Barack Obama barely knew the Kenyan-born father whose name he carries. He has visited the small rural village of Kogelo, where his grandmother and other relatives still live, just a handful of times. He speaks but a few words of Luo, his inherited tribal language.

But for many Kenyans living in the U.S., the presidential contender is one of their own - a true son of Kenya, a cause for national pride and a model of encouragement for other children of African immigrants.

"I feel a strong sense of connection to him. The things that made us come to America could have been the same things that made his dad come here," said Michael Njoroge, 33, a Houston IT consultant who has been in the United States 11 years.

"Any chance I get to see him, even if it's just a glimpse of him speaking on TV or debating somewhere, I take," added Laban Opande, 32, a Houston attorney who also came to the U.S. 11 years ago. "It gives me a sense of satisfaction and pride to know that he has a connection to what I am."

The fervent support for Obama expressed by Kenyan immigrants is not universally shared by immigrants from other African countries.

"Kenya's not our country. If you'd had picked someone from Somalia, that would be a huge difference," said Hani Ali, a 25-year-old Somali refugee who lives in Ohio.

Ali is supporting the candidate she thinks is best suited for the White House: Hillary Clinton.

But among Kenyans in Houston, New York, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and other Kenyan strongholds around the United States - a community that now numbers more than 79,000 - the excitement surrounding Obama is palpable. In San Diego, Kenyan rugby fans cheered "Obama, ni wetu!" (Obama is ours!). In online Kenyan message boards, his candidacy is a prime topic.

"Obama offers inspiration to children of African immigrants by proving to them that if they work hard, they too can achieve great things," wrote MShale, an online Kenyan newspaper, in an editorial endorsing Obama for the Democratic nomination.

Kenyan immigrants, however, emphasize that they agree with his policy proposals and don't just celebrate his heritage.

But, while Obama's politics appeal to their intellect; his "Kenyan-ness," as one immigrant put it, harkens to a much deeper kinship.

They cite his trips to Kenya and the potent messages sent by his visits. On a 2006 trip in which Obama and his wife, Michelle, toured the rural areas of western Kenya, both were tested for HIV.

"That showed people that it is not a stigma to be tested for AIDS, which is ravaging our country," said Francis Mathenge, 38, a business analyst who left Kenya in 1988.

"If he does not have any reflection of Africa in his presidency, people will feel he did not do something in support of his relatives in Africa," said Opande. "But I do believe he will use the opportunity to help Africa. He has firsthand knowledge of the need of the people of Africa."