Hoping to improve representation in national news coverage, 23andMe joined with seven other companies as a Founding Partner to assist in the launch of iHeartMedia’s BIN: <a href="https://www.iheartmedia.com/press/bin-black-information-network-launches-today-first-its-kind-247-national-and-local-all-news">Black Information Network</a>.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image001.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-28329" width="300" height="292" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image001.jpg 319w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image001-300x292.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
 
The new 24 hour-a-day national and local news audio service will be dedicated to offering objective, accurate, and trusted news that highlights the voice and perspective of Black communities across the country. Launched this week, the service is distributed nationally through the iHeartRadio digital service; locally via dedicated all-news AM/FM broadcast radio stations in 15 markets, with additional markets to be added in the next 60 days; and BIN will also provide the news service for iHeartMedia’s 91 Hip Hop, R&amp;B, and Gospel music stations nationally.
 
23andMe joined as a Founding Partner with seven other companies including Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Sony, and Verizon, to help launch the new network.  
 
“23andMe is honored to be part of this important iHeart initiative, giving the Black community a strong, informed voice and providing those outside the community with a deeper understanding of our societal issues,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO, and Co-Founder of 23andMe. “This is the first step in a long journey to continually hold ourselves accountable and be part of changing the future.”  
 
In<a href="https://www.23andme.com/black-lives-matter"> an open letter</a> in early June, Anne said that as a leader she felt a deeper responsibility to make meaningful changes to improve inclusion and equity not just within the company and its product, but within society. Adding that she was holding both herself and the company accountable to make impactful changes. This is just one of many endeavors the company is becoming involved with to follow through with that commitment.
 
Under the leadership of Tony Coles, BIN will leverage the resources, assets, and financial support of iHeartMedia with the goal of filling a void in coverage by and for the Black community. Coles has more than 35 years’ experience in the radio industry, from on-air to programming and management, with a strong record of success and team-building. Coles currently serves as Executive Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s West Region. 
 
“BIN: Black Information Network will fill a void by providing continual news and objective information with full focus on the Black community,” said Coles. “We began developing our 24/7 Black news source last year, and events of the last few weeks, especially the senseless and tragic death of George Floyd, highlighted the need for this network. Now is the time for our voice to be heard, and I could not be more proud of our work and the team we are assembling at BIN.”
 
A recent study by iHeartMedia of Black listeners found that 86 percent believe a service like BIN is necessary and are likely to use it as an important news source, and 83 percent think BIN could offer a key service and important information they can’t get on radio or TV today. 
 
“As a brand, we are in a unique time and position to make sure our marketing is doing more than just selling our product, but that it’s focused on values,” said Tracy Keim, Vice President of Consumer Marketing &amp; Brand at 23andMe. “We have the opportunity to create content that can better humanity. iHeart’s Black Information Network is the first of its kind to take a stand on creating a trusted news source to address the importance of building toward lasting change.”
&nbsp;
The business will be enabled and supported by the full resources of iHeartMedia. In addition, Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA) will also be a local marketing partner.
&nbsp;
To find out more about BIN programming, visit <a href="https://www.binnews.com/">BINNews.com</a>.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

23andMe Becomes a Founding Partner For First and Only 24/7 All-News Audio Service Dedicated To The Black Community

By Jey McCreight Ph.D., Science Communication Senior Program Manager at 23andMe



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="157" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pride-Post-3-blog-300x157.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28324" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pride-Post-3-blog-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pride-Post-3-blog-1024x536.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pride-Post-3-blog-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pride-Post-3-blog-880x461.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pride-Post-3-blog-1180x618.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



Pride month is a time to celebrate the love that’s in all our DNA, regardless of someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But even though we are all 99.5 percent genetically identical, we still aren’t treated 100 percent equally.



Here at 23andMe, we’re constantly thinking about how we can make our product, research, and workplace more equitable for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-product">In Product</h2>



First, our Product team is actively looking into how we can improve the experience for transgender and non-binary customers. For example, the team is working to separate the concepts of biological sex from gender identity. This will not only be more scientifically accurate but will also provide a better experience for our transgender and non-binary customers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-sex">What is sex?</h2>



A person’s biological sex is usually classified at birth based on their external genitalia. However, a person’s sex is not just determined by their external anatomy. It is also determined by chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics.



