Human genetic ancestry, race, tri-racial, Melungeon, Appalachia, immigrants, Cumberland Gap, phenotype, DNA testing, heritage, genome, ancestors, genetic background, history, isolation,
Genome, DNA
Genetic background, ancestry
Human genetic ancestry, history, heritage
race and phenotype
tri-racial and isolation
Appalachia and immigrants
Cumberland Gap
Melungeon
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
RJA #3c: Research Question
1) Basic questions;
Who are the Melungeons?
What genetic background is a true Melungeon?
Where are they located?
How did they become a genetically separate race (such as Caucasian, African American, Native American, etc.)?
When or over what period of time did this happen?
Should they be considered a separate genetic race?
What is their phenotype?
Could this occur (or be happening) in today's modern age of travel?
2) Some of the goals I hope to achieve with this research paper include a compilation of information on the subject and a clarity of the Melungeons' background, including ancestral and genetic heritage, as well as a cultural clarity. Above all, I am already enjoying satisfying my own curiosity and learning needs.
3) I am writing not only for myself, but also for those hoping to find answers about the Melungeons, including Melungeons themselves. I have already discovered a prevalence of varied genetic disorders, and hopefully compiling these findings to further aid those seeking answers to something that could be ailing them. This seems to be already done in a couple of places so it may not be a pressing thing to include but still relevant to the topic. Education and a greater spread of awareness that tri-racial groups do exist are my main goals and the purpose for my choice of topic.
4) Final question- How did the Melungeons develop into a genetically recognizable race of peoples, and should they be classified as such?
Who are the Melungeons?
What genetic background is a true Melungeon?
Where are they located?
How did they become a genetically separate race (such as Caucasian, African American, Native American, etc.)?
When or over what period of time did this happen?
Should they be considered a separate genetic race?
What is their phenotype?
Could this occur (or be happening) in today's modern age of travel?
2) Some of the goals I hope to achieve with this research paper include a compilation of information on the subject and a clarity of the Melungeons' background, including ancestral and genetic heritage, as well as a cultural clarity. Above all, I am already enjoying satisfying my own curiosity and learning needs.
3) I am writing not only for myself, but also for those hoping to find answers about the Melungeons, including Melungeons themselves. I have already discovered a prevalence of varied genetic disorders, and hopefully compiling these findings to further aid those seeking answers to something that could be ailing them. This seems to be already done in a couple of places so it may not be a pressing thing to include but still relevant to the topic. Education and a greater spread of awareness that tri-racial groups do exist are my main goals and the purpose for my choice of topic.
4) Final question- How did the Melungeons develop into a genetically recognizable race of peoples, and should they be classified as such?
RJA #3b: Research Topic Focus
At this point in my research, I believe I have a sufficiently narrow yet broad enough topic. There seems to be a great deal of information through historical census, newspaper and magazine articles, and more recently several books addressing similar questions about 'who' the Melungeons truly are. There are several very knowledgeable people who have written books, set up blogs and websites, and organized annual meetings. I am very much looking forward to trying to contact as many of these people as I can, as they appear to be as much of an expert as any one person can be on the subject. The lure of the Melungeons is part from the somewhat mysterious genetic origins and links, yet that is also the very challenge I hope to address in this research. I do not believe my topic needs to be narrowed, but if need be I will do so in the near future.
Monday, September 14, 2009
RJA #3A: Exploring Research Topic
On Google Scholar I found a book about Melungeons titled "Melungeons: Resurrection of a proud people...," and another titled "Melungeons: the last lost tribe in America," and several articles located on JSTOR.
Technorati, Debatepedia, or Squidoo returned zero results for the word 'Melungeon,' so maybe when some more of my work is gathered and cited I will be able to add to these sites.
Wikis were somewhat helpful, always a great summarization but never to be taken on face value.
Other sites returned a few various blogs, however none seemed to be very continuous in the coverage of Melungeons, and it was only mentioned in passing. Most of the relevant and scholarly sites were bookmarked using Delicious.
There seems to be sufficient information available to cover the many questions I have about the Melungeons, such as the following;
Who are they now?
What genome and phenotype do they have?
When did they become a tri-racial group, and approximately how long did that take?
Where are they from?
Why do they belong to a separate group or race rather than just one, two, or none?
Could it be possible that more of the rest of the American population is Melungeon but doesn't realize it?
And the burning question I have yet to answer... SHOULD they be classified separately?
Technorati, Debatepedia, or Squidoo returned zero results for the word 'Melungeon,' so maybe when some more of my work is gathered and cited I will be able to add to these sites.
