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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2005-10 > 1129000246
From:
Subject: Re: [DNA] BGA Test
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 23:10:46 EDT
In a message dated 10/10/2005 1:01:10 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
writes:
to say
that for somebody of 'known' completely European ancestry a '100% European'
result (like mine) is useful in only a negative sense; by saying that there
are no non-'European' inclusions
I might point out, Glen, what I keep saying: I have as much claim to "100%
European" ancestry as you do. My mother's side has been here since the
1600s/1700s and in Britain before that. My father's side was in Sweden until about
1900. And yet the B blood group suggests that somewhere back there is
non-European.
My autosomal results just revealed at least one allele that is at 40% in
Asian populations. I dare say you might find something similar if you did
autosomal tests. If I took DNAPrint, I suspect I would show some EA or NA
ancestry on the sheer basis of that allele (if it were included) Another allele is
highest in N African peoples but also appears in high % in Poland & Austria.
In no way do I wish to "pretend that the Euro part" of my ancestry does not
exist. But I know a lot about that and not much about where this B blood
came from, and thus I am exploring this area.
What I challenged you on is on making up your mind what our thoughts and
feelings and motivations were without talking to people, and treating it as if
your conclusion were fact. Contrary to your notion, I find that most
AfroAmericans presume there is some European heritage in their genetics. They often
know something about it as well. What most of them are curious about is what
they do not know about -- where in Africa their ancestors came from. And
for those whose Y-DNA is I (like one fellow I have corresponded with) and mtDNA
is H (like a lady I have corresponded with), it can be quite difficult to
even uncover that portion of their heritage. So AfroAncestry offers a test to
try to help them reconnect with it.
Others are exploring whispered family stories to find either the truth or
lack of it. Still others don' t care what is there -- they just want to know
what is.
You write:
...the fact that I don't seem to have any 'minority' ancestry...
I not only acknowledge that apparently all of my ethnic and
cultural
background is in that part of the world, but that I take an active
interest
in that background rather than trying to be something else....
I think the reaction you get comes from your apparent pride that you are
wholly European (apparently), which sounds like a put down, as unintentional as
it might be, to anyone who isn't. And from your insistence on it when the
statistical odds of your having no "European" ancestry (no matter how old) are
slim, which sounds like a refusal to admit it might be there. Autosomal DNA
is a funny thing. Maybe you just didn't inherit whatever "non-European"
alleles. Maybe there never was any, as it "seems" was the case. The FACT is
you can't truly say you're "100%" and your pride in "apparently" being 100%
does come across as well, an attitude of superiority. I don't wonder people
argue with you.
Personally, I don't give a frog's legpit hair if you are "100% European" or
not, nor whether you are or are not interested in what might be further back
in your ancestry than the last 10 generations or 12 or 15 or whenever they
made it to Western Europe. I doubt many of the people you find yourself
arguing with care either. What I find appalling is your labelling of those of us
who are willing to explore that part of our ancestry which is NOT "European"
as "seeking something they find missing" or "searching for an identity" or
"wanting to be politically correct." You want to know our motive for looking?
Ask us. If you aren't going to ask, quit speculating on what it is. Period.
Oh yeah, and the reason I wanted my husband to wake up 15 minutes early? I
wanted a cup of coffee and a doughnut this morning. He didn't. I'll bet you
thought I had a different motive, didn't you? ::grin:: A lesson in the
difference between what's in your head, and what's in mine. Always nice when
adults can distinguish between the two.
Anne
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