Orchidflower
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2007
- Messages
- 3,323
There is a company I read about in the Wall St. Journal the other day that does DNA testing to discover what heritage or nationality you are. I find this really fascinating, and would actually be interested in doing it possibly.
I know that my biological father was from Greece (so, I'm a first generation American on that side), but my mother's family is an American mix of Irish, Italian, German and alot of Cherokee, but who knows? Her family has been here awhile, and I'm the 5th generation on that side.
However, they gave an example of a gal who thought she was, say, Portugese (I'm making this one up as I can't remember what she really was) and--much to her shock and surprise--found out she was like mostly Sephardic Jew. Her ancestors had moved around and not told anyone I guess? And she had absolutely no clue as to her heritage, so she was blown away naturally.
Like most Americans, most of our ancestors moved here and cut all ties with where they came from and eventually either changed their background on documents or hid their backgrounds for whatever reasons. Doesn't seem all that uncommon for immigrants to me. There are so many unspoken reasons people left their homelands for this country that we never know the "true" story to I'm sure. I mean, think of all the reasons today as to why someone would pick up and move to another country.
I'd be curious as all heck to find out what my lineage is: Am I part Miniature Poodle or part Hound Dog?
Has anyone else read about this study? And has anyone actually done any contacting these labs about doing this?
I know that my biological father was from Greece (so, I'm a first generation American on that side), but my mother's family is an American mix of Irish, Italian, German and alot of Cherokee, but who knows? Her family has been here awhile, and I'm the 5th generation on that side.
However, they gave an example of a gal who thought she was, say, Portugese (I'm making this one up as I can't remember what she really was) and--much to her shock and surprise--found out she was like mostly Sephardic Jew. Her ancestors had moved around and not told anyone I guess? And she had absolutely no clue as to her heritage, so she was blown away naturally.
Like most Americans, most of our ancestors moved here and cut all ties with where they came from and eventually either changed their background on documents or hid their backgrounds for whatever reasons. Doesn't seem all that uncommon for immigrants to me. There are so many unspoken reasons people left their homelands for this country that we never know the "true" story to I'm sure. I mean, think of all the reasons today as to why someone would pick up and move to another country.
I'd be curious as all heck to find out what my lineage is: Am I part Miniature Poodle or part Hound Dog?
Has anyone else read about this study? And has anyone actually done any contacting these labs about doing this?