Obamistan! Land Without Racism: Your Guide to the New America

On November 4, 2008, the citizens of the United States gave prejudice and discrimination a boot to the backside. The pride of this accomplishment was echoed from mountaintops to bus stops as Americans ran through the streets with tears streaming down their faces, crying, "Racism is over!" What does this dramatic evolution mean for you? This guide will help you familiarize yourself with the exciting postracist America — a land its loyal citizens now call Obamistan — through user-friendly explanations of new sights, sounds, and policies, along with eyewitness testimonials, news clippings, pop quizzes, and tips for those who miss the old America. From hot-button issues like immigration, foreclosure, gentrification, reparations, and health care to holidays, toilet paper, pronouncing people’s names, and Dick Cheney’s cozy new digs in Guantànamo Bay, this indispensable guide is guaranteed to help all Obamistanis feel right at home.

"Teases out the foibles of racial dissonance with penetrating subtlety." Washington Examiner

"Funny, pointed, and consistently absorbing." Davy Rothbart, creator, Found Magazine, and reporter for This American Life

"I'd been having this bad dream, that racism was still a problem. But damali ayo's Obamistan is like a warm cup of milk and a muscle relaxer! She's a brilliant humorist, and this ironic romp through post-racial America is pure genius." Tim Wise, author, White Like Me and Between Barack and a Hard Place

"damali ayo has a nuanced, observant, and thought-provoking perspective on how racism works. What she also possesses, though, is a wickedly wry sense of humor, fully at play in Obamistan." Harry Allen, Media Assassin and hip-hop activist

Hilarious, sarcastic, and insightful, this witty companion to the new America — which its loyal citizens call Obamistan — offers recommendations for navigating this exciting utopia. Eyewitness testimonials, pop quizzes, newspaper clippings, and Twitter feeds tell unprepared citizens what to expect now that America has elected a black president and left prejudice and racism behind. This comprehensive manual addresses the ways in which all former hot-button issues — including immigration, health care, gentrification, reparations, foreclosures, holidays, and toilet paper — are now addressed in the gentle Obamistan, showing even those who miss the old America how to adjust. With details about Dick Cheney's cozy new digs in Guantanamo Bay, this handbook covers the new America from sea to shining sea.

damali ayo is the author of How to Rent a Negro. She is the creator of the popular rent-a-negro.com, a satirical website that explores race, and the National Day of Panhandling for Reparations, a nationwide street performance. Her work has been featured in ABCnews.com, Harper's, NPR, Time.com, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as for various international newspapers.