Genetic ancestry testing is a multibillion-dollar business, with test revenues increasing rapidly. Sixteen million tests have been sold, most of which have been sold in the previous several years.
While the testing businesses no longer use the words “race” or “ethnicity,” advertising that this is precisely what they are offering. But, before you run out to find out your “actual” race or ethnicity, keep in mind that these tests will not provide this information, nor will they reveal who you “truly” are.
These ancestry testing do not reveal this information concealed inside your DNA. And the only people who exchange one piece of ethnic dress for another due to these examinations are those searching for an excuse.
What to Anticipate from the Results of your DNA Ancestry Test.
The anticipation of learning new facts about your past and extended family while waiting for your DNA results can be thrilling. If you’re not sure what to anticipate, here’s a brief rundown of some of the things you may expect from DNA test labs.
Find out your DNA ethnicity.
We use your DNA to look for hints about your ancestors’ origins hundreds of years ago. Your DNA may be able to inform you. It’s a fresh perspective on your history that frequently yields few shocks.
View your Family’s Past
We might be able to tell you how your family traveled from one area to another over the ages after we’ve identified the groups to which they belonged. It might either confirm or refute the story you believe you already know or point you in new ways to continue your investigation.
Finding new relatives with DNA matches
Our cutting-edge technology allows us to compare your DNA test results to those of other DNA ancestry users to discover familial relationships ranging from first cousins to distant cousins. Even better, if you and your match both have Ancestry family trees, we might be able to figure out how you’re linked by looking up your common ancestors.
You are discovering your genetic characteristics.
Other personal characteristics concealed in your DNA, on the other hand, may surprise you. Do you have a hereditary predisposition to earlobe detachment? Do you have irises that are particularly intricate? Do you have an unbreakable intolerance to cilantro inherited from your forefathers?
Discover About Yourself
Whether it’s your first foray into the past or a fresh, exciting addition to your previous research, DNA ancestry always uncovers something fascinating. It can inform you about your distant ancestors and your own family.
What we can learn from DNA markers.
Those indicators we’re looking for weren’t picked at random. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, are sites where people’s DNA varies slightly. Since you acquired your Genetics from your parents, we can utilize the existence of the nonappearance of those SNPs to reconstruct your ancestry back through time.
Know your Ethnicity
DNA ancestry has spent years putting together a massive collection of DNA samples from people with deep ancestral ties in specific geographic locations. People from various backgrounds or groups typically have commonalities in the patterns of their SNPs. Therefore this “reference panel” of data helps us identify different places worldwide. If we identify such practices in your DNA, we may be able to make a connection. This allows us to approximate your ethnicity.
Obtaining even more data from your DNA
By correlating features within your Genes with that of other individuals in their network, they can uncover family links. By combining such statistics with historical evidence and genealogical records, we can determine upwards of 300 areas, which could also help you learn further about your forebears’ societies and population dynamics.
Testing’s Consequences
While genetic genealogy testing may appear to be innocent entertainment, there is a drawback.
When white people adopt “exotic” new racial identities, they promote the idea that race is unimportant and may be enjoyed without consequence. This might give the impression that race no longer matters to anyone.
Some speculate that these tests will strengthen essentialist notions, which hold that racial groups have unique abilities and skills determined by their DNA and have previously contributed to racial exclusion, discrimination, and eugenics.
According to research, reading media stories depicting genetic genealogy testing as being able to identify your ethnicity boosts confidence in inherent racial distinctions. Scientists reveal that individuals often feel these tests validate their beliefs: those who previously handled that race was determined by genes state that these tests substantiate that belief.
If you’re going to for Ancestry testing, you should learn about its science and what it can and cannot tell you. Also, do not purchase these tests to determine your race or ethnicity. Science is unable to provide you with this information.
Consumer feedback indicates that rather than providing objective, scientific confirmation of who you are, these tests support what you want to think.
