Robert Kennedy : Obama 's father was of an immigrant family that broke barriers . Maier says the Kennedy brothers supported wider opening of U.S. borders in 1960s . He says resulting demographic change helped usher in President Obama 's election . Maier : Like JFK , Obama 's background is much different than other presidents .