Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century

by Dorothy Roberts

The implications of genetic genealogy are far graver than the elation or disappointment a customer might feel after learning about her tribal lineage or racial origins. It is even more significant than consumer fraud. I believe that the explosion in genetic ancestry testing is perpetuating a false understanding of individual and collective racial identities that can have widespread repercussions for our society. Genetic genealogy has tremendous power to influence the way we define race, determine who belongs to various racial groupings, and understand racial connections. Test results are being used not only as a means to explore personal identity, but also as a basis for claiming membership in racial groups in order to qualify for government benefits and entitlements. Although genetic ancestry testing companies are fond of calling their service “recreational genomics,” their impact on relationships of power can be quite serious.