THE GENETIC ANCESTRY TESTING AND SCIENTIFIC RACISM

The Genetic Ancestry Testing and Scientific Racism

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Table of Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................................3

Understanding Racism and Genetics.......................................................................................3

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Genetic Ancestry Testing..........................................................................................................5

How Genetic Ancestry Testing Works.....................................................................................6

Genetic Ancestry Worsens Racism..........................................................................................7

Scientific Testing-An Authentic Source...................................................................................8

GATs for Purity Testing...........................................................................................................9

Limitations of Genetic Ancestry Testing...............................................................................10

Conclusion................................................................................................................................11

References.................................................................................................................................13
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The Genetic Ancestry Testing and Scientific Racism

Abstract
This essay is about genetic ancestry testing and how scientists have used it as a tool to
justify racism. Racism has been a crucial issue for decades. There is less information about its
origin; however, it is clear that it did not emerge from the race. There are vague pieces of
evidence that show that racism began in the late 1600s. It was when white people began to
categorize humans based on their race, gender, and color. The darker groups were enslaved,
beaten, and killed because of cruelty. White values and ethics replaced their own.

The Caucasians justified their inhumane acts by reclining on some principles of

Christianity and terms like paternalism. No black was allowed to flourish and participate in
politics. Gradually, blacks found ways to raise their voices. They resisted, revolted, and made
their way to politics. When they began to get heard, oppressors shut them using powers. The
superior wanted to stay supreme. They then invented science and used genetic ancestry testing to
racialize humans. They wanted their rule over blacks to continue forever. Thus, they began to use
fake or incomplete evidence to state that races exist even in genes. Their motive was that no
human could be equal, and white is the most superior race among all. This argumentative essay
explains how scientists used science for their benefit.

Understanding Racism and Genetics

Before getting into the detailed analysis, it is crucial to differentiate between the terms
like race, racism, science, genes, and genetic ancestry testing. Science is an umbrella term that
encompasses studying the physical and intellectual features of the living or non-living
components of the world. Race can be defined as a particular category of humans divided based
on various traits. Racism categorizes humans into different groups like white, black, Caucasian,
and others. Genes are proteinaceous units that identify a human characteristic and are passed
through the generations. Genetics is the branch of biology that deals with genes and their
transmission to generations. Genealogical ancestry testing involves tracing your ancestry through
your genes.

The origination of using the term race for humans is vague, but Johann Blumenbach was
among the first to classify humans into racial groups. These groups include the whites,
Mongolian, red, brown, and blacks. These racial groups were formed based on their region.
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Moreover, this grouping was context-dependent; a person who is considered black in one area
might be non-black in another. The blacks have always faced discrimination in every field.
Whites have ruthlessly ruled them in the past, and they still want the same. Blacks suffered
genocide, xenophobia, racism, occupational discrimination, sexual violence, mental torture, and
whatnot. It was all because of their color. Though many Americans tried to justify these acts, no
human deserved to be treated like this (Barber, 2020).

Scientific Racism is, however, not truly scientific in nature. It means that science
supports the idea that divergence exists between different human species. Throughout history,
there has been a vast debate over scientific racialism. Charles Darwin proposed that science
could not distinguish between different species of humans. However, other scientists argued that
there was a competition between different racial groups to make it to the twentieth century
during evolution. Whites have always tried to degrade blacks in some ways.

There were two distinct ideas in the past. One supported the dependence of heredity on
race, while the other contradicted it. In the nineteenth century, the majority of the white
population believed that human beings were scientifically different. Various scientific
hypotheses were proposed to support bigotry. In one of the books, Crania Americana, the writer
emphasized that the internal mechanisms of humans are different, and humans can be grouped
into various species. The book has played a crucial role in the history of scientific racism.

This book gained interest in Europe and beyond. Morton drew images of skulls of whites
and black. He argued that the skulls of native Americans were different from that of Africans.

He used limestone to draw and mold the images. Crania Americana was promoted by many
scientists and phrenologists around the globe at high costs. People often associate this book with
slavery, because the skulls of Africans have been ignored in the book. Their skulls did not appear
more than minor woodcuts. Some believers of anti-slavery used this idea to counter native
Americans. People from the past have been using science to degrade and racialize human beings
into categories. Different illogical theories and beliefs arose to humiliate race and claim that
blacks would not evolve into the future. The subject of this study will be racial beliefs based on
science. We will see how scientists of the different eras have used genetic testing procedures to
racialize humans.
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Scientific racialism leads to different ideologies like blacks thriving in the Olympics and
athletics because of their race. Similar concepts have arisen because of the belief in
pseudoscientific aspects of biology. Another common concept is that the black race resembles
apes, while other racial groups do not. These illogical beliefs have supported the justification of
racism (Winson, 2020).

Genetic Ancestry Testing

It is also known as genetic genealogy. It is a method of knowing who your ancestors
were in case you are curious. More than 90 percent of the human genetic makeup is identical.
Genetic ancestry evaluates the rest of the genetic makeup to detect the DNA variations. There are
more than 25 companies that are involved in genetic ancestry testing. More than 460,000 people
have had their genetic ancestry tested in the last six years. It has eased many lives but has certain
limitations (Bolnick et al, 2007).

