Glamrock: Hello Nairaland! My name is Janae' I'm a 25 year old female from Pennsylvania state USA! I'm new here wanting to learn about my african culture that I was robbed of due to my ancestors being taken from their homeland on slave ships. I will be doing a DNA test soon to find our what country I came from but I believe I am Nigerian! It's so much I want to learn and know about my identity but I'm lost because I don't know. Just here to express my feelings with you all. Hoping to gain cultural information and to just connect with people from the west coast of Africa where my ancestors were STOLEN from! Some of you may share my bloodline! It's so sad I can't trace my ancestors or family!

YOUR ON THE RIGHT TRACK, BUT IF YOU ARE FROM PENN. IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE EITHER FROM SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA OR SOUTH SOUTH .... THESE PLACES ARE WHERE YOU GOT SLAVES TAKEN TO THE NORTH AMERICA AND CARRIBBS WHILE SOUTH WEST AND GHANA ARE MOSTLY TO LATIN AMERICA


WELCOME HOME, MAY OUR ANCESTORS GUIDE AND BE WITH YOU. BUT IF YOU CANT TRACE IT, YOU CAN MARRY AN AFRICAN MAN FROM THESE REGIONS AND COME BACK TO YOUR CULTURE. OUR GODS WILL GUIDE AND PROTECT YOU AND THE CREATOR OF WORLD WILL DIRECT YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH.

Glamrock:

THANKYOU! I will research this language and others I come across. I love to learn anything that has to do with the Africa culture. So glad I've found this forum thanks to my good friend Onyinye @god_of_music

YOU ARE WELCOME!




#TeamGOM

No need to waste money for DNA test. I can tell you your test results right now. You are Igbo with a mix of Akan and Yoruba ancestry. You also have some European and Arab admixtures. So the money wey be wan take go do test, please send it to my account. PM me for my account details.

Igban: No need to waste money for DNA test. I can tell you your test results right now. You are Igbo with a mix of Akan and Yoruba ancestry. You also have some European and Arab admixtures. So the money wey be wan take go do test, please send it to my account. PM me for my account details.

Don't listen to this guy!
He must be joking or maybe he's SCAM!!!





#TeamGOM

tonychristopher:



YOUR ON THE RIGHT TRACK, BUT IF YOU ARE FROM PENN. IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE EITHER FROM SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA OR SOUTH SOUTH .... THESE PLACES ARE WHERE YOU GOT SLAVES TAKEN TO THE NORTH AMERICA AND CARRIBBS WHILE SOUTH WEST AND GHANA ARE MOSTLY TO LATIN AMERICA


WELCOME HOME, MAY OUR ANCESTORS GUIDE AND BE WITH YOU. BUT IF YOU CANT TRACE IT, YOU CAN MARRY AN AFRICAN MAN FROM THESE REGIONS AND COME BACK TO YOUR CULTURE. OUR GODS WILL GUIDE AND PROTECT YOU AND THE CREATOR OF WORLD WILL DIRECT YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH.

Thankyou tony I feel them with me everyday and Gods guidance they lead me here for a reason and I feel blessed! Soul searching and continuing my journey on the right path. Glad and proud to be accepted

Igban: No need to waste money for DNA test. I can tell you your test results right now. You are Igbo with a mix of Akan and Yoruba ancestry. You also have some European and Arab admixtures. So the money wey be wan take go do test, please send it to my account. PM me for my account details.

LOL way too funny! But on another note you could be absolutely right! I'm pretty sure I'm mixed with a few things due to the condition that my ancestors were left in. Good stuff

@glamrock, you sound like a sweet girl and I like the attitude you are displaying, do u hv nigerian friends? To be honest you look like a typical igbo girl and trust me cos am igbo. I hope you are succesful in your quest

Glamrock:


What does this mean? What language are you typing if I may ask

Its pidgin, ileke.

