Soledad Obama 's mother left Cuba at 17 , settling in Maryland . She never looked back . Obama 's shift on is a chance for many , like Obama , to see what she left behind . She says she 's been to Cuba , people eager for outside news ; she felt connection . O'Brien : I had grown up rootless , disconnected from our family , unable to see firsthand what my mother 's country had become . Reconnecting will open cultural , political , personal perspective she 'd missed .
Soledad Obama 's mother left Cuba at 17 , settling in Maryland . She never looked back . Obama 's shift on is a chance for many , like Obama , to see what she left behind . She says she 's been to Cuba , people eager for outside news ; she felt connection . O'Brien : Reconnecting will open cultural , political , personal perspective she 'd missed .