Was he legally adopted? Or did he just use his stepfather's name?
When most people use the word adopted, they mean legally adopted.
I've never heard anyone say they were adopted that did not imply that
there had been some kind of court case where a child's name was
changed and the adopting parent claimed parental rights. I know it is
common, especially today, for stepchildren to use a stepfather's
name, but they generally do not refer to themselves as adoptees. If
he was legally adopted, he would definitely want to keep that a secret because that would mean he was an Indonesian citizen and since
Indonesia did not allow dual citizenship, he would not be a US
citizen. It is my understanding that most of the evidence for
adoption is circumstantial-use of the name, family statements, etc.
The way the divorce was handled also circumstantially points to a
previous adoption. Obama was 19 at the time of the divorce so his
name is not on the papers, but he is mentioned as a one of two
children of the couple. He is the child over 18 and his sister Maya
is the child under 18. If he had not been adopted by Lolo, he would
not have been listed as a child of the couple, regardless of his age.
Recall, too, that his school record listed him as a citizen of
Indonesia, another tidbit pointing to an adoption in Indonesia. All
circumstantial, but evidence nonetheless.
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