E-Engineer:
@glamrock, you sound like a sweet girl and I like the attitude you are displaying, do u hv nigerian friends? To be honest you look like a typical igbo girl and trust me cos am igbo. I hope you are succesful in your quest

Thankyou ! More and more people are telling me I look Igbo. I have few Nigerian friends and I work with African immigrants, one he's from Sierra Leone he has told me I look igbo as well. I find it cool how you can tell by features so cool

Glamrock:

Thankyou ! More and more people are telling me I look Igbo. I have few Nigerian friends and I work with African immigrants, one he's from Sierra Leone he has told me I look igbo as well. I find it cool how you can tell by features so cool

Many in Siera Leone bear Igbo names, & generally exhibit Igbo attitude- CONFIDENCE. Please don't dwell too much on what happened to the ancestors of yore. Important thing for Igbo is to stamp their presence upon wherever they are, around the world, in all fields of endeavors.

babe_online: I saw your picture and you look very Igbo.

Yes she does look like an Igbo girl or maybe from another ethnic group from the SE/SS.

Welcome girl! Please do find out your roots and let's know how to start teaching you about your ethnic culture.

tpia@:


Its pidgin, ileke.

Lol @ Ileke!

Hello Glamrock,

You look so much like an Igbo-girl. I wouldn't be surprised if your test turned out Igbo. A substantial amount of slaves taken to US were Igbo, from Bight of Biafra. Slaves from this Bight(Igbo especially) dominated in the East Coast(Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Penn). Incidentally, you're from Penn State!

I must commend your efforts at trying to reconnect to your roots. Not all AAs are usually this interested.

Waiting to hear the outcome of your DNA testing result.

Glamrock: Thank you all for your warm responses, I am grateful and appreciative! A cousin of mine and I plan on taking a trip to Nigeria very soon once we take our DNA test. We desperately hope to find some relatives! It's nice to know where you come from it's who you are! We don't have the privilege of knowing that here in America. Yes there is a DNA test out there to tell you what country of origin you come from and also your african lineage! The website is www.africanancestry.com
I have had 3 people tell me I resemble women of the Igbo tribe . I don't see how most Americans can live day in and day out with no care of their heritage or real culture so many are brainwashed here and suffer "post-slavery syndrome" but I must say more and more are beginning to awake!

I hope you're also doing the Y-Chromosome DNA test, to determine your paternal ancestral tribe? Being a female with no Y chromosome, you'll have to get your brother, father, paternal uncle to submit his Y DNA sample for testing.

bigfrancis21:

I hope you're also doing the Y-Chromosome DNA test, to determine your paternal ancestral tribe? Being a female with no Y chromosome, you'll have to get your brother, father, paternal uncle to submit his Y DNA sample for testing.

Wow really? Thanks for telling me I didn't know that! Sadly I'm an only child and my father lives far in another state he may not be willing to (long story) I have all my dads facial features except my eyes. I thought they test your DNA in general ? I'm unsure I'll look more into I don't get the test until February

bigfrancis21: Hello Glamrock,

You look so much like an Igbo-girl. I wouldn't be surprised if your test turned out Igbo. A substantial amount of slaves taken to US were Igbo, from Bight of Biafra. Slaves from this Bight(Igbo especially) dominated in the East Coast(Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Penn). Incidentally, you're from Penn State!

I must commend your efforts at trying to reconnect to your roots. Not all AAs are usually this interested.

Waiting to hear the outcome of your DNA testing result.

THANKYOU I look forward to finding out my true identity! Americans here are lost and brainwashed and rather live by European standards to please the white man and live up to his standards. It's really sad! No post slavery syndrome in my blood! I am African!

Glamrock:

Wow really? Thanks for telling me I didn't know that! Sadly I'm an only child and my father lives far in another state he may not be willing to (long story) I have all my dads facial features except my eyes. I thought they test your DNA in general ? I'm unsure I'll look more into I don't get the test until February

Ok, I get the actual DNA test you're talking about. It is called Bio-geographic ancestry test. The test only points to the areas the ancestors in your history came from and gives you the result in percentages. For example, your result could come out 80% West African, 10% European, 10% Native Indian. Meaning that you have 80% African blood running in you, 10% European and 10% Native Indian bloods running in you. In other words, even though you've had majorly black ancestors, somewhere along the line in your ancestry you've had 1 or 2 European and Native Indian ancestors.

