When we examine the limitations of what our DNA can tell about us, we need to first realize that genetic ancestry information and cultural heritage are both important factors of family history. On the one hand, the food we eat, the religion we believe in, and the family traditions we have are heavily influenced by cultural heritage. On the other hand, genetic ancestry information provides us with invaluable knowledge of our predecessors and the historical ties they reveal.
Genetic ancestry companies are facing an emerging responsibility in the face of new consumer concerns about the relationship between ancestry and identity. With genetic technology rapidly improving in precision, speed, and cost-effectiveness, these companies’ next concern is with shifting their focus to fears that genetic ancestry information is potentially harmful to the individual identity.
Primarily, there are three main types of DNA testing in the conversation of determining Genetic Ancestry: Y chromosome, Mitochondrial, and Autosomal DNA testing. In general, DNA testing is quite precise, but the accuracy of the result really depends on the size of the ancestry testing company’s DNA database. DNA tests are not limited to determining genetic ancestry: it can provide us with invaluable information about our health as well—many take these tests in order to become aware of any health risks or conditions caused by genetic mutation(s) and the likelihood of passing them onto their offspring.
A specific example of the uses of DNA tests can be seen with the examination of SNPs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, frequently called SNPs, are the most common type of genetic variation among people that we find with DNA testing, and observing these genetic variations in individuals can reveal amazing things. For instance, tracing human Y-chromosome haplogroups with the examination of SNPs can identify ancient population movements, allowing us to glimpse even our remotest origins. Personally, I found this extremely exciting: how cool would it be if you learned about not only your ancestors but even the historical context and significance behind them?
Unfortunately, with all the positive contributions Genetic Ancestry Testing makes to our society, there are also underlying concerns and issues. When societal constructs of race make individuals closely associate their identity with their ethnic background, DNA testing can hold power over an individual’s identity, potentially defining who they are in limiting ways. This potentially dangerous power is the source of rising consumer dissent in the face of increased testing availability. When major DNA testing companies like 23andMe advertise their products as providing an introduction to the buyer’s true self, they distort the complexities of identity in a multiethnic society. Assimilating identity to DNA risks promoting narrow, even racist, attitudes. There are so many things that make up our identity, like our experiences or our living environments, and to value some percentages or words that we receive from these companies over something that we’ve accumulated since our birth is unreasonable and dangerous.
Identity is something that is staggeringly complex and beautiful that should not be defined based on how “Asian” or “European” we are. Instead, I urge everyone to view their identity like a close reader would do with his/her book: consider all the “pages” of your memory or experience in order get a good idea of yourself, just like how a close reader achieves a broader sense of understanding from reading every word, letter or line of their book.
Also, be a book without an ending: because as you live your life, as the way you identify yourself will surely change over time. Despite the many uses of DNA testing, our DNA can’t directly influence the factors that determine our cultural heritage and, ultimately, identity. Genetic technologies have improved significantly over the past few decades, but there is still work to be done. The world needs to accept that DNA testing is far from perfect and, even in its ideal state, doesn’t hold the key to discovering one’s identity. While the issue some consumers have with inaccuracies, privacy, and even cost will likely be resolved in coming decades with the continued progression of genetic technologies, larger questions about the use of DNA testing will remain. It is incumbent on companies that offer such testing to be more careful in advertising their products to customers, resisting sensational exaggerations. But the key to solving this problem also lies in our hands. To combat this issue, we must learn to acknowledge that although DNA is a language that can be used to communicate ancestry, important historical facts, and prevent malignant conditions, it is only one voice in the larger human conversation.
BY: Albert Sung