The Term African American

[Ch2tf]

Originally Posted by Sista

Sociological construction, please break down what that means to you? I would like to make sure that I am comprehending at the same perception, frame of mind as you? I just want to be sure of what that means to you, sociological construction?

Meaning, there is no biological basis where one can distinguish different groups of people based on race. There is no single gene or set of genes that determines one as being white, black, asian, etc. The distinctions often alluded to when people speak of race or phenotypical, and at best they are far from perfect indicators of race. What one thinks of as being (racially) black, latino, asian, etc. was at one point prescribed.

Originally Posted by Sista

I am going to have to ask you for the source for which genetic testing center did Henry Louis gates use because I have researched many DNA testing centers and none of them have the worlds population of DNA on file let alone a subsection. It is not an easy thing to approach foreign people and ask them for their blood, so you can store it in your bank.

Any way, that wouldn't be an easy thing to do even if you had an interpret present. Some people will give up their blood for such a cause but not all of them. This is why most DNA testing centers do not have certain blood types and therefore cannot tell you about your ancestry if they do not have A DNA match for you on file. DNA testing centers for genetics makes that very clear before they test you for your DNA match.

Any way, how could it on one hand be world's population and sub section at the same time? Doesn't sound to specific or clear. I detect a huge flaw. Is it worlds population or a sub section of the world? When you had the test done, did you only test for African Ancestry or was it a much broader test like that done in the mini series?

I need a source to check this out for my self.
As I finish up this post, I am googling, trying to find that source for my self, have any suggestions on where to start?

I said a subsection of the world's population to indicate that not every single last person in the world has "donated" their DNA to be stored/tested, but that a representative sample of the DNA of the multitude peoples that populate the earth were used. As far as the name of the testing center that was used, I can't tell you with 100% accuracy, but if it is not mentioned in the mini-series, you can attempt to contact the various entities/individuals that worked on the project.

Originally Posted by Sista

What exactly was the comparison?

The comparison was the DNA of the individual participants to that of the samples on file.

[Sista]

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

I said a subsection of the world's population to indicate that not every single last person in the world has "donated" their DNA to be stored/tested, but that a representative sample of the DNA of the multitude peoples that populate the earth were used.

That would be obvious that not every single last person in the world has donated their DNA. So are you saying that a percentage of people from every ethnic group in the world, continent to continent has donated DNA? That is what I am now understanding you to say.

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

The comparison was the DNA of the individual participants to that of the samples on file.

Individual participants? Were they of Euroepan decent?

[Ch2tf]

Originally Posted by Sista

That would be obvious that not every single last person in the world has donated their DNA. So are you saying that a percentage of people from every ethnic group in the world, continent to continent has donated DNA? That is what I am now understanding you to say.

I don't believe they broke it down into percentages per group/ethnicity, from my general understanding of what a representative sample means, as well as what I remember from the mini series, they have DNA on file for just about if not all of "groups of people" in the world. It is quite possible that the "file" for the French is much larger than that for the Igbo people. I think some of the links Wolfman provided may be able to give better insight into actual numbers and ethinicities "on file" at the testing site they used?

Originally Posted by Sista

Individual participants? Were they of Euroepan decent?

The individual participants I was speaking of were those people highlighted in mini series, Quincy Jones, Oprah, etc. Their DNA was taken and then compared to the samples "on file".

[Sista]

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

I don't believe they broke it down into percentages per group/ethnicity, from my general understanding of what a representative sample means, as well as what I remember from the mini series, they have DNA on file for just about if not all of "groups of people" in the world. It is quite possible that the "file" for the French is much larger than that for the Igbo people. I think some of the links Wolfman provided may be able to give better insight into actual numbers and ethinicities "on file" at the testing site they used?".

That was my whole point in an earlier post. I have researched many different DNA testing places before I decided to take the test my self. They make it very clear to you that they do not have DNA from all people yet, that they are still in the process of collecting samples. The only samples they will be able to compare ones DNA to are the ones they have available, on file at the time of the testing. As I also stated in another post, Whoopi's DNA type may have been one of those not yet on file.

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

The individual participants I was speaking of were those people highlighted in mini series, Quincy Jones, Oprah, etc. Their DNA was taken and then compared to the samples "on file".

It seems like to me this would make things much more clearer, obviously for the others, DNA files for their same DNA was available, on file. Maybe Whoopi is descending from some type of African forest people....Who knows? It is hard to get African people who still live in the forest to donate blood, whereas the ones who live like the modern day Africans, they would be more of a willing participant. Example: Fulani, Igbo, Yuroba, Benin, Hausa these are all Nigerian West Africans but you get my drift, these African people don't live in the forest. However, some Africans still do.

I don't really think Whoopi is descending from forest living Africans but I am just saying, a sample of her Genetic type may not, as of yet be on file. This is why I ask for a source to be provided to the Genetic center Henry Louis used, that way I can find out for my self if that center has DNA types for all ethnic backgrounds.