Many people think that sex is binary, but it is often not that simple. At least one in 1,500 births are intersex, meaning that a person’s anatomy and/or their chromosomes can&#8217;t be classified as typically male or female.<a id="f1" href="#a1">[1]</a> This is a conservative estimate, as many people do not realize they are intersex until later in life. Some never find out. How society defines “male,” “female,” and “intersex” is heavily driven by culture and social norms of the day, and not simply by biological traits.



Even chromosomal sex is not binary. While most women have two X chromosomes and most men have an X and a Y, this is not always the case. People can have a single X chromosome, three X chromosomes, two Xs and one Y, and a whole suite of other possibilities.<a id="f2" href="#a2">[2]</a> Some women are XY but have a broken or deleted copy of the SRY gene, which is key for developing into a male. Likewise, some men are XX but have a translocated copy of SRY, which induces male development.



Because some of our reports involve the X and Y chromosomes, we need to know a customer’s chromosomal sex. However, sex is not the same as gender.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-gender-identity">What is gender identity?</h2>



Gender identity is “a person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender.”<a id="f3" href="#a3">[3]</a> Many people have a gender identity that matches their biological sex, while transgender people do not. Additionally, some people have a non-binary gender identity that doesn’t fit a neat male-female category (e.g. genderfluid, androgyne, agender, culture-specific “third genders,” etc).



Some people assume that trans and non-binary gender identities are something new, but they are actually a natural part of human diversity. There are historical records documenting the existence of trans and non-binary people as far back as four thousand years ago, and those records continue throughout history and across cultures.



Scientific research on gender identity has a long history as well. In the early 1900s, the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft in Berlin was one of the first places to research gender and perform pioneering gender affirmation surgeries. However, Nazi soldiers burnt down the institute and set back research for decades.<a id="f4" href="#a4">[4]</a>



Despite this setback, modern research continues to support the existence of transgender identities through neuroanatomical<a id="f5" href="#a5">[5]</a> and genetic<a id="f6" href="#a6">[6]</a> studies. Trans people do not need their existence legitimized by science, but for some, it can be affirming to know that gender identity is not “just a choice” but is rather a complex trait governed by a number of genetics and non-genetic factors, just like height.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-it-matter">Why does it matter?</h2>



Transgender people face daily threats to their wellbeing, so much so that the <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-adopts-new-policies-first-day-voting-2019-annual-meeting">American Medical Association</a> deemed the situation “an epidemic of violence against the transgender community.” We want to do our part in making sure our trans and non-binary customers have a safe and inclusive experience, whether it is being able to use their correct pronouns or being sure that they will not be accidentally outed or deadnamed (called their pre-transition name rather than their chosen name).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-research">In Research</h2>



<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/sexual-behavior-not-meaningfully-predicted-by-genetics-new-study-finds/">Last year</a> we contributed to a genome-wide association study that identified a number of variants associated with same-sex sexual behavior. We recognized that this study had some limitations, so we sought out ways to ensure future studies were even more robust.



We have since been working to improve our gender and sexuality survey through user testing with the LGBTQ+ community. This feedback has helped us refine our survey to be both sensitively worded, as well as scientifically robust.



One improvement that resulted from this feedback was an update to the question “About how old were you when you became aware of your current gender identity?” We added “About” after several participants noted that this is a gradual process for most people, but that they had no problem providing an estimated age if prompted.



We have also added additional questions in order to separately assess attraction vs. behavior, as well as to better capture bisexual and pansexual orientations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-our-workplace">In Our Workplace</h2>



Finally, we want to make sure that 23andMe is an amazing place to work for LGBTQ+ employees. Same-sex partners are eligible for health care coverage and benefits, and all parents receive 16 weeks of Paid Parental Leave regardless of gender. Our health insurance plans also cover medical transitioning, including hormone replacement therapy and gender reassignment surgery.



