<p>Of course, the “average” ancestral genome for self-identified socially-defined racial or ethnic groups may not necessarily be similar to that of any particular individual.</p>
<p>So far, have not seen any students asking on the college admissions forum section if they can put down any or all of the racial ancestries that they only noticed after using a genome service.</p>
<p>We were with friends Saturday night and one couple had gotten tested. They are both from S. America (Columbia and Uraguay) and both had a small percentage of Neanderthal. Now that’s a hook! ;)</p>
<p>One of my favorite shows is Finding Your Roots on PBS. Only one guest was 100% European and that was Billy Jean King. She was quite disappointed. </p>
<p>One thing did make me wonder though - all the people were tested except for the episode with the 3 Jewish people (Alan Dershowitz was one; dont remember the other two.) I wonder if there is was a reason for that. </p>
<p>“all the people were tested except for the episode with the 3 Jewish people”</p>
<p>Ancestry testing for Ashkenazi Jews is rarely interesting. We were isolated for a long time, and the vast majority of American adults are only 2-4 generations away from the immigrants, so we know who was who here in the U.S. The result is that almost everyone who believes they are Ashkenazi on both sides is exactly that. No surprises.</p>
<p>Hanna, well, I am Jewish and it is still interesting to me. </p>
<p>One side of my family (maternal grandfather’s) has been traced back to Spain and the Spanish Inquisition, but until that was done we had no idea we were part Shepardic since all the immigration was from Poland & Russia in the early 1900’s. </p>
<p>Everybody’s ancestry is going to be interesting to their own family, but as far as a TV audience is concerned, “Yes, you’re 100% Ashkenazi” lacks drama. Your case with the Sephardic ancestor is pretty unusual. My guess is that the program did test the Jewish subjects, but didn’t include the results in the finished show because they didn’t add any new information. It would make great TV to tell Alan Dershowitz, “Surprise, you’re 10% Nigerian!” </p>
<p>One thing interesting about being of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry is the risk of genetic disorders. My husband’s grandfather was an Ashkenazi Jew. It turns out that my husband and all three kids have Factor XI Deficiency, a bleeding disorder that is very rare in the general population, but occurs in about 8% of people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. I know there are other disorders common to that population, also. Supposedly, each of my family members had only a 50% chance of getting it, but they all got it!</p>
<p>Factor XI Deficiency is often undetected until someone has major surgery - my 7-year-old son’s was discovered after he suffered post-operative bleeding after his tonsillectomy. It took a year and 14 blood draws to diagnose. So I try to get word out so other people of the same ancestry are aware of the disorder. It was discovered only in the 1950s. When we told my MIL, a physician by training in the late 1940s, she said, “OH! That must be why I bled after my tonsillectomy when I was a child!”</p>
<p>"My guess is that the program did test the Jewish subjects, but didn’t include the results in the finished show because they didn’t add any new information. It would make great TV to tell Alan Dershowitz, “Surprise, you’re 10% Nigerian!” </p>
<p>Maybe. I just thought it was odd since they always end the show with the results of everyone’s genetic testing results. </p>
<p>Reminds me of Calvin Trillin’s article “Black or White” in The New Yorker (of April 14, 1986, if you want to search it out). It’s about the practice until fairly recently I believe of the “Race Clerk” who was responsible for listing race. It begins with a description of a woman obtaining a copy of her birth certificate to get a passport and finding she was listed as “col.” for colored. That was under LA’s 1/32 law essentially used to un-white people. I note that 12% of SC’s white people thus likely aren’t. It is this kind of classification that helps perpetuate race hatreds.</p>
<p>“One thing interesting about being of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry is the risk of genetic disorders.”</p>
<p>Yes – this goes hand in hand with the marital isolation of the population for such a long time. It’s happening in the Amish community and some Native American groups, too.</p>
<p>A friend of mine had one grandparent who was a Sephardic Jew (he actually emigrated from Palestine via Egypt, way back when), one grandparent who was Ashkenazi (your more typical Russian immigrant), and on the other side she was descended from Col. Rogers of Northwest Passage fame.</p>
<p>I enjoy the fact that Cheney and Obama are distantly related. </p>
<p>On another topic, I am disappointed that so few Europeans seem to test their DNA. Perhaps, as with the Ashkenazi, they pretty much know who their families are unlike us American mongrels. And I wish when they do tests on historical figures, e.g., King Richard, they’d make the dna results generally available so the dna testing companies can include them. </p>
<p>There were no surprises in my DNA. 1/4 Ashkenazi (Russian Jew grandma from Germany), whole lotta British Isles, some Middle East/East Europe (Romani, Hungarian). </p>
<p>Most Europeans and Asians know where they’re from. My African American friends are the ones that are more interested because they have no idea, especially if their relatives were brought over during slavery. </p>
<p>OTOH, my partner had always been told that he was near-100% German and it turned out that he was WAY more Irish than he “should” be given his family. Whoops… </p>
<p>My DH and DD were very anxious to do the DNA test through 23AndMe site and had completed the online forms until they reached the last page. Apparently, the state we live in doesn’t allow us to do the analysis which was shocking to me.</p>
<p>Has anyone else had this happen or do you know why this isn’t available to everyone in every state?</p>
<p>Joblue, I’ve heard of no such thing. They don’t do the health services for anyone but I don’t think they can block the DNA part. Can I ask what state you’re in?</p>