DNA Genetic Testing
With the new affordability of genetic testing more and more people are getting tested to either confirm what they thought they knew about their ancestry or enlighten a part of their past that they were unsure of. Here we are going to look at part of an interview that was done with Glen Fisher, and Charmaine Royal.
It is possible we pass someone on the street we share DNA with. When moving from place to place the environment takes a toll on our genetics, resulting in the genes changing. The DNA databases are vast and cover a number of genes from populations around the globe. When testing your DNA this is what geneticists will be looking for attempting to match your genome to areas in the database.
Many schools in America teach that African-Americans began in slavery. And that is where their ancestry lies. However, there are never any lessons on the real origin of black people and who they were before they were brought to the Americas and sold into slavery. When trying to research for himself he came across nothing in terms of his ancestry before slavery and so the only other option was genetics testing.
One of the things that hurt the slaves the most - those who were proud to be African. Was the fact that they were told that for generations to come no one including their ancestors would know where they truly came from. And that is a very sad thing.
After his DNA was tested Glen Fisher found out his heritage was from Cameroon and so he decided to visit. To his surprise he turned up and was treated like a long lost member of the family. The love and warmth he felt from the villagers was incredible and he felt they were treating him like a king. Singing, dancing, drumming and celebrating the return of a family member.
People's reactions to their ancestry is very much determined by what they have previously been told, and what they go into the examination with information wise. Many people go into it thinking they are of one race or a mix of specific races only to find out that they are nothing to do with it and vice versa. There are those people who take it on the should and say okay well what I was led to believe was wrong, and there are those who refuse to believe the test was correct. For some people the information they have been told about their family since they were children is what they live by. It can be difficult but enlightening to find out where you truly come from.