Additionally, every year our LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group hosts a company-wide Pride event to celebrate our employees and to educate allies. Employees also frequently volunteer to share their experiences with younger LGBTQ+ scientists at external events like Out in STEM panels and the Lesbians Who Tech Summit.



Equity and justice will only arrive through action. We hope that you’ll join us.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"> 
</code><code style="display: none;"> </code> <a id="f1" href="#a1">[1]</a> &#8220;<a href="https://isna.org/faq/what_is_intersex/">What is Intersex?</a>&#8221; Intersex Society of North America.</footer>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"></code> <a id="f2" href="#a2">[2]</a>&#8220;<a href="https://www.genderinclusivebiology.com/newsletter/who-gender-and-genetics">Gender and Genetics</a>&#8221; World Health Organization.</footer>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"> </code> <a id="f3" href="#a3">[3]</a><a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/lgbtq-definitions-gender-sexuality-terms">Gender National Glossary</a>, Refinery29</footer>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"> </code> <a id="f4" href="#a4">[4]</a>&#8220;<a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/lgbtq-institute-in-germany-was-burned-down-by-nazis">LGBT Institute in Germany was Burned Down by Nazis</a>,&#8221; by Lucy Diavolo Teen Vogue 9/20,2017.</footer>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"> </code> <a id="f5" href="#a5">[5]</a> Baudewijntje P.C. Kreukels &amp; Antonio Guillamon (2016) Neuroimaging studies in people with gender incongruence, International Review of Psychiatry, 28:1, 120-128, DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1113163">10.3109/09540261.2015.1113163</a></footer>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"> </code> <a id="f6" href="#a6">[6]</a> Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200205084203.htm">Gene variants provide insight into brain, body incongruence in transgender</a>.&#8221;&nbsp; ScienceDaily, 5 February 2020.</footer>



<footer class="footnotes"><code style="display: none;"> 
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<footer class="footnotes"></footer>

Celebrating Pride Month, a Spotlight on Sex and Gender

By Jey McCreight &amp; Ava Daniel
To honor Women’s History Month, 23andMe is sharing stories of a few female scientists who contributed to the field of genetics, each of whom made their mark despite great societal and institutional obstacles.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-28112" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-300x157.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="157" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-768x402.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-880x461.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost-1180x618.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHM-BlogPost.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Nowadays most people have heard of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin">Rosalind Franklin</a>, the X-ray crystallographer who along with Watson and Crick famously contributed to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. But for years her contribution was not recognized. It took a concerted effort to draw attention to her important contribution, making her a classic example of the hidden woman in science.
The reality is that women have been contributing to scientific research for hundreds of years, but institutionalized sexism has long prevented them from getting the credit they deserve. The field of genetic research is no exception. Here we would like to do our part in setting the record straight by highlighting some of the women who made important discoveries that built the foundation for modern genetics research.

