For Steve Jobs's Biological Father, the Reunion Never Came | Hacker News Reader

For Steve Jobs's Biological Father, the Reunion Never Came

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103 pointsjedwhite27 comments

I lived most of my life estranged from my father due to issues I won't get into here. When I was 32 though we finally got to know each other more as adult friends than as father/son. As much as I never saw any reason to get to know him before hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the few years we had to reconnect before he passed away 3 years back. It makes me somewhat sad that Jobs never took that opportunity. Not saying it would have turned out the same but it's disappointing it was never tried. I know I was surprised that despite the fact we were polar opposites (lumberjack, software developer) we still found a lot in common. Made me think there might be a little something to that 'nature' thing after all.

Well, Jobs' children are still alive. I can't believe they too would be so mad at their grandfather that they wouldn't want to meet him. He should wait till things calm down and then knock on a door in Cupertino.

It takes more than blood to make a grandfather.

One point Jobs' father made was that he was surprised Steve didn't contact him to find out information about his family's medical history. I was adopted, too. I never had any inclination to track down my birth parents (not out of anger or anything, it's just something that's never interested me). Now that I have a flock of kids, however, my wife and adoptive mother are pushing me to track them down so I can learn about my bloodline's medical history.

Sure, ok, I guess if they want to hate/ignore him for eternity that's their right. But he seems like an old man with some remorse and a broken heart. Maybe he's actually a villain who really wronged their biological grandmother -- who knows. But total estrangement seems extreme.

Anyway, if I were him I'd make the trek to Cupertino.

Barack Obama had a similar background, did he not? Immigrant father, a young student who seemingly wasn't ready for parenthood.

This article doesn't go into the reasons for which Steve Jobs was given up for adoption. His biological father reportedly said, "I honestly do not know, to this day, if Steve is aware of the fact that had it been my choice, I would have loved to keep him." Steve Jobs is claimed by Syrians as his own, and there are suggestions that the father of his mother forced him to be adopted out of Islamophobia or anti-Semitism.

Islamophobia OR anti-Semitism? I do not understand...

Arabs are Semites.

Of course they are, but you know very well that the word 'anti-semitism' refers solely to Jews.

If you can get everyone to switch over to 'Judeophobia', fine by me, but until then you'll have to accept that the meaning of words sometimes differs from their literal parts.

His mother was an unwed woman in the 50s having a baby. That just wasn't culturally accepted back then. It's not surprising she left the Midwest to have the baby and then put it up for adoption.

That's very interesting and sad. Poignant, there are a lot of rock stars and similarly driven people who seem to be striving against feelings of rejection from their parents. Not that adopted people have really been rejected, in my inexperienced analysis, but I've known a few who feel that way.

Another major immigration success story, too! From the Middle East no less.

Those eyes,lips and nose are very similar..;)

The physical resemblance is striking, IMO. I'd like to also see a photo of his biological mother to compare.

Sorry, I'm a cinic, but I bet most people would "regret" such an opportunity with hindsight... M: "I'm pregnant." F: "I'm getting the hell out of Dodge!" M: "I have it on authority that this baby is gonna be a multi-billionaire." F: "Well, I guess I might stick around after all."

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