Why do Americans Love Genealogy So Much?
Lizzo just took a DNA test, turns out she is 100% that b****
Maybe you are too.
Lizzo has been on repeat recently on my streaming service. Her song “Truth Hurts” references a meme which references a tweet, which references how popular genetic ancestry tests are in the USA. I feel it. All of it. DNA tests are having a moment. So is Lizzo and her message of self-love. Maybe these two moments are related.
Recently, I read a great essay by Araci Almeida questioning why Americans are so concerned with our ancestry, and why we love asking other people about theirs. I felt seen.
Assuming her anecdotal observation holds true, what would make Americans so into our ancestry? Why? What drives our curiosity?
I can’t speak for all Americans, but I can start with myself. It might come down to me wanting to belong. When my peers were asking me “what are you?” in grade school, I wanted to have the right answer. I wanted an answer that helped me fit in. I knew that Germans and Irish in Wisconsin are not controversial, so I hoped I had a safe story. I also knew we were Welsh and maybe Native American (recent DNA test says 0.0%, so maybe not after all), both of which were safely “cool” with my peers.