Genetic ancestry testing enhances self-knowledge about one’s ethnic and racial ancestors.
It also unveils the historical migrations and known ancestors. If a white showed even a minute
ancestry of Africans, he was made fun of. Before the genetic testing procedures, some
psychological concepts were used to endure racial hierarchies (Winson, 2020).

How Genetic Ancestry Testing Works

DNA testing has become very easy in recent years. In 2018, millions of people got their
GAT done, and the number exceeded that of previous years. DNA is made up of two coils
wound around each other to form a helix. DNA is composed of nucleotides, a sugar group, and
nitrogenous bases. It is the nitrogen base that determines the genetic code in humans. DNA in
humans is 99.5 percent the same in all humans. It means that GAT only detects for the rest 0.5
percent to identify the difference in ancestry. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) are the
most common types of genetic variations between us. More SNP you share with someone, more
likely is he to be your recent ancestor. These SNPs are then compared with people of reference
populations to locate and identify your ancestors (Sarata et al, 2008).

Racism has been seen commonly throughout history. This concept has been used to
demoralize and humiliate humanity. People, especially blacks have been traumatized because of
their race. They suffered genocide, slavery, sexual violence, discrimination, and much more.
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They have been sold without consent and dehumanized at the hands of whites. The rate of killing
of blacks, even today, is higher than that of whites (Kaseniit et al, 2020).

Studying and following genetic ancestry testing further exaggerates the stereotypic
features of these identities. The testing has led to other options of classifying humans of similar
ancestries into clusters. Thus, it is visible that genetic ancestry testing may further intensify the
categorization of humans into several groups. Though race is more of a social phenomenon than
biological, genetic evidence is gathered to justify and intensify it (Bamshad et al, 2004).

Genetic interpretation of race has intensified the beliefs of racist and have somehow
managed to worsen the conditions. However, some genetic ancestry believers argue that there are
other factors to be studied beyond race. It is because the involvement of race has become even
more problematic in the post-genomic era (Nelson et al, 2019).

Genetic Ancestry Worsens Racism

Racism has been a part of our society for a long time. In 2000, however, the beliefs
have been intensified with the advent of genetic ancestry testing. The whites have made it a tool
to measure their purity. Here, purity refers to the extent to which someone belongs to the white
race. Though genetic ancestry testing can be of extraordinary worth in many aspects, it is greatly
used to justify bigotry. They also form the basis of discrimination. According to some scientists,
blacks cannot mate with whites due to certain risk factors, one of which is the presumption that
their children cannot live longer. The mulattoes are expected to be susceptible to diseases. It was
proposed in the mid-nineteenth century by physicians. The persons who were to interbreed were
thought to get infertile. These hypotheses became causes to intensify racism and discrimination.

In the past, blacks and whites were prohibited to marry, because blacks were thought to be
impure. Now, with the advent of science, genetic aspects are used to intensify racial mindsets. In
his work, Gregor Mendel confirmed that when people of two distinct races mate, they can
produce diseased offspring. Another investigator, Charles Benedict Davenport stated that when a
very tall person mates with a very short one, their offspring will have some large organs while
the others are tiny. It may affect the body’s homeostasis. These investigations, however, were
baseless and had no logic. They were falsified later on with further research.
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Genetic testing has also been used as a weapon against inferior racial groups. Some
scientists claimed that blacks have cognitive and behavioral dysfunctional traits. These claims
have never been testified and confirm their disregard, hate, and oppression against blacks.

Genetics has also been cited as a reason for increased crime rates among blacks. A
psychologist named J. Phillip Rushton claimed that genetics contributes to increased sexual drive
in blacks than whites. According to him, they are more aggressive and have a lower Intelligent
Quotient than whites. He was also a racist and believed in the concept of white supremacy. Later
on, studies claimed that there was no scientific basis for his findings (Barber, 2020). Aggression
and low IQ were prominent in black because of social, psychological, and environmental factors.

Later, after the Second World War, UNESCO stated that genetics does not play role in
racism, and equality is the right of all the humans on Earth. Some racialists made false
assumptions because they knew that the massive population blindly follows scientific knowledge
without testifying the research.

Scientific Testing-An Authentic Source

In history, many people had an ideology that Caucasians are superior. It was not just an
ideology, but they used this belief to harm the inferior. With modernism, despite revolutionizing
ignorance, they used science to justify their racism. Scientific Racialism is far more trusted
because it presents a scientific and authentic basis for differentiating humans into racial groups.
It also shows biological and environmental factors that appear more comprehensive than vague
social beliefs. Because biological functions cannot be altered in contrast to social assumptions,
these are prioritized. They also strengthen the prevailing beliefs. These are some factors why
people have used science as a tool for justifying bigotry.

