Can genetic ancestry testing put the average African American more "in tune" with his "roots"?

[Iwasamwillbe]

Like I stated in an earlier thread I made in this subforum, many African Americans often bemoan the fact that American blacks don't know their "roots". I wonder whether genetic testing and scientific analysis of the ethnic ancestry of any given black person would put the black "community" more in tune with its "roots", as they can feel more secure knowing their ancestral history.

 

[The Pink Panther]

Maybe?

 

[Positron]

The only thing that might make Looters get in tune with their roots is to drop them back to Africa.

 

[Alcatraz]

Beyonce goes on and on about roots but she's never actually visited Africa on her tours. It's pointless diatribe unless you take actual pride in it, and don't constantly parade it around like it's a personality trait.

 

[OfficerBagget]

Nah, I think they got the whole series collection out on 4k with hours of behind the scenes footage.

 

[Jebu Nagazi]

Naw it will only enrage them even more when they find out they are not related to the people of Wakanda ^^ !

 

[The Last Stand]

How come other ethnicities don't play that whole "back to your roots" shtick? Do Italian-Americans have an expectancy that they should go "back to their roots" with Italy? Or Irish-Americans with Ireland?

African-AMERICANS don't have many connections with Africa; we've assimilated with American culture and subsequently created sub-cultures from THAT and other outside influences.

 

[Absolutego]

Get over it and embrace just being American like the white mutts have. At least the 3rd generation 1/4 Polish Amerimutt obsessing over Pierogies or whatever has the excuse of their gram gram making it when they were a kid, trying to force connection to "roots" you have never experienced just leaves you feeling double-alienated, both from your actual home culture and the one you're aspiring to.
It's not like there isn't a shitton of cultural work and "roots" shit black Americans have created and can take credit for in American history.

 

[raspberry mocha]

I don't see how or why. Genetic tests were mostly intended for American huwites who are out of touch and alienated from their ethnic and cultural past. They even put the whole "we're all from Africa" story in some of them. Plus, the ability to find criminals through familial DNA databases is probably a big spook for blacks.

 

[Troonos]

It might show them how much white genetics they have. They'd poop their pants to know how un-black they are.

The only thing that will get them back to their roots:

 

[ConfederateIrishman]

In all seriousness?

It's likely way too late for them unless they were completely willing to assimilate into what would be a completely foreign culture to them; The ones that kept their connection to their past culture already have closed tight-knit communities such as the Gullah communities scattered across the South Carolinian/Georgian coastline.

 

[PozzedByCoronachan]

It's not like we don't already know more or less where they're from, it's pretty much a given they're from around the Nigeria/West Africa area, with most of their DNA seeming to come from the Yoruba tribe, so that's realistically where they should start looking.

(Note the fact they're around 20% white on average)
Now, whether or not this stops them from naming holidays like Kwanzaa in Swahili (the complete other side of Africa) or thinking they're Moorish or Egyptian, I have to give you one fat . Not to mention apparently not even Africans want them anyways at this point so they're kind of on their own.

 

[JamusActimus]

Does it changes anything?
Elon musk is more african than most african americans

 

[ZeCommissar]

It literally wouldn't change anything. Despite what people may think "roots" are far more than just your ethnic identity. If it was the only thing to matter then there would be no reason for them to find their roots in the first place since they would "naturally" go back to them culturally. People here have already mentioned that the majority of blacks in America are more mixed than they realize, so being able to pinpoint someones roots would be such a pain in the ass.

Does any American past a certain generation even know their roots without heavily researching about it? The amount of times people go "yeah im scottish cuz one of my grandparents have red hair uwu" and end up being wrong is pretty common. I don't see why the hell this would be a problem for American blacks if it's not a problem for other races.

Even if every black person in America knew their genetic ancestry with 100% accuracy it wouldn't fix a single problem the black community faces in this country. It might make some people more "secure" but the hoodrats gangbanging in the inner cities are still going to exist.

The only thing African about your average African American is their skin color. A black American might as well be a white man to most Africans.

 

[Stoneheart]

it only matters if you are willing to ship them back...

 

[Lemmingwise]

There isn't that much culture to get in touch with in the first place. Sad but true.

 

[Sopressata]

I don’t think it would do anything. As a matter,of fact, they’d probably see more European than they expect and get pissed off and call DNA tests racist. I’m surprised they haven’t done this yet...saying the database geared toward People with euro blood. It’s kind of funny how they like to say that white people have no culture, our food sucks and we are boring/generic etc. I am Italian American living in the nyc area, I have friends from here who are polish, Russian etc who are still here because their families came here like mine did through Ellis Island and we all have strong identities related to our backgrounds and they are all different. I still cook foods my relatives taught me , I don’t really cook stereotypical “American” food and there are cultural habits I have too. No white bread or mayo in my life yet that’s what they toss at you as an insult. Realistically they have had far more of that than me. Culturally I am not a blank slate ‘Merican. Same with my friends. One goes to her Ukrainian social club and the other hangs out with Her polish Eastern Europe Group of friends and they don’t speak English when together. I don’t think American blacks have these sort of subgroups. The blacks who do have cultural identity are not American blacks.

 

[Emperor Julian]

Deep thoughts posters doing the DNA check.

I was shocked to find out my dna test proved I was 100% human but it completly failed to explain either my merits of failings, It was quite the conundrum but my dad seemed happy to know he was a bit viking and a bit Berber so money well spent.

 

[millais]

Well, first you need to teach them enough African geography and history so that they can appreciate the distinction between a Bantu and an Igbo or Yoruba or whatever.