Thomas Maier : Kennedy 's heritage was of an immigrant family that broke barriers . Maier says the Kennedy brothers pushed wider opening of U.S. borders in 1960s . He says resulting demographic change helped usher in President Obama 's election . Maier : Many historians routinely ignore , or give only a passing nod , to the underlying forces of ethnicity and religion that so often influenced the Kennedy family 's actions and outlook . The Kennedys were a product of their time, and they didn't want to be seen as racist or elitist by outsiders.
Thomas Maier : Kennedy 's heritage was of an immigrant family that broke barriers . Maier says the Kennedy brothers pushed wider opening of U.S. borders in 1960s . He says resulting demographic change helped usher in President Obama 's election . Maier : The Kennedys were a product of their time, and they didn't want to be seen as racist or elitist by outsiders.