When Your Italian Heritage Turns Out to Be Only 2% of Your DNA

The hosts dive deep into the world of consumer DNA testing with contrasting perspectives. Kerry shares her journey of identity recalibration after discovering she's only 2% Northern Italian despite growing up with strong Italian cultural influences. While Chrisy won't even lick an envelope.

The conversation takes thought-provoking turns as we consider the broader implications of sharing genetic material. With law enforcement increasingly using these databases to solve crimes through family matching and companies potentially facing bankruptcy or data breaches, is the curiosity worth the potential privacy trade-offs? And what happens when you discover unexpected family connections—are you prepared to expand your "dysfunctional family" to include newfound relatives?

Whether you're contemplating sending your own DNA sample, have already discovered surprising ancestry results, or remain firmly in the skeptics' camp, this episode offers plenty to contemplate about technology's growing role in defining who we are. Join us for two-episode journey of this fascinating discussion!

Chapters

• 0:07 Welcome to Dysfunction Junkies
• 0:34 The DNA Testing Debate Begins
• 3:15 Heritage Surprises and Family Discoveries
• 8:34 Solving Crimes and Digging Up Bodies
• 13:29 DNA Traits: From Naps to Asparagus Odor
• 17:14 Italian Roots and Surprising Irish Heritage
• 21:02 Data Security and Future Implications

Transcript

DJ Nick: 0:07

Welcome to the Dysfunction Junkies podcast. We may not have seen it all, but we've seen enough. And now here are your hosts, Chrisy and Kerry.

Kerry: 0:19

Hello Junkie family. I'm Kerry

Chrisy: 0:22

and I'm Chrissy,

Kerry: 0:23

so this is a subject that Chrisy's been really wanting to do for a while, so we are going to tackle it today.

Chrisy: 0:31

Yes.

Kerry: 0:32

We're going to be talking about the genetics. Send your DNA off to whatever oh I don't know company of your choice, without saying the names of. Let's see who you are, where you're from, who you related to Chrissy go.

Chrisy: 0:47

Well, this has become a very big deal in the last decade two decades maybe. Yes, and it sounds fascinating. Yes, that back when it first started, I thought, well, this might be interesting, but I have an issue sending anything in the mail, let alone my DNA.

Chrisy: 1:09

I have a hard enough time, because if you know anything about me and how crazy I am, I generally don't even like to lick an envelope and send it somewhere. I'm serious. I generally will take my finger, stick it under the faucet, rub my finger along the envelope and seal it that way. I'm that paranoid. Yes, people, I am that paranoid, I am.

Kerry: 1:29

So always been this way, or is this something that has evolved over the years?

Chrisy: 1:33

Oh, it probably has evolved. Yeah, I mean, it's something this at this is and that's that, but I admire your bravery for doing this and I understand the appeal of it. I really do, because it is interesting to find out things about you yourself, I guess. But are you really finding out anything that's really that great? And then you, I my understanding somewhat. I understand a little bit about this, hearing other people talk about it, and do you really want to be contacted by these people who now you share some connection with?

Kerry: 2:16

You're inviting more family into more yes. Hi, I have my immediate dysfunctional family.

Chrisy: 2:23

And now I'm interested in knowing about my extended dysfunctional heritage. I mean, do you really think that you're out there and you're going to locate somebody who you are somehow related to? That's life is completely normal. I mean, I hate to be insulting, but you're doing this and you found somebody else who was willing to do this. Yes, double, double trouble. I guess I really want to know why you're so interested. Yes, I mean, okay, you want to know. Like I had a sibling that did this.

Chrisy: 2:58

So now, just by association, somehow I've your DNA is out there. Except maybe I can say, say, maybe we're not really related. I'm gonna have to do mine too. So now I'm just gonna say no, I I don't think we're related. That's gonna be a hard one to argue, unfortunately, but you know it is fascinating because you, like you had mentioned, you always thought that you were Italian, right, right, and then you found out, not that. So I'm confused now because I'm trying to remember back to our conversation, because I kind of like, totally like, didn't think about your Italian heritage, because you family was sort of like. So, like you know, we're gonna eat, you know Italian on Sundays. So what was the outcome of that? Again, please.

Kerry: 3:51

Okay, that's what I was actually. As you were talking, I was opening up the app to my oh, and it comes with the app and the spreadsheets red sheets. Okay, so according to the send off DNA place that I sent mine to, I am 64% dramatic Europe 13%. England and Northwestern Europe 9%. Wales, 6% Ireland 3%. Cornwall Where's Cornwall?

Chrisy: 4:20

In the United Kingdom.

