What does this research mean for the field?

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing among Filipinos frequently debunks family myths of Spanish ancestry, revealing how colonial mentality and internalized oppression drive the desire to claim proximity to whiteness over indigenous heritage. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This lecture explores the myth of Spanish ancestry among Filipinos and its impact on identity following DNA testing.

May 19, 2026Open Access

Direct-To-Consumer DNA Testing Among Filipinos and the Myth of the "Mestizo"

Key Points

This lecture explores the myth of Spanish ancestry among Filipinos and its impact on identity following DNA testing.
Guest lecture given for the PHG 303 course at the University of Washington.
Discussion of historical narratives and population genetics using the Philippines as a case study.
Analysis of Filipino(-American) responses to direct-to-consumer DNA tests.
Young Filipinos often discover minimal Spanish ancestry through DNA tests, contradicting family beliefs.
The presentation links findings to internalized oppression and the desire for proximity to whiteness.
The discussion integrates perspectives from indigenous studies and Filipino cultural frameworks.

Abstract

This was a guest lecture I made for the PHG 303 course, Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: Uses and Issues, in the Institute for Public Health Genetics at the School of Public Health, University of Washington. My presentation is about the interactions between historical narratives and population genetics, using the Philippines as a case study. More specifically, it discusses at length the common myth passed in many Filipino families that they possess Spanish ancestry and then the reactions young Filipino(-Americans) have when getting a direct-to-consumer genetic test that shows little to no significant Spanish ancestry. This talk is ultimately about the relationship of DTCGT and colonial mentality (internalized oppression), and a desire among culturally, linguistically, and genetically indigenous Filipinos to claim heritage from former colonizers as a way to gain proximity to whiteness and minimize their indigenous heritage. This fits into a larger body of work done by scholars of indigenous studies in the Philippines in the fields and frameworks of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Pantayong Pananaw, and Pilipinolohiya.

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Cite This Study

Sterling Herrera Shaw (Tue,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0bfe2d166b51b53d3796d0 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17613/9qpjd-v8k25

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