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In another thread, a poster by the name of CaribDoll, highlighted an excellent point about the vast amount of African culture that African descendants lost, as a result of the slave trade in the Americas.
I've encountered many African Americans who constantly talk about wanting to connect with their roots, but few know the actual country and tribal group of their ancestors. Well, guess what! For the last 8 years or so, Professor Henry Louis Gates (Harvard University) established a DNA research firm which has been able to establish sound testing to uncover your ancestors' countries of origin and tribal affiliations.
I'm curious as to why more African Americans are not taking advantage of the DNA testing? The testing is under $500. Imagine what you could do with such knowledge, once you've uncovered your actual ancestral identity.
For starters, if you are a descendant of the Igbo in Nigeria, you could book a trip to Nigeria and start unraveling your ancestors identity and your true composition. You could also learn (or at least attempt to learn) the lgbo language and customs of your ancestors. This would free you from the generic "black or African label" because you would actually know where in Africa your ancestors hailed from.
In another thread, a poster by the name of CaribDoll, highlighted an excellent point about the vast amount of African culture that African descendants lost, as a result of the slave trade in the Americas.
I've encountered many African Americans who constantly talk about wanting to connect with their roots, but few know the actual country and tribal group of their ancestors. Well, guess what! For the last 8 years or so, Professor Henry Louis Gates (Harvard University) established a DNA research firm which has been able to establish sound testing to uncover your ancestors' countries of origin and tribal affiliations.
I'm curious as to why more African Americans are not taking advantage of the DNA testing? The testing is under $500. Imagine what you could do with such knowledge, once you've uncovered your actual ancestral identity.
For starters, if you are a descendant of the Igbo in Nigeria, you could book a trip to Nigeria and start unraveling your ancestors identity and your true composition. You could also learn (or at least attempt to learn) the lgbo language and customs of your ancestors. This would free you from the generic "black or African label" because you would actually know where in Africa your ancestors hailed from.
What are your thoughts?
I am interested in this very much. I was thinking about having it done before the next family reunion. Anyway, I tend to believe the mathematics of it would indicate a much varied tribal background, as well as some European background (Although you could not look at me and tell the later).
It seems a growing number of people are taking advantage of them, even though there are supposedly some issues. Overally, it a good idea because the histories of African-Americans and other African descendants of the Americas/Caribbean does not start with slavery in any way, shape or form. Additionally for those who live in the U.S., general history books in the U.S. will fail miserably at touching on the diverse ethnic histories within West or Central Africa. So it's up to the individual to see out his or her heritage(s).
I am aware of my heritage, as it was passed on. However, I may do one to see if there are any other African ethnic groups mixed in my line.
i would like to get one of these tests one day. sounds interesting. but America is my country and the country of my ancestors. my family has been here for centuries, even the African descended ones. people died to make this my country. i don't need to feel a connection to an African country to feel connected to a country. i am a black American of African descent, not an African. i'm more American than many white people whose ancestors didn't come here until the 1900s.
I am interested in this very much. I was thinking about having it done before the next family reunion. Anyway, I tend to believe the mathematics of it would indicate a much varied tribal background, as well as some European background (Although you could not look at me and tell the later).
yeah, if you're a black man it's going to probably show that you had a white male ancestor.
I am interested in this very much. I was thinking about having it done before the next family reunion. Anyway, I tend to believe the mathematics of it would indicate a much varied tribal background, as well as some European background (Although you could not look at me and tell the later).
It's fascinating. To my knowledge, the research center can provide a very thorough report of your DNA, but you would have to test both, your paternal and maternal lineage. If it is found that you have European and/or Asian ancestry, the report will even tell you the percentage and the region/country of those ancestors.
They are even more specific with the African ancestry. They not only provide the countries of origin, they also provide the tribe as well. They are able to do this because they have millions of samples from all over the continent of Africa. They test your DNA against the wide variety of samples to uncover a conclusive DNA match.
It seems a growing number of people are taking advantage of them, even though there are supposedly some issues. Overally, it a good idea because the histories of African-Americans and other African descendants of the Americas/Caribbean does not start with slavery in any way, shape or form. Additionally for those who live in the U.S., general history books in the U.S. will fail miserably at touching on the diverse ethnic histories within West or Central Africa. So it's up to the individual to see out his or her heritage(s).
I am aware of my heritage, as it was passed on. However, I may do one to see if there are any other African ethnic groups mixed in my line.
I have friends that have done it, and they were very pleased with the results. They aware of their Specific African and Indian Heritage, because like you, their Caribbean family shared the information and passed it down, but they weren't aware of some of the other things that were mixed in, so it was very informative for them.
i would like to get one of these tests one day. sounds interesting. but America is my country and the country of my ancestors. my family has been here for centuries, even the African descended ones. people died to make this my country. i don't need to feel a connection to an African country to feel connected to a country. i am a black American of African descent, not an African. i'm more American than many white people whose ancestors didn't come here until the 1900s.
I understand your point, but knowing your full ancestry is very valid. Notice that the "house of Windsor" (English royal family) knows everything about their lineage. Why do you suppose that is? Don't you find it interesting that those with the least, often know the least about their ancestors, while those with the most, know the most about theirs...
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