Kerry: 4:22

I don't know, and 2% Northern Italy.

Kerry: 4:26

And then there's 2% Netherlands and 1% Sweden. Yes, okay, when I was growing up, my let me think so my mom's mom's mom. So my mom, grandma, my great grandmother, was from Italy and she was Italian and she spoke Italian and everything, and so we knew we had this, this lineage, and I think somewhere on my dad's side there might have been someone too and we knew they were from Northern Italy, which is again the where we get the blonde hair, blue eyes. So it just was always like, oh, we're Italian and that's how I always that's what I thought I was. But then, after doing this little send off DNA, you know so much.

Chrisy: 5:06

So what was the?

Kerry: 5:07

majority of your ethnicity. Germanic Europe. So I think, like I think, that's where you're. Let's see Dutch and German. Okay, yes, the regions rise from Dutch and German lowlands along the North Sea, austria, alps yeah, so, and that does make sense. My other great grandmother was, I do know she had German in her. So yeah, but yeah. So I lived a life of delusion until I was, I don't know, five years ago.

DJ Nick: 5:37

Cornwall is a section of England.

Chrisy: 5:39

United Kingdom. Oh okay.

DJ Nick: 5:41

United.

Kerry: 5:42

Kingdom. Yeah, all right.

DJ Nick: 5:43

But yeah, but that also explains the Durganunders.

Kerry: 5:46

The Durganunders. That's right, it does so. Going back to our food episode, then, and honestly, the reason why I did this was a little bit because of the ancestry, like looking at the where am I really from? And then there was also a little just curious, just making sure I, my parents, are who my parents are supposed to be.

Chrisy: 6:09

I guess you can say how does that prove that though?

Kerry: 6:13

because when you do this it matches you with people and so it kind of proved that like because, like some of my nieces are on there and it showed that so that would mean me and my sisters are actually me and my full sisters.

Chrisy: 6:26

Oh, oh, yeah, OK, so great, yeah. How does that make you feel better?

Kerry: 6:38

That sounds like curiosity killed the cat. There's a little bit of curiosity, but I will tell you that every time, every time the emails come from this company and it says we have a new match, I am always waiting for oh, did my dad maybe have? Because that that was something that wondered about growing up, was that? Did dad have, maybe?

Kerry: 7:02

extra I understand that extra kids somewhere, you know right and so there is a little part of me that every time that comes up I always wonder like oh, I wonder if this is a long lost half sibling, and you know. But no, so far it hasn't happened. Good job dad, good job dad. So yay, dad absolutely see again my just very dysfunctional brain, the things I think you're not the only one that thinks that.

Chrisy: 7:28

I know I mean that is, and it's generally coming from the father. Yeah, because harder to hide from them yeah, because they seem to remember when they've had kids. It's just a different animal. But yeah, I mean, my list is not as short as yours. Yes, well, it's not mine, it's your sibling, the sibling that did this Right. But it's crazy to what level the different areas and ethnicities that have been filtered down.

Kerry: 7:59

Yes, so what are you? 98%?

Chrisy: 8:01

I probably have the list somewhere. I don't have it handy, but well, my majority is Italian. Yes, my mother is legitimately Italian. Yes, I mean, there might be some Greek heritage there.

Kerry: 8:16

Again, relative to the area.

Chrisy: 8:18

Fairly common for that area, I guess. I guess my father was more of the diverse background, but nothing of a surprise. Yeah, really at all.

Kerry: 8:28

I guess I'm thinking about it for mine, because it is northern Italy where it borders a lot of these other countries. Yes, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that there is an infiltration of others where your family is definitely more down. Like you said before, in the boot, yeah Bottom of the boot. So you don't yeah bottom of the boot Right so you don't got any real borders, except for oceans Right, or seas, or whatever they call it. Yeah.

Chrisy: 8:53

To that level. I think it's interesting and it's fun. I love that. I and I'm just guessing here that people go into this because they think they might be able to find out that they're related to somebody. Great yeah, and it's terrifying to think who you're gonna find out you related to. It's generally not gonna be royalty or someone famous. I mean, those are far and few between stories. Yeah, my husband watches this one show. Who are you? Who do you think you are?

Kerry: 9:25

Is that the name of it? Something like that, yeah.

DJ Nick: 9:28

It's on PBS Finding your Roots.

Kerry: 9:32

Oh, Finding your Roots.

Chrisy: 9:33

That historian, Dr Louis Gates, Henry Louis Gates, yeah and it is an interesting show, but generally they're featuring people who are famous, yes, and then you find out who they're related to. That's famous and that's fun, I guess. Yeah, but yeah, I just in general.

