Trading Lederhosen for a Kilt

Growing up, my parents always told me I was a “FBI” or full-blooded Italian. I’m a first-generation Italian-American on my father’s side and a second generation on my mother’s side. Both parents came from the same region in northern Italy, so both considered it was obvious I was 100% Italian heritage.

A recent television ad by ancestry.com got me thinking maybe there’s more to my genealogy story. Many readers have likely seen the ad where a male folk-dancer is wearing lederhosen Bavarian shorts, believing he was of German descent. After completing his DNA testing, he discovers he is predominantly Scottish and is now wearing a kilt, performing highland dances.

This got me thinking: What if I did my DNA testing and my genealogy turns out to be something drastically different? Will I have to trade my Italian lasagna for Greek spanakopita or Irish shepherd’s pie or French boeuf bourguignon?

For my birthday a few weeks ago, my family gave be a DNA testing kit. As much as I wanted to test, I started getting cold feet. What if I don’t like the results?

But ignoring the testing does not result in “better” DNA! I plunged ahead, spit into the vial (gross!) and sent it on its merry way.

The results are in. It turns out I am 80% Italian/Greek with the remaining 20% from different parts of west Europe. Was I disappointed? Not at all. While the results are interesting I concluded I was less interested in where I came from and what those before me went through. I am more interested in where I am going in the future because I can make choices, not so much about my DNA, but choices that leave something positive after I am gone.

For the record, my ethnicity region where my family roots are most present is predominately Umbria, Italy … land of Francis of Assisi and Perugia candies. That may be why I like dogs and Italian chocolate!

Robert Parlante
October 2017