Motion for debate: Would you consider DNA testing to find out about your ancestry?
Proposed by Heliodoro Gutiérrez
At a Harlem reunion, a rancher from Missouri meets his “DNA cousins”As genetic testing for ethnicity and ancestry has become more available to the public, more people are seeking information on their lineage. And many are confronting surprises in family background, racial makeup and new found relatives.
A rollicking gospel choir was shaking the floor of a Harlem brownstone when Vy Higginsen told the crowd around the soul food buffet to hush. The new cousin had arrived.
Ms. Higginsen, who runs a school for gospel singers in the brownstone, had organized this special family reunion to welcome to Harlem a new found cousin she recently discovered through DNA testing.
And in walked the new cousin: a Missouri cattle rancher named Marion West, 76. It was Mr. West’s first visit to NYC, and he stood out partly because of his rancher outfit: black cowboy hat, shiny boots, string tie and a jacket advertising a feed company. But he also stood out because he was a white man greeted by a roomful of black New Yorkers embracing him as a long-lost member of their family. “Welcome to Harlem”, Ms. Higgensen told Mr. West and his wife, Mack, as the crowd cheered. “Meet your DNA cousins”, Ms. Higginsen yelled to her relatives.
Ms. Higginsen, who would not reveal her age, said she had been interested in her genealogical background ever since watching the TV mini-series “Roots” in 1977. She assumed she was descended from slaves, and her maternal grandmother, Anna West, used to say the family had some American Indian blood. So in 2005 Ms. Higginsen took an ethno-ancestry test.
“I was stunned”, she said. “It said I had no Indian blood, but that I did have, in addition to my African ancestry, 28% European blood and 8% Asian.
She persuaded her uncle, the Rev. O. West Jr., a minister from Washington, to get a Y chromosome test.
Relatives always consider Mr. West black, but she said the results showed 52% European lineage and DNA that could link him to British royalty and the original settlers of colonial Jamestown, including Thomas West, an Englishman born in 1577 also known as the third Baron De La Warr, who became the first resident governor of the Virginia Colony.
“I was expecting Kunta Kinte”, Ms. Higginsen said, referring to the character in “Roots”, “But I got Lord De La Warr.”
Comments»
Why not? I would try DNA testing if I were sure (or suspicious) of having ancestors from a different culture, or even continent. But the point is that, everybody who try it, should only try this kind of testing for satisfying their curiosity. The main point to consider is that we shouldn’t get obsessed with our roots in order not to forget our present family. DNA testing mustn’t be the cause of rejecting people who haven’t got the same roots as you.
Last year, scientists made a DNA test to know if Cristobal Colon was buried in the Cathedral of Sevilla. The test was positive. I think that DNA testing will solve historical questions.
Yes¡ I would like a DNA test to help trace my ancestors. Where do I sign up?
It is heart warming that technology can bring family together. This will help the world grow together as a cohesive population. More of this testing should be done¡
I see potential in this to help reduce racism all over the world. I’d love to know more about my family and who we really are. If I found relatives of a different race, I would welcome them into my life. We all need to understand that we are far more alike than different.
Now this is the world I want¡ What a beautiful story¡ It made me think.
I think this article is truly beautiful and life-affirming.
I would welcome DNA testing. My grandparents all came from the area of Candás (Carreño), so I am very curious as to whether I would be 100 per cent European or there would be some ancestry I did not expect.
I won´t hesitate to try DNA testing because it can be used also to solve family riddles. In the past,most Genealogists found many difficulties trying to trace people´s ancestors. Fortunately,having developped many advances on DNA all those problems are nowadays solved.Besides, DNA testing helps you to trace your immigrant origins.
But what about the consequences of having your DNA going around. Somebody could have access to it and just imagine the effects it could have in case you want to get a life or medical insurance or even to get a job. How could you be sure that your DNA information will never fall into the wrong hands. It could be a door we would never be able to close, once it has been opened anybody could go in.
I agree with Francisco javier. In my opinion is one of the best ways to know what happened before we arrive
Nowadays DNA proofs made with Carbon 14 are the most faith way of searching about ancestors and dating things form the past.
DNA tests are a brilliant way to discover who´s the biological father of an adopted child or to identificate dead bodies in accidents .
To Rebeca: How can you be so sure? It’s not only a matter of curiosity but identity. DNA testing would help to avoid any kind of apartheid.
To Villares: Our identity is already on line through our ID number. That’s what all of us are: an ID number. So, don’t worry about having our DNA identity posted.
To Pedro: I totally agree with you. And many other applications.
Javier Villallana: Are you sure that it would help to avoid racism? I don’t think so, actually, I think the opposite. There are people who think that some roots are better than other ones. Don’t you think that DNA testing could be useful for people (such us nazists) to prove that their roots are pure and to eliminate people who have different roots? If Hitler had made DNA testing he would have had better arguments to kill Jewish people. DNA testing could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Rebeca, darling, you have forgotten that the genetic chain terminates with a female ape.
To Javier Villallana:
What I meant was that testing your DNA anybody might know if you are prone to suffer any kind of illness, early physical or mental deterioration or whatever. Do you think that if an insurance company knew that you are prone to suffer Parkinson it would allowed you to sing up a medical insurance? Or just trying to get a job, don’t you think you would find it difficult to get it if the employer knew you are prone to have cancer, which would involve paying high medical taxes in the future?.