Kerry: 9:53

I just don't know that you want to be on this list Because nowadays they're solving crimes by looking up these, by finding people's DNA matches on these things.

Chrisy: 10:06

Oh yeah, yeah, Again there's my. Don't commit a crime and you won't have to live, I know, but again then they screw things up with DNA. You know this is where I'm. Somebody put it in the wrong bucket, yeah, and now I'm completely implicated in something I didn't do. So just don't give it out there. Yeah, I'm sorry, eh.

Kerry: 10:28

I figured I've never been much of a conspiracy person, theory person or whatever, and so I totally get and respect people's opinion on this, on things like that. But for me I'm just like if they're going to find it, they're going to find it. You know it's, you know so whatever.

Chrisy: 10:43

Know so whatever I'm gonna go somewhere dark with this go dark, because I don't want to give you my dna, but I wonder because they're sort of not doing anything anyhow, these people that we put in the ground, oh, yeah maybe we could retrieve their dna and test somebody out there.

Kerry: 11:03

So part of the prerequisite to when someone passes away, you know you have the whole burial process or the you know death process that we have to extricate their DNA. Is that what you're saying? Put it in the data bank.

Chrisy: 11:14

Well, I was just going to start digging people up, but actually your idea is better because Well, at least we'd start from this point on, and then you can start you know what? I'm really starting to get frustrated with you, everyone out there in these industries. I'm giving you ideas to be able to, you know, bulk up your bottom line, and maybe you need to offer this.

Chrisy: 11:36

I mean, my understanding is the funeral industry is in trouble as far as that, it's not one of those professions that's going to be able to stand the test of time.

Kerry: 11:47

I don't understand. Death is always going to be there. I think it's people, because we're not burying people as much.

Chrisy: 11:51

We're not doing the funerals like we used to.

Kerry: 11:54

Oh, I see.

Chrisy: 11:55

So that whole industry is changing.

Kerry: 11:59

I believe. Yes, it is.

Chrisy: 12:01

Not that it's something I want to sit around and think about, but it usually makes a list of, like, what industries aren't going to be around anymore. I mean, we already know about cashiers and secretaries and morticians. I don't know how they made that they're in that group, I guess I don't know. You'd have to look that up. I'm not creating a list here, this is just something I saw. I'm not giving it any legitimacy, except that it's just a list that's been floating around out there. It could have no great backup.

Kerry: 12:34

It is amazing the dysfunctional things we think about.

Chrisy: 12:37

Well, we do create more.

Kerry: 12:40

We do as if we aren't already dealing with enough.

Chrisy: 12:43

I know I mean that you're seeking out more.

Kerry: 12:48

Here's the other part of the DNA testing that I just find fabulous. Just intriguing is not only does it tell you like okay, this is where your heritage is from and you know so. Here's why you have freckly skin, or here's why you have this, or whatever, but it also tells you about traits that you have so like. For instance, did you know that taking naps is actually genetically related to if you're a nap person or not?

Kerry: 13:17

So like for me, yeah, so for me, on my testing, it says that I am more likely to be a nap taker person. So my DNA from my paternal side has a strong influence that I like to take naps, and so and if you're trying to get them in before 3pm, just goes on. This thing about napping is is genetically, it's like it's in my DNA to want to take a nap.

Chrisy: 13:45

I just think that's amazing. I did not know to what level this gives you lists.

Kerry: 13:50

Yes, so the other thing is heart rate recovery. Heart rate recovery how quick your heart rate returns to its resting pace, whatever it says that. You know, I have a very strong DNA likelihood that my heart rate recovers very quick. And that is very true, Because when I'm at the gym and I'm working out or whatever, my heart rate, yes, it goes up, but, man, it comes right back down.

Chrisy: 14:13

So did you pay extra for this?

Kerry: 14:15

No, it's all part of it.

Chrisy: 14:17

I had no idea that this was part of this. This is we have not cured cancer yet. Not cured cancer yet I know. How is it that you can do all of this from somebody swashbuckling the inside of their mouth with a crazy Q-tip or spitting in a tube? The other reason I won't do this is it's just gross. I don't want to sit there and spit till I'm dry in a tube and then ship it somewhere. Yeah, my goodness, hey, god, love you. People out there doing that. Good for you. I'm sorry and I try to not offend. It's hard for me. I am not into this on any level.

Kerry: 15:02

It's just so. Here are some other of traits that you can find out if you're more or less likely to get cavities If you have alcohol flush. You know like some people when they drink they get that like rosacea flush.