The white nationalists used these vague scientific theories using genetic ancestry testing
to prove their supremacy over blacks. As biological statements cannot be deferred, blacks had to
deal with the consequences. In their research, the Whites neglected to test the contrary thesis
statements that could favor the concepts of equality. They had to prove their behaviors right and
used genetic ancestry testing as a tool.
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GATs for Purity Testing

When a white had a genetic ancestry testing, and the results did not show 100%
Caucasian, he was considered not 100% pure. People would laugh at him because of the strains
of impurity detected. These were the risks that whites suffered while showing their superiority
over blacks. In 2013, it happened to Craig Cobb when he was invited to the Trisha Show. The
host claimed that he is not 100 percent white and should have his GAT done. After checking
using GAT, results showed 14 percent African ancestry. The audience of the same show then
laughed at him because of the detection of his so-called impurity (Panofsky & Donovan, 2017).

Afterward, he also faced terrorism and could not take over Leith. To gain his superiority
back, he had his genes retested. The second test confirmed his ancestry to be 100 percent white.
This test helped him get his noble and pure status back (Opara et al, 2021). He also denounced
the previous company for playing with him to affect his white ethnicity. According to him,
people wanted to defame him by declaring his African ancestry. It shows the extent of racial
discrimination (Panofsky & Donovan, 2017).

The killing of white or black is the same ethically, and suspects, in either case, should face
the same consequences. The suspect needs to be punished. However, in reality, humankind is
poorly affected by bigotry. When Caucasian murders a black, his family cannot get justice often.
If a white is killed by a black, the suspect will be punished or even killed at the scene. Humanity
demands justice and equality regardless of race, color, or gender.

Racism violates the rules of humanity and targets one particular race or color. Scientists
have used genetic ancestry testing for screening their acts of inhumanity. Often, the subject that
scientists claim for justifying racism is false and self-made. Scientists have tricked people into
believing their statements without even talking about the opposite. Sometimes, there was
evidence stating the opposite, but it was not highlighted (Matheson et al 2021).

The question that arises here is why scientists will go through all the troubles just to
classify humans into various biological groups? The answer lies next. Whites had made up their
mind regarding the classification of humankind into categories. Among whites were the
scientists, and they legitimized their credences by scientifically proving them. By using this
approach, they not only promoted racial existence but also social hierarchies. When blacks
eventually raised their voices against biasedness, whites had to assert their superiority more
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forcefully. For this purpose, they used genetic ancestry testing. They wanted racial diversity to
stay alive forever.

Limitations of Genetic Ancestry Testing

GATs tell us much about genes and ancestry, but this testing also has various limitations.
As already mentioned, these test results are not about the entire DNA of a human being. A tiny
portion of the DNA is studied using GTA. Some SNPs affect the phenotype of an individual
while others do not. Tremendous markers are prevailing in different populations around the
globe. These markers may be customary in some countries while present minutely in the rest. If a
person inherits any marker, it is not necessarily from the group that had it in the majority. It can
also come from the group in which it was present in traces.

Breaking down human populations into groups might be tricky because genetic diversity
is not evenly distributed around countries. Another factor for uncertainty in GAT results by
different companies is that they have a different number of people included in their databases. It
means that GAT does not confirm but gives a probability of your ancestry (Kaseniit et al, 2020).

This testing does not testify that where the relatives or ancestors lived. They tell that
where the ancestors might be today. Thus, it must be known that there are no distinct lines
between racial groups having different DNA. That means that even genetic ancestry testing
cannot classify humans based on their ancestors. The debate over classifying humans based on
their ethnicity, race, or color is baseless. However, the notion of equality still exists and is
supported by the evidence (Bolnick et al, 2007).

Conclusion
It was all about how desperate whites have been to stay superior. They enjoy getting the
blacks rid of their rights. Genetic ancestry testing, as a procedure, is not wrong at all. It has
helped humankind open many doors to exploration. It has helped science in various aspects,
including forensic and criminology. Conversely, there are some countereffects also. GAT has
opened a gateway for proving pseudoscientific evidence for racism. People have utilized these
testing procedures for evaluating their level of purity. The world has modernized, yet many
ignorant people believe that humans are not equal.
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As a human right, nobody should be looked down on. Scientists have reclined on false
evidence and promoted racism. There must be no biasedness in science because it is something
that everyone trusts. Nobody should use science for self-benefiting (Matheson et al, 2021). There
is a need to make amendments to the testing procedures. These tests must be done when
recommended by a physician or police department. Purity testing is not a reason to get your
DNA tested.
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References
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Bolnick, D. A., Fullwiley, D., Duster, T., Cooper, R. S., Fujimura, J. H., Kahn, J., ... & TallBear,
K. (2007). The science and business of genetic ancestry testing. Science, 318(5849), 399-
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Matheson, K., Pierre, A., Foster, M. D., Kent, M., & Anisman, H. (2021). Untangling racism:
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Opara, I. N., Riddle-Jones, L., & Allen, N. (2021). Modern Day Drapetomania: Calling Out
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Panofsky, A., & Donovan, J. (2017). Genetic Ancestry Testing among White Nationalists.
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Kaseniit, K. E., Haque, I. S., Goldberg, J. D., Shulman, L. P., & Muzzey, D. (2020). Genetic
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