I just say that law will have to take into account those facts to avoid illegal use.
Javier Villallana, sweetie, don’t you think that there are people who would use DNA testing for their own interests and not for the progress of the science? I mean that there would be people who would despreciate people who don’t have the same roots as them.
Dear Rebeca, the idea is just the opposite.
To Mr. Villares, you just said it: the law is the response.
I see the point of Javier Villallana when he says it could help to avoid racism as many people is totally obsessed with the purity of their race against for example someone with African origins na dthen when trying a DNA test discover they also have African origins in their blood. I think this could teach many people that in the end humanity is all about mixture between people not between cultures or races.
Talking about myself I think I should try if I had the opportunity as it is important knowing our origins, even if it does not change anything at all in our present lifes, I think it could help psychologicalyto value the past.
I think that If Hitler had made DNA, he would have been a bit surprised because of the results. The roots are not only reffered to be Aryan or Jewish…I think that this kind of pure races doesn´t exists really.
I would try DNA test because I’m interested in the fact of understand where do my ancerstors come from. And Pedro’s opinion about biological parents and dead bodies…this kind of uses are a kind of “treasure” in terms of investigation, so he is right because is the only one who talk about it.
Dear colleagues,
Roughly speaking, we should admit that ADN testing has more positive things than negative ones. So, there isn’t anything wrong with going forward.
To Villallana-2April
But who makes the law makes the trick.
I mean: laws are made to be broken.
If you don’t want anybody to know your secrets just don’t tell them to anybody.
If you can pay what is asked, you can get what you want. Just think about hackers in the Internet, you can get free almost any kind of software. And these programs are protected by the law and by anti-hackers measures.
Sometimes law can’t protect our rights.
“Don’t let the cat out of the bag”
To Villares,
In a democratic and civilized country something like what you describe above would never happen.
Villallana: hahaha… Do you think everybody follows the law and everybody is an angel? Not really… Yours is an idealistic perspective.
Rebeca, honey, you misunderstood me. When I said “civilized country” I was not kidding. Many scholars have already denounced these types of countries in their plays such as Valle Inclán (Tirano banderas), Francisco Ayala (Muertes de perro), Uslar Pietri (Yo,El supremo), Vargas Llosa (La fiesta del chivo).
I love the debate! Well done!
Dear teacher,
Thank you for your kind words.
Villallana, baby, the USA, for example, is supposed to be a civilized country with a lot of rights. What do you think Bush would do if he found an application of DNA testing for his objective of “controlling the world”? Do you think he would be worried about the moral consequences brought about because of his bad actions with DNA? No! He would be saving the world, no matter the way.
To make clearer my position: I’m not against DNA testing, I’m only saying that it should be controlled, and only made when necessary. This kind of genetic tools can be dangerousif they fall in the wrong hands.
Rebeca, cutie pie, I didn’t say that the USA is a civilized country. You are assuming that. Of course, there are many things to take into account but that doesn’t mean DNA testing is something negative as you state above.
It´s very interesting and the best of all, what a cure it would be to prove that some racist people have another culture uncestors. It would be a good lesson for them.
In my intervention number 28 where it says “Uslar Pietri” it should say “Augusto Roa Bastos”.
Villallana, sweetheart, this time you have misunderstood me. I’m not saying that DNA testing is negative for the progress of the Science. I’m saying that it could be dangerous for achieving not very moral objectives, as well as it would be really helpful and positive in order to make important breakthroughs in Medicine.
Nifty, Rebeca!
I agree with the majority of you, I don´t find any disadvantage in doing DNA test as a help or a way to discover more about our antecessor or our lives
I’m lost :S but rebeca and villallana are funny!
Ms. Lagunas,
Why are you lost?
As far as I’m concerned you are getting the wrong impression, ’cause I’m doing my best to be as serious as possible.
I think everybody should have the right to know who are their ancestors. In the most of the cases, DNA is not necessary to know it. But I don´t see any bad thing in using it when it´s the only option.
I would only take a DNA test if I suspected that my parents weren´t my parents or something like that. But I don´t think it´s really necessary to take a DNA test to know about your ancestors.
I’m nor saying you are not serious, i’m just saying that you say lots of things, with all my respect. It’s only a test, have you make one to you? maybe you should try.
oh!maybe we are family….i must think about it….
To Nuria Lagunas García,
That is the problem of putting things in words. You mean something and the recipient understands something else. Unfortunately for me, it is hard to follow your train of thougth.
I’ve read your opinions and I agree with most of you, DNA tests are one of the most important scientific achievements in the last ten years. But I’m not really sure if it can help to put an end to racism. In my opinion, although it’s scientifically proved we have more things in common than we could imagine, it’s an ideology based on stupid arguments that goes too far to common sense. Perhaps it would have an opposite effect and that may intensify differences.
Yes, it´s really a great idea. I think this way you can answer all kind of question all of us have asked at any time.
It could be interesting Know who were our ancestors.I´m sure that most of that people who think they are “pure race”, have ancestors from Africa or Asia. We can´t forget that life started in Africa.