I am sure we have all reached a point in our life where we have asked ourselves the famous question. WHO AM I? I for sure am still asking myself that question. I can go on and on about what I believe makes me... well me. I can go into details of my likes and dislikes but that's not what this post is about. I am looking for a deeper answer. I want to go down deep inside me. I want to go where I have never been before!
Now I have always described myself as a girl with a heritage blend of the bald eagle soaring through the air during the day as the American flag waves high and the coqui (a little tree frog originally native to Puerto Rico) sings at night. If you have not guessed by now; I am a Puerto Rican American Citizen. Oh and yes its true! Puerto Ricans are Citizens even if born on the Island of Puerto Rico and not in one of the 50 states of America (its ok if you didn't know this since supposedly our own president didn't seem to understand this either).
However what does it mean to be Puerto Rican and what makes a Puerto Rican a Puerto Rican? I can feel the eyes rolling. I can picture that one random person saying Duh MarvelingWoman... ARROZ CON POLLO Y GANDULES eaten every other day and PERNIL AND COQUITO served at holiday parties!
Well no I am not referring to the stereotypical customs Puerto Ricans are known for. I want to understand our genetics!
For the longest time there seems to be some debates on the history of what formed our genetic pool. In Puerto Rico the schools teach about the Taino Indians the Spanish and Africans making up our heritage. Yet in recent scientific studies they are finding that there was another indian tribe. It appears in some recent genetic findings that Amerindian mitochondrial is being found in the Puerto Rican genes. Well I want to know what lies in my Genes. Here's 3 different generations of family but what lies beneath us?
I gave in and ordered a 23 and me kit off of Amazon. Surprisingly it was cheaper there than on their own website because I didn't have to pay for shipping. I ordered the ancestry and health. I went with this kit because I am hoping to find out a few things about my health as well. I ordered the same kit months back for my father but he has never shared the results. In fact I am not sure if he took the test yet. I have to ask him again. I know my aunts have had their DNA tested. Amazingly they found they had a slight touch of Asian in theirs. Besides the obvious dark hair brown eyes and short stature I wonder what will my 23 Chromosomes say about me? Has anyone else gone on this genetic adventure? I want to know what do you think?
~Yours Truely