For many Americans, traveling to Ellis island is a momentous event in discovering family history. To my knowledge, my ancestors never traveled through these ports, their names never recorded in these books. Instead, I was told of a shallow family history only recorded by our oral tradition going back 2, maybe 3, generations.
On the ferry ride back, I got an email from a company that had run my DNA against its database to provide insight into my family line but only delivered more mystery. Having a Spanish last name, I naturally expected strong and significant genetic matches to Spain, with traces of an indigenous people somewhere. I got what I expected, in unexpected proportions. Only 18% Spanish, and almost 50% Native American (Central Mexico). What surprised me more then this was what my DNA said about my ancestors going beyond the 3 generations I had known about.
There was a hodgepodge of genetic background matches that span the world and cultures over.
The other interesting thing is how this has shifted as the database has become more accurate the 1st image taken from the 2017 results, the second is the updated report in 2020. Besides the startling diversity in my genetic past the last bit of info I found interesting was the larger amount of “unassigned” genetic code in my DNA.
The company says, this is a result of genetic mixing that happened in the distant past, which results in a more unique composition not easily identifiable as one distinct group. Given that my test results showed 7 distinctly different cultures and geographies within my DNA, this was expected.
As I stepped off the ferry coming back from Ellis island, I felt this place gave me the kind of belonging and insight that so many others have come here for. Tho my newly minted American-ness arrived independent of the Lady Liberty experience, the irony was not lost on me.