The Bio-geographic ancestry test isn't specific. It only gives you the entire range areas(West Africa, Central Africa, Europe etc) your ancestors came from but doesn't point to the specific/actual tribe or ethnicity of your first ancestors.

Apart from the bio-geographic ancestry test, there are 2 other tests used to pinpoint one's actual ancestral ethnicity. They are the Y-DNA test(which I've mentioned before) and the MtDNA test. Every body(male and female) has a MtDNA which was inherited exclusively from one's mother, who inherited it from her own mother, and on and on. So this MtDNA is tested to trace back to the tribe of very first maternal ancestor one has had. Its embedded in your DNA and I guess a sample was also collected when you submitted your DNA sample.

The Y-chromosome, which determines maleness, is passed down from grandfather, to father to son, to grandson, etc. So the Y-DNA is tested to discover the tribe one's first male ancestor came from.

In other words, the Y-chromosome test determines your paternal ancestry and the MtDNA determines your maternal ancestry.

While a man can do both the Y-DNA and MtDNA tests, a female can only do the MtDNA test.

In the absence of your father, any of his brothers would suffice. Or your paternal grandfather or grand uncles(your paternal grandfather's brothers). These males all share the same Y-chromosome.

To be sincere this girl looks very Igbo, but I doubt you can be 100% or even 50% of anything anymore, since your ancestry would now be very mixed.

More so, you could as well have ancestry from the Congo, Ghana, Cameroon etc, so why do you think you're of a Nigerian decent?

django1: To be sincere this girl looks very Igbo, but I doubt you can be 100% or even 50% of anything anymore, since your ancestry would now be very mixed.

More so, you could as well have ancestry from the Congo, Ghana, Cameroon etc, so why do you think you're of a Nigerian decent?

Is it not possible? Most slaves who came to Pennsylvania were Nigerian so I just assume I'm not 100% sure but there is a very strong possibility that's all I'm saying, I'm very aware of all other ancestry DNA I may have but none the least I am more African than anything

bigfrancis21:

Ok, I get the actual DNA test you're talking about. It is called Bio-geographic ancestry test. The test only points to the areas the ancestors in your history came from and gives you the result in percentages. For example, your result could come out 80% West African, 10% European, 10% Native Indian. Meaning that you have 80% African blood running in you, 10% European and 10% Native Indian bloods running in you. In other words, even though you've had majorly black ancestors, somewhere along the line in your ancestry you've had 1 or 2 European and Native Indian ancestors.

The Bio-geographic ancestry test isn't specific. It only gives you the entire range areas(West Africa, Central Africa, Europe etc) your ancestors came from but doesn't point to the specific/actual tribe or ethnicity of your first ancestors.

Apart from the bio-geographic ancestry test, there are 2 other tests used to pinpoint one's actual ancestral ethnicity. They are the Y-DNA test(which I've mentioned before) and the MtDNA test. Every body(male and female) has a MtDNA which was inherited exclusively from one's mother, who inherited it from her own mother, and on and on. So this MtDNA is tested to trace back to the tribe of very first maternal ancestor one has had. Its embedded in your DNA and I guess a sample was also collected when you submitted your DNA sample.

The Y-chromosome, which determines maleness, is passed down from grandfather, to father to son, to grandson, etc. So the Y-DNA is tested to discover the tribe one's first male ancestor came from.

In other words, the Y-chromosome test determines your paternal ancestry and the MtDNA determines your maternal ancestry.

While a man can do both the Y-DNA and MtDNA tests, a female can only do the MtDNA test.

In the absence of your father, any of his brothers would suffice. Or your paternal grandfather or grand uncles(your paternal grandfather's brothers). These males all share the same Y-chromosome.

Very informative THANKYOU one way or another I will definitely find out ! I will be doing both test now , and the test I'm doing will tell me exactly which country my bloodline runs through not just the coast. That's why I said once I find out my country I can do more research in depth , I plan on taking a trip and everything I'm really motivated and determined this is one of the most important things I want to do in my lifetime

Janae
Congratulations on your journey. You are doing the right thing.
However I would like to point to a few things.

