You may remember that I recently took a DNA test for a partnership with HISTORY and 23andMe to discuss how and if my identity shifts after learning my true genetic ancestry (if you want to catch up on that post, you can find it here). Today, I’m sharing the results of my DNA test and discussing some of the feelings brought up by learning my true ‘roots.’
(HISTORY’s reimagined version of ROOTS premieres this Monday, May 30th at 9pm ET. Follow ROOTS on Twitter (#ROOTS) and Facebook, and to find out more, click here.)
I’ll admit that when I got the notification in my inbox that my 23andMe results were in, I felt nervous. Not bad-nervous, per-say, but excited nervous — kinda like that moment before discovering the gender of an unborn child. It’s like, no matter what comes out it will be amazing, but you’re so tripped out and curious because in that moment this new information might change your life forever.
So I took a deep breath and clicked over. 23 and Me provides lots of info from the tests, from trait reports (like facial features) to wellness reports, but I clicked straight to my ancestry report to see what the deal was. Another deep breath.
62.3 % European
36.5% Sub Saharan African
0.8% East Asian & Native American
Ok. This was not so far off from what I had been told except for the .8% East Asian and Native American. Ever since I was a little girl I’d been told that I have high cheek bones because of my Native American ancestry. I’d been told that my grandparents on my dad’s side were half Cherokee and Chickasaw, half black, but now that glaring teeny tiny .8% said otherwise.
Looking at this number, I felt surprised but I also somehow felt like it made sense. I had been told of my Native American roots, but always felt a disconnect since my family on my dad’s side mostly identified as Afro American. I’d never learned anything substantial about my Native heritage from my family. And while I feel both African American and Jewish-American (more culturally in both cases than ‘racially’) I don’t think that I ever felt Native American because I wasn’t exposed to the cultures in the same way. So in some weird way — the genetic testing results, although different from what I’d thought to be true my whole life, somehow matched up with my identity.
Not surprisingly, my mom’s side of the family came through strong with 49.3% Ashkenazi Jew. It’s as though when my mom had offspring with my dad she was the first Ashkenazi Jew in all of history to procreate with someone who was not also an Ashkenazi Jew –ha! Having grown up very rooted in Ashkenazi-Jewish culture and because in the Jewish tradition, the “Jewishness” is passed down through the mother, I haven’t spent a lot of time doubting my “Jewishness” (at least not from a cultural/ancestral standpoint). So the nearly 50% Ashkenazi Jewish result seemed to meet my expectations. But – this did get me thinking about the lives of my Jewish ancestors back in the Old Country. Very stereo-typical Fiddler-On-The-Roof-like images come to mind with very tight-knit communities and arranged marriages. It’s crazy to think that “marrying for love” is such a recent addition to modern-day culture. An addition which ensured my very existence–and the existence of my daughter–and so I am grateful.
When I saw the breakdown of my African Ancestry, it really hit home for me. Often times when I think about my Afro-American heritage it starts on a slave plantation in South Carolina. But seeing where in Africa my ancestors came from, reminded me that not so long ago, my ancestors were in Africa, West Africa mostly. For the first time, this got me thinking about the African people that I descended from, what their lives must have been like, and how they may have shaped me. Could they have been from Burkina Faso and decorated their homes in Tiébélé? Is that where I got my knack for pattern? Probably not, but it’s fun to imagine.
…All of these ideas and questions, all deriving from just a bit of saliva. I’m officially tripped out. It’s going to take me more time to digest all of this. While I’m still not sure how my identity is changed by learning about my DNA, one thing is for sure — this whole experience has taught me more about myself and got me to think in bigger, broader terms about who I am, how I got here, and all of the random and not-so-random acts of love and hate, freedom and enslavement, migration and marriage, courage and coincidence that brought me here.
Join me this Monday, May 30th at 9PM ET in watching ROOTS airing on HISTORY.
This post is brought to you by HISTORY and 23andMe. All opinions are my own.
Mary Beth~FurnishMyWa says
How fascinating! I love your point about how marriage for love is a relatively new introduction into our culture. I consider our generation very lucky. I would also be fascinated to know more about my ancestry as well! My father is from Spain but other than that there is not much to go on… Thank you for the personal and insightful post, Justina!
Kim says
This is so cool! My mom is adopted and had a supposedly very diverse background (German/European mother, father from South America). As a Mother’s day gift a few years ago, I gifted her a test like this through National Geographic, but the results were pretty generic and not that eye-opening. Apparently her South American father was really of European heritage, and the tests didn’t give country specifics. I love seeing how specific this test gets and I am very curious to do it for myself! My paternal grandmother’s father was also adopted so there are some unknowns there (French, Jewish/Eastern Europe, etc.). Also, my fiancé is half Lebanese/half Senegalese. So I can only imagine what a similar test for my future children (inshallah!) will look like :) So cool, and the points about identity too! You’ve definitely inspired me to look into this.
Haley says
Thanks so much for sharing! I’ve always been pretty aware of the breakdown of my ancestry (most of my grandparents are first generation americans), but I find it so interesting when other people get to find out their ancestry later in life. We’ve been thinking about trying to get the breakdown of my man’s ancestry so we can fully explore that… and it’d be cool for our kids to know.
PS. I’ve been to Burkina Faso and always love seeing such a small country pop up places. Unfortunately the whole place isn’t covered in pattern like that.
jan says
Love this kind of stuff Justina! I would love to know my story. I love these kinds of shows so much.
carrie burdick says
This is so cool, I have always wanted to do this. Thanks for sharing1
George Fukuda says
It is incredible to think, from one lick or swab of saliva all this information was revealed. I totally believe, (and this may sound to some a bit “Gattaca”) there are definite links beyond just physical make up. Genes are matter which carry energy. Energy is a stimulus, and those tiny bits of stimuli in our genes are impregnated with all the “stuff” of those who precede us, hysical appearance, emotional response, or in this case “Fabulously Creative” with a penchant for patterns.
Corinna - ADesignerAtHome says
How curious! I’ve also been told that I have recent full blood native American though my very pale skin, freckles and red hair don’t indicate that. But my mom always told me my high cheekbones and small mouth were from that part. And now there’s the knowledge that we aren’t 50% of each of our parents. Mind boggling! I definitely want to do this kind of test soon. It’s so interesting!
elizabeth says
My 23andme results got me thinking more about my ancient ancestors and about the interconnectedness of all humans — the little threads that join us whether we’re aware of it or not. Love your post.
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Sara says
I took a DNA test last year to test my ancestry, as well. My dad was adopted and there were rumors of his heritage, but because we never knew for sure I grew up enjoying a sort of ethnic ambiguity- which I loved. When I lived in Mexico, traveled through Europe, even here in the U.S. I blend in well and everyone tells me they have a friend who looks just like me “back home.”
My results were 40% Scandinavian, 30% Greek, 25% English and the rest a blend of Eastern European, , Turkish, Middle Eastern.
I was very excited and emotional to see my results, but I truly believe that we are all a part of each other, this is just the evidence. We are all a little bit of everything, and we are all related. I’m really happy to see so many people jumping on these tests, I’m hoping that soon we really are compassionate to each other because we see how much we have in common.
Georgia says
Neat! Have you done an Ancestry.com test? They’re running holiday sales now I think. 23 and me is good but sometimes lumps Native American dna into E. Asian due to their smaller sample size but Ancestry picked up my Native American DNA better.