Wikis were somewhat helpful, always a great summarization but never to be taken on face value.
Other sites returned a few various blogs, however none seemed to be very continuous in the coverage of Melungeons, and it was only mentioned in passing. Most of the relevant and scholarly sites were bookmarked using Delicious.
There seems to be sufficient information available to cover the many questions I have about the Melungeons, such as the following;
Who are they now?
What genome and phenotype do they have?
When did they become a tri-racial group, and approximately how long did that take?
Where are they from?
Why do they belong to a separate group or race rather than just one, two, or none?
Could it be possible that more of the rest of the American population is Melungeon but doesn't realize it?
And the burning question I have yet to answer... SHOULD they be classified separately?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
RJA #2b: Research Topic
I have settled on a part of Southern Appalachian culture and heritage composed of a people called Melungeons. I have always been intrigued by this group of people, and originally it was mostly a joke where I grew up. We always joked about how stocky the kids from the area were and at some point heard the name Melungeon and consistently cracked jokes about it as we grew up. When we went to the football games in the extreme southwestern tip of Virginia, we cracked these jokes. Narrow-minded and very high school-ish yes, but still typical behavior of the age. Come to find out as an adult- they are truly a separate people. Oops. As I've learned more and more about genetics and reproduction, my mind always floats back to these people- what makes a Melungeon, and should they have their own race?
I know that the group is centered around the border between Virginia and Tennessee, near Cumberland Gap. I remember hearing part of the composition of the Melungeon people was French, Native American, and black. Whether this is accurate or wholly incorrect I am not sure at this point. The Melungeons created their own separate group due to isolation, and the area is very poor- that's a fact. I hope to address many aspects of these scant facts as I proceed, and I have many questions left to answer as I go. I know they do hold meetings of sorts to help preserve their heritage, but I don't know how one knows they should be a part of these meetings either.
The questions I have are almost endless right now, and I hope there is sufficient research (I believe that there is) to back up my topic. I probably know someone who is Melungeon, or at least in part- do they know this? I hope to address the questions of genetic profiling, outward physical characteristics, and culture through the semester. I don't know that I wholly agree they should be a race other than American, mixed, or something similar. I hope that my research uncovers what racial influences compose this wholly other race, and how this could happen in such a relatively short period of time. Was the short period of time sufficient? Geneticists seem to believe so but I am not sure that I do.
I know that the group is centered around the border between Virginia and Tennessee, near Cumberland Gap. I remember hearing part of the composition of the Melungeon people was French, Native American, and black. Whether this is accurate or wholly incorrect I am not sure at this point. The Melungeons created their own separate group due to isolation, and the area is very poor- that's a fact. I hope to address many aspects of these scant facts as I proceed, and I have many questions left to answer as I go. I know they do hold meetings of sorts to help preserve their heritage, but I don't know how one knows they should be a part of these meetings either.
The questions I have are almost endless right now, and I hope there is sufficient research (I believe that there is) to back up my topic. I probably know someone who is Melungeon, or at least in part- do they know this? I hope to address the questions of genetic profiling, outward physical characteristics, and culture through the semester. I don't know that I wholly agree they should be a race other than American, mixed, or something similar. I hope that my research uncovers what racial influences compose this wholly other race, and how this could happen in such a relatively short period of time. Was the short period of time sufficient? Geneticists seem to believe so but I am not sure that I do.
RJA #2a Possible Topics
A little-known part of Appalachian culture is a group of peoples who have been anthropologically categorized as a separate race called melungeons. They were categorized as such because of their genetic heritage; a combination of escaped slaves, Native Americans, and French immigrants isolated from the rest of the genetic tree over many years. I have always been interested in learning more about this dying race (because truly it is dying) but have never done extensive research into the subject. I grew up not far from these people, and heard people talk about it much of my adult life.
I would like to research the topic on the premise of proving if they should have their own race or not. How many years of isolation and in-breeding of sorts does it take to alter a group of people into a separate category? Is there a set population number or guideline for even proposing a new race of people? What characteristics prompted the study of these people in this light, and what physical characteristics separate them? Is it a lack of genetic diversity, or a culture, or both?
I would like to research the topic on the premise of proving if they should have their own race or not. How many years of isolation and in-breeding of sorts does it take to alter a group of people into a separate category? Is there a set population number or guideline for even proposing a new race of people? What characteristics prompted the study of these people in this light, and what physical characteristics separate them? Is it a lack of genetic diversity, or a culture, or both?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)