Chrisy: 15:15

Isn't that just where you're from? If you're of lighter skin, well again but this is what I'm saying.

Kerry: 15:22

This is part of that.

Chrisy: 15:23

No, I could figure that out without you spitting in a tube.

Kerry: 15:26

Okay, but did you know that asparagus odor? Oh geez Going back to.

Chrisy: 15:31

Let's eat asparagus till. Our pee smells funny.

Kerry: 15:34

Yes, that is why some people can't smell that or think that they are right, because it is a genetic thing. If you're able to, your DNA suggests you smell a distinctive odor in your urine after eating asparagus.

Chrisy: 15:47

I am shocked that this is even something that we can discuss right now, that this is important, that somebody's sitting there analyzing this oh hey, your pee's going to smell stronger than this much percentage of the other population.

Kerry: 16:11

Ear wiggling if you can easily focus. If you're a goal setter. If I'm trying to find things hangriness, if you're likely or more likely or unlikely to be hangry.

Chrisy: 16:21

All right, I need to lock some people up in a room randomly and not feed them and see who.

Kerry: 16:28

Let's see Mosquito bites. If you're you know one, that one that gets you know more likely less to be. I mean all, see, to me this is the fascinating stuff about this is like, you know, spicy foods. You know, some people can't handle spicy foods, other people can, it's all related to our dna.

Chrisy: 16:47

Your dna says you're a wuss. What percentage is the likelihood that I'm a big wuss and I can't eat the spicy food, so get out of my face. So my husband worked very hard.

DJ Nick: 17:06

Yes, he was and took my phone and I was like thinking something happened. Yes, you're right.

Chrisy: 17:10

He located this. Oh, your DNA results. This happened, yes, you're right. He located this. Oh your DNA results. This list, yes, okay, do I even go out and tell you what this is?

DJ Nick: 17:18

Okay.

Chrisy: 17:19

I will. 43% Southern Italy. Wow, yeah, I knew that. And then it says two possible ancestors story stories. You mean, I can read a story. This isn't mine, I can't access this. But I wonder what those stories are. That's interesting. Eastern Europe and Russia.

DJ Nick: 17:39

Okay 26%. That's probably your dad.

Chrisy: 17:42

That would be my father. Yeah, scotland, that's your dad. 11%. Germanic Europe oh, we're related, chrissy. Oh, yay, 6% for me. Aegean Islands, which I think are sort of like Greek. Greek, yeah, that was 6%. That could be your mom. Yeah, european Jewish Ooh, 2%, okay, france, france, france, I love it. 2%, yay, awesome. Ireland. Oh, wait, a minute, I did not know. I told you I wasn't Irish. I thought that wasn't on the list. I lied to you, everybody out there. I'm so sorry. We did our St Patrick's Day things. I said there was no, I thought that this had not listed Irish. I thought I knew it said Scotland, ireland. Oh man Killian, send scotland.

Kerry: 18:38

Ireland oh man killian send me a, drop me a line. I'm like I'm actually kind of excited about that. Look at you now all happy about the dna results. Well, it'll last a minute.

Chrisy: 18:43

What percent? What that's?

Kerry: 18:44

two, two percent hey, two percent, that's good, that's good.

Chrisy: 18:48

And then england and northwestern europe two percent, okay. And then there's something here, your community, with a 2%, that's good. And then England and Northwestern Europe 2%, okay. And then there's something here, your community, with a connection to the ethnicity region, the Midlands, england, west, midlands, western, oh. And then it gives you counties for like areas, western I can't even pronounce this for the Scotland and I apologize for this pronunciation Rizzo County, western. Wow, rizzo County.

Kerry: 19:11

Yours, I feel, county Western Wow, Rizzesau, county Yours, I feel like I wonder if yours is the same company as mine.

Chrisy: 19:15

I don't know, and then for Italy it had Cosenza. Okay, I don't know Okay.

Kerry: 19:22

Wow, yeah, I just think it's amazing these things, so these insights that you can learn Do you know how you get emails?

Chrisy: 19:30

Yes, and that you can learn. Do you know how you get emails? Yes, and you're like God. I just really don't want any more emails from anybody that I even know, and you're agitated. And so now, when you do sign up for this, as you know, I'm guessing you're getting emails in regards to people who you're like. I just don't want to deal with this.

Kerry: 19:47

Yeah, Like I said, when they keep sending me, we have a match, you know always with this.

Chrisy: 19:51

Yeah, like I said when, they keep sending me.

Kerry: 19:53

We have a match.