Biology 105 teaches that only genotypes can reveal bloodline/genealogy/ancestry. Just to say that: you looking igbo means absolutely nothing because there is no such a thing as looking like a igbo.
There are millions of Subsaharan Africans who look like igbos.
Infact I can guarantee you that if you posted your picture on a Kenyan, south african, heck even Ethiopian forum will assign you a tribe in their country.

Also, feeling a spiritual connection to Nigeria means nothing. Oprah used to feel like she had a Zulu soul.turned out she came from the kpele Liberian gene pool.

Untill you do the ancestral dna test, just convince yourself that one of your male ancestor came from SOMEWHERE-AFRICA.

On a personal note, if I was in your shoes I wouldn't even do the dna thing.I would just embrace the igbo tribe and call them my ancestors/people.
Since you have been told that you look igbo just embrace it. Find a way to plug on the igbo community. Learn their language. Possibly add an igbo name to your name.take a few trips to igboland.

Once again congratulations on this journey.

eddy1977: Janae
Congratulations on your journey. You are doing the right thing.
However I would like to point to a few things.

Biology 105 teaches that only genotypes can reveal bloodline/genealogy/ancestry. Just to say that: you looking igbo means absolutely nothing because there is no such a thing as looking like a igbo.
There are millions of Subsaharan Africans who look like igbos.
Infact I can guarantee you that if you posted your picture on a Kenyan, south african, heck even Ethiopian forum will assign you a tribe in their country.

Also, feeling a spiritual connection to Nigeria means nothing. Oprah used to feel like she had a Zulu soul.turned out she came from the kpele Liberian gene pool.

Untill you do the ancestral dna test, just convince yourself that one of your male ancestor came from SOMEWHERE-AFRICA.

On a personal note, if I was in your shoes I wouldn't even do the dna thing.I would just embrace the igbo tribe and call them my ancestors/people.
Since you have been told that you look igbo just embrace it. Find a way to plug on the igbo community. Learn their language. Possibly add an igbo name to your name.take a few trips to igboland.

Once again congratulations on this journey.

According to the Igbo people 'GBAM'!!! This post is so on point!!!

I gave her an Igbo name already 'Adamma' meaning : 'A good/beautiful daughter'



#TeamGOM

eddy1977: Janae
Congratulations on your journey. You are doing the right thing.
However I would like to point to a few things.

Biology 105 teaches that only genotypes can reveal bloodline/genealogy/ancestry. Just to say that: you looking igbo means absolutely nothing because there is no such a thing as looking like a igbo.
There are millions of Subsaharan Africans who look like igbos.
Infact I can guarantee you that if you posted your picture on a Kenyan, south african, heck even Ethiopian forum will assign you a tribe in their country.

Also, feeling a spiritual connection to Nigeria means nothing. Oprah used to feel like she had a Zulu soul.turned out she came from the kpele Liberian gene pool.

Untill you do the ancestral dna test, just convince yourself that one of your male ancestor came from SOMEWHERE-AFRICA.

On a personal note, if I was in your shoes I wouldn't even do the dna thing.I would just embrace the igbo tribe and call them my ancestors/people.
Since you have been told that you look igbo just embrace it. Find a way to plug on the igbo community. Learn their language. Possibly add an igbo name to your name.take a few trips to igboland.

Once again congratulations on this journey.

I've thought deeply about that (just embracing the Igbo tribe) I know just because I may look igbo doesn't mean I am but so many Africans have told me so on and off this forum and many other things about my personality that are "Igbo like" that's another reason why I just feel a connection even if my ancestors may not have come from Nigeria it's a 90% chance that they are , most definitely from a country in west Africa . Anyway I just wasn't sure how people would feel if I just went upon myself to claim their tribe . Don't want to come off as rude or offend anybody by doing so.

