Livie was so confident she was simply “Hispanic” that she wondered if taking a DNA test was a waste.
When she actually got her AncestryDNA results, though, she was shocked.
Livie’s got a great story, even in 30 seconds, but it’s what she found out after the test that’s even more amazing. Some of her ancestors from Mexico weren’t actually from Mexico.
What Livie [Thought She] Knew Before the Test
Livie just knew that both sets of her grandparents were born in Mexico.
On her dad’s side, they had come to the U.S. as naturalized citizens. On her mom’s side, they lived just south of the U.S. border in a place called Ensenada.
That settled things for Livie. As far as she was concerned, she was Hispanic.
How Did She End Up Taking the Test?
Life changes, like the passing of her beloved husband in 2015, prompted Livie to start thinking differently about things.
So she decided she should have her DNA tested, even though she remembers thinking:
“I’m just wasting my money. I know all my grandparents were born in Mexico.”
She was expecting her results to show mostly indigenous ancestry. She was very surprised.
Her brother took an AncestryDNA test as well, and he had no Middle Eastern ancestry. His estimate also came up several times higher for the Italy/Greece region.
Aunt Minnie’s Story Shines a Light
Livie had no idea where the rest of her heritage came from, but she got this tip from Ancestry: Find the oldest person in your family and have them tested.
Her Aunt Minnie was 80 years old, so she immediately thought, “Oh, I’ll just call Aunt Minnie.”
So she called her aunt and told her there was something very intriguing in her results. Aunt Minnie replied,
“Oh, do you mean the Middle Eastern part?”
Livie was surprised but eager to hear the story.
“The story my aunt told me was that my great-great-great-grandmother was Saudi Arabian and had somehow immigrated to Europe. She met — and this was the part that I would not have believed if I did not see DNA evidence — my great-great-great-grandfather in school there. They got married and thought about immigrating to the U.S., but since this was in the 1800s and she was darker skinned, they decided to move to Mexico. She brought items with her such as clothing and linens and opened a store that eventually became a department store.”
What Surprises Await You?
Livie loves to travel and has always felt at home in many places, even more exotic destinations like India. She just felt comfortable. And she felt certain of her background.
She was amazed to discover ethnicities she never expected. And beyond that, she also was surprised that,
“It did a lot more emotionally than I would have realized. It did much more than I thought it would have done. It’s really broadened me.”
Whether you’re looking for that deeper sense of connection or just curious about your ethnic mix, an AncestryDNA test can tell you more about what makes you you.
What are you made of? Find out with an AncestryDNA test!