- I just wanted to be more Black.
That's all, that's all I had wanted (laughs).
I didn't want to be a part of colonization.
(mysterious music)
- My name is Moriah (speaks in foreign language).
- Hi my name's Eli and I'm Puerto Rican.
- (speaks in foreign language)
- I'm Dominican obviously.
Well today we are doing a DNA test.
Afro Latinos are getting a DNA test from 23 and Me
and I'm excited.
- Being Puerto Rican and being this color
and kind of the history of Puerto Rico,
I've always been very curious what my background is.
- So, my family constantly talks about
being (speaks in foreign language).
They're always saying like
Because you know they're Dominicans
but I'm like
I look Black.
Like I know I come from Africa.
- I was in an elementary school
called Cesar Chavez Elementary
and that was the only time that I felt
that I didn't belong.
I would go to school and they would be like
Oh you're the (speaks in foreign language).
You're the (speaks in foreign language).
And I would just be like (speaks in foreign language).
I would talk to them and they'd just be like no.
It was just always a fight.
- In the Latino community and especially
in the Dominican community, racism is so alive.
And colorism is so alive and the lighter you are
Then it's like you're better
and that's ridiculous and it's bullshit.
I'm nervous because I don't know
if I'm gonna play into what the results are gonna be.
- I don't know, okay.
Register kits now (soft music)
Ah this is nice.
- Girl I am not the best person for this, oh my god.
I do not follow directions.
- The weirdest part is I'm about to spit
and you guys are watching.
Don't be seeing how I be spitting.
- This is so gross.
(spitting)
- Oh there's shit everywhere.
- This is so ... Wow this is exhausting.
All right, I think I did it.
- Close it up.
I mail in the kit.
Simple at that, at home science kit.
- All right, I guess to the lab it goes.
Dum-ba-dum, that's the African calling.
Dum-ba-dum.
- They've been calling you forever.
- Bum-bum.
(drum rolls)
- [Man] The results are in.
- I honestly feel like I'm nervous,
like I'm about to walk into my very first audition.
- Excited.
- Woo, okay, come on.
Oh wow.
So I'm 40.9% European.
33.7% East Asian Native American.
So Native ... I'm 31.4% Native Puerto Rican.
Yo, bow down.
Holy shit, my grandma was right.
That's significant.
Sub-Saharan African, 17%.
I'm like a little bummed out by that.
I pride myself on these curls, on this fro
and I guess this is all just 17% right here.
I guess that's just what it is.
- Okay.
Wow I'm 40.2% West African.
West African.
I'm 1.4% African Hunter-Gatherer.
(laughs) What does that mean?
I'm 27.4% European.
Who is European?
I don't see it anywhere.
This is some weird ish.
Oh 19.9% Native American, Mexico.
So 20% pretty much.
At the end of the day, we all come from Africa (laughs).
That's how I feel.
I don't know I just feel so surprised.
- Oh my god I'm about to die.
This is just not what I was expecting.
I am 48.7% European,
35% African with 7.9% being Native American
from Dominican Republic.
I don't know how I'm supposed to feel.
Like I'm laughing but inside I'm kind of just like, girl.
I'm gonna call my mom.
Let's see what she's gonna say, my mom.
You know Dominican mom's,
they're real reckless with their mouths.
So don't take anything too serious.
48.7% European!
That's like nearly 50% of who I am.
- [Mom] Hello?
- Hey mom.
- [Mom] How are you?
- Mommy, so I just got my
ancestry DNA results back.
I am 48.7 European.
- (laughs) Mommy (mumbles).
Mommy you're being recorded (laughs).
- So Saharan Africa, 64.7%.
Actually Native American, 21.0%.
2.0%
British and Irish, hello.
I'm sweating this is so exciting (laughs).
Afro Latina, like I'm excited (laughs).
- At the end of the day (speaks foreign language) who I am.
I'm still gonna be Julissa, I'm still gonna
have this curly, coiley hair,
I'm still gonna have melanin in my skin that's popping,
I'm still going to be
proud because (speaks in foreign language).
Okay?
- Well this is the interesting thing
is now that I see these results
and you kind of see currently culturally
how we perceive ourselves.
Now there's this Afro Latino movement
where honestly five years ago,
what is Afro Latino?
I'm from Chicago, there's not that big of a division.
You just think we're all Latinos, we're all Latin X
but through our culture and through our experiences
and seeing who we are we tend to break it down even more
and now I have that sense of pride that I'm Filipino.
- This is amazing.
Super super nice.