Chrisy: 19:54

You know, I'm always, it sounds like a dating app when they tell you that we found you a match. Wonderful somebody else. I can go to their picnic and be completely another get burnt by more cigarettes. Is there anybody on my list? My match that will burn me.

Kerry: 20:09

Yeah, just give me more people to be abused by.

Chrisy: 20:11

There you go, great thanks yeah, so this is where I'm at with the ancestry.

Kerry: 20:16

It's just, it's well, but there is good things too about the ancestry. But you know, we might have to take that into a part two because, yeah, it's well, I'm fascinated to know about that yeah but yeah, I mean, just what do we do about this company?

Chrisy: 20:32

we could talk about that too. Maybe, uh, that went bankrupt and is selling your information now, oh, I don't know what the outcome of that was. Yeah, but they were telling people on the news and stuff or reporting that this one major player in this market wow did go bankrupt and and now maybe there was some understanding of what they were able to do with your personal information. I don't know what the outcome of that was. That is true, but that's what I'm saying. You need to put yourself out there like that and to what level they'll be. I mean, don't sit around naively and say, well, this really isn't useful to anybody, oh no, I think that, as history has shown us, this kind of stuff can become valuable if somebody wants to use it. And what their way of thinking is.

Kerry: 21:17

I think that could be anywhere, though it could be anything.

Chrisy: 21:19

Well, yeah, I'm just trying to get from point A to point.

Kerry: 21:22

B.

Chrisy: 21:22

Birth to death. Man, I really am. I'm just terrified. It's not a marathon you want to finally cross the line for, but Carrie's going to run an actual marathon this is just my marathon and I'm walking very slowly to the end.

Kerry: 21:40

Hard to train for it. Well, you've had a lot on your plate and a lot of distractions, but I'm getting to the point where the window is closing, like if I want to be alive by the time I cross that finish line, I need to get going well, if I was at a marathon, at just everything going on in my life right now, I would run as fast as I could, which is not fast at all, and I probably would not stop, like they'd be like oh, you finished.

Chrisy: 22:11

And they'd be like what happened?

DJ Nick: 22:12

she's gone.

Chrisy: 22:12

She never came back it wouldn't be hard to catch me though, because I'm not going.

Kerry: 22:18

Yeah, I'm gonna be slow what you got over there next, next pacing.

DJ Nick: 22:21

So the company does maintain that's going through fun, that's trying to sell, does maintain that your data will be safe. So well, that's good, and I I might just I just be fair, yes and I I believe that that is the right thing to do.

Chrisy: 22:34

Yeah, because this is I mean, yeah, that's not a high, you know, housing embryos and stuff like that.

Kerry: 22:41

I mean this is fairly serious. Yeah, because I'm sure someday they'll be able to clone things, so they could, you know, I mean like really clone, like you know yeah, more than we've dabbled in it already. I mean, I you know. So yeah, that's. That's. All we need is another Carrie around the world, or what are you looking at over here?

Chrisy: 23:01

I mean, yeah, you know, need more people who are damaging people's fingers Exactly Smacking them in the head with golf clubs and knocking them out.

DJ Nick: 23:12

People will live longer too. The technology yes, there were people you know, living in, you know beyond 100 years won't be.

Kerry: 23:18

Right.

DJ Nick: 23:19

A big celebration anymore.

Kerry: 23:20

Yes, right, because of this. The technology, no just technology, technology in general.

DJ Nick: 23:25

I think they're predicting that you know, living to 100 won't be like such a big event anymore.

Kerry: 23:30

Well, I mean already.

Chrisy: 23:31

You look at the oldest people and they're like 110 or whatever Do they even still do that thing on the One Morning Show.

DJ Nick: 23:37

I know the guy who used to do it. Willard Scott used to do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, where? He'd sell oh it was the Jelly People, yeah, smuckers, yeah, which is?

Chrisy: 23:45

actually in my neighborhood over here.

Kerry: 23:52

Yes, over here, yes, uh, shout out to smugglers, I guess. Uh, not a, not a sponsor, not yet.

Chrisy: 23:55

Yet we're coming for your jelly, but uh, yeah, that was like a big deal. I don't even know if they do that on that morning show anymore, where they celebrate people who reach 100. I guess it would be a very long segment. Now it used to just be like five minutes or so, but you know, yeah, so ancestry.

Kerry: 24:13

Yeah, all right, I think we need to go on to round two, so let's stop here and tune in next week, for we're going to continue on this very fascinating, dysfunctional subject.

Chrisy: 24:22

Yes, Thank you.

Kerry: 24:23

All right, see you next week. Bye, bye.