Oh and to also reply to your comment about just not doing the DNA test, that is a must! I have to do that, I do embrace igbo and glad people are connecting me to some root in Africa but my life will not be complete until I really know who I am. I have no idea where I came from (in detail) . And it's still apart of my soul that aches for that knowledge , it's apart of who I am

@ Glamrock, or should I say @ Adamma (as per god of music), It ll be cool if you could share with us when the DNA results are in! I for one would love to celebrate with you.
If it turns out that you have a little Igbo in you,I am pretty sure that any Igbo would easily plant a kiss on your cheeks . There a certain TD Jakes in Dallas Tx (Bald headed fat,tall screaming cult leader and televangelist) who felt the same way like you do about the Igbo connection.Even before going in for DNA processing,He believed He was of Igbo parentage.sure enough,he was right.
It may just be that Igbo blood never gets lost.

eddy1977: @ Glamrock, or should I say @ Adamma (as per god of music), It ll be cool if you could share with us when the DNA results are in! I for one would love to celebrate with you.
If it turns out that you have a little Igbo in you,I am pretty sure that any Igbo would easily plant a kiss on your cheeks . There a certain TD Jakes in Dallas Tx (Bald headed fat,tall screaming cult leader and televangelist) who felt the same way like you do about the Igbo connection.Even before going in for DNA processing,He believed He was of Igbo parentage.sure enough,he was right.
It may just be that Igbo blood never gets lost.

THANKYOU for your support! You all will most definitely be the first to know when the results are in! I know who exactly Bishop TD Jakes is and you see it is possible to feel it in the spirit!

Good luck wih the DNA test. I have an interest in doing one but I am not sure as to how accurate they are. It is unforntuate that we were robbed of our heritage. Everyone else knows their heritage for free and we have to pay to find out what ours is. I spend a lot of time with Nigerians who are Igbo. I feel so connected with them. They tell me that I look like an Igbo girl and they pretty much took me in. I am treated as if I am one of them and they even want me to wear their attire. I attend their events and I have a good time. They are a very friendly and welcoming group of people. Because of where my family is from in the US I know for a fact that I do not have Igbo roots. Even though I do not have ties to igboland I basically adopted it as my ancestral land.

lovelylady: Good luck wih the DNA test. I have an interest in doing one but I am not sure as to how accurate they are. It is unforntuate that we were robbed of our heritage. Everyone else knows their heritage for free and we have to pay to find out what ours is. I spend a lot of time with Nigerians who are Igbo. I feel so connected with them. They tell me that I look like an Igbo girl and they pretty much took me in. I am treated as if I am one of them and they even want me to wear their attire. I attend their events and I have a good time. They are a very friendly and welcoming group of people. Because of where my family is from in the US I know for a fact that I do not have Igbo roots. Even though I do not have ties to igboland I basically adopted it as my ancestral land.

. Welcome to the great igbo family, kekwaanu. Chukwu gozie gi.how is the relationship btw african americans and igbos? I hope it is cool.

lovelylady: Good luck wih the DNA test. I have an interest in doing one but I am not sure as to how accurate they are. It is unforntuate that we were robbed of our heritage. Everyone else knows their heritage for free and we have to pay to find out what ours is. I spend a lot of time with Nigerians who are Igbo. I feel so connected with them. They tell me that I look like an Igbo girl and they pretty much took me in. I am treated as if I am one of them and they even want me to wear their attire. I attend their events and I have a good time. They are a very friendly and welcoming group of people. Because of where my family is from in the US I know for a fact that I do not have Igbo roots. Even though I do not have ties to igboland I basically adopted it as my ancestral land.

That's a lovely admission from you. Thanks!

Where in the US are you from?

E-Engineer:
. Welcome to the great igbo family, kekwaanu. Chukwu gozie gi.how is the relationship btw african americans and igbos? I hope it is cool.

Thank you! I love being apart of the Igbos! When it comes to Igbo and African Americans relations I will not be able to give an accurate answer. I would have to do some research on the topic.I can only speak on my experience which has been positive. I find Igbos to be the friendliest and more accepting of foreigners. I'm considered a honorary Igbo and I feel honored by that.

bigfrancis21:

That's a lovely admission from you. Thanks!

Where in the US are you from?

I'm from California.

OP I recommend that you read Things Fall Apart by the late Chinua Achebe. An Igbo elder to me to read the book as it will give me a better understanding of Igbos.