<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janaki_Ammal">Janaki Ammal, Ph.D.</a> (1897-1984) </h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-24284" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg" alt="" width="192" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon-192x300.jpg 192w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Microscope-Icon.jpg 456w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px" />An Indian botanist and cytologist who studied the variation in chromosome number, or ploidy, across a wide range of garden plants. This led to many insights into how species and varieties of plants evolved. She was the first woman to attain a Ph.D. in botany in the US, and the Janaki Ammal Award of Taxonomy was created in 1999 to encourage students and scholars to pursue this field of work.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Auerbach">Charlotte Auerbach, Ph.D.</a> (1899-1994)</h6>
A German Jewish geneticist who was a pioneer in studying what causes genetic mutations. She authored a total of 91 papers and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of London. She was also a recipient of the 1976 Darwin Medal.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Chase">Martha Chase, Ph.D.</a> (1927-2003)</h6>
An American geneticist credited with confirming DNA as the genetic material of life. She and Alfred Hershey created and performed the notable Hershey-Chase experiment, which proved that DNA, not protein, held and transmitted genetic information. Hershey was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, but Chase was not.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Maynard_Daly">Marie Maynard Daly, Ph.D.</a> (1921-2003)</h6>
An African American biochemist. She was the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in biochemistry in the U.S. She is most notable for her research involving the creation of proteins, as well as histones, which are the proteins that help package DNA into chromosomes. Watson cited Daly’s research as having contributed to research into the structure of DNA.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Oakley_Dayhoff">Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, Ph.D.</a> (1925-1983)</h6>
An American physical chemist and pioneer in the field of bioinformatics. She was one of the first scientists to integrate mathematics, computation, and biochemistry. She is known for originating point accepted mutations (PAM) and creating the one-letter code for amino acids &#8211; those As, Ts, Cs, and Gs.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Lederberg">Esther Lederberg, Ph.D.</a> (1922-2006) <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-171" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/23chromosomes1-300x214.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="214" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/23chromosomes1-300x214.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/23chromosomes1.jpg 435w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h6>
An American microbiologist who pioneered the field of bacterial genetics. She developed the microbial technique of replica plating, which can be used to investigate antibiotic resistance. Lederberg also discovered the ? bacteriophage, a virus frequently used as a tool in genetics experiments, as well as bacterial F-plasmid, a piece of DNA that gives bacteria the ability to transfer DNA to each other. She also founded and directed the Plasmid Reference Center at Stanford University.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_F._Lyon">Mary Frances Lyon, Ph.D.</a> (1925-2014)</h6>
A British geneticist best known for her discovery of X-chromosome inactivation. This is a process by which one X chromosome is inactivated in some female mammals, including humans. <a href="http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/dox/calico.html">Calico cats</a> are a fantastic visual representation of the phenomena. A Cambridge graduate, she was the recipient of over a dozen notable awards in the field of genetics for her work.
<h6>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_McClintock">Barbara McClintock, Ph.D.</a> (1902-1992)</h6>
An American maize cytogeneticist who discovered transposable elements. These are DNA sequences that can change position within a genome, and their discovery helped illustrate how genes affect physical characteristics. McClintock also demonstrated fundamental genetic ideas like recombination, crossing-over, and the role of telomeres and centromeres. She is the only woman who has received an unshared Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Sager">Ruth Sager, Ph.D.</a> (1918-1997)</h6>
An American geneticist known for pioneering the field of cytoplasmic genetics. She is credited with discovering the transmission of genetic traits through chloroplast DNA, which is found in plants. She also conducted groundbreaking cancer genetics research on tumor suppressor genes in the early 1970s.
<h6><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nettie_Stevens">Nettie Stevens, Ph.D.</a> (1861-1912)</h6>
An early American geneticist credited with the discovery of sex chromosomes (X and Y). She was the first American woman acknowledged for her contributions to science. Her work expanded the fields of modern genetics, cytology, and embryology.
Know of any other women in the realm of scientific advancement? Join the conversation by commenting below.

Jey McCreight

Women Who Advanced Genetic Science

By Janie F. Shelton, Ph.D., MPH, Senior Scientist at 23andMe
&nbsp;
As a woman in tech, articles about Silicon Valley’s bad behavior often catch my eye. Alongside the descriptions of the ping-pong tables, gluten-free snacks, and the on-tap craft beer, are stories that describe the underside of tech culture that is often just as hostile to women as the broader corporate world.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/509Z-23_original-540x742-1-218x300.jpeg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28091 size-medium" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/509Z-23_original-540x742-1-218x300.jpeg 218w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/509Z-23_original-540x742-1.jpeg 540w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" />
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Being an innovative company doesn’t always translate into creating an innovative work culture. Fortunately, there are places that do both. I know because I work at one — a groundbreaking biotech company that embraces gender diversity. For <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day">International Women&#8217;s Day</a>, I want to highlight what gender parity looks like in business. 

<h6>Comparing Percentages</h6>
With recent evidence that gender equity in leadership improves the <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/_division_assets/images/special-editorial/iif-2019/whenwomenlead_.pdf">bottom line and so much conversation about the value of creating a culture where this is possible, </a>it’s worth taking a look at a company with a workforce almost equally split between men and women and with 42 percent of leadership roles occupied by women. Even more dramatic is that 60 percent of the vice president and above positions at 23andMe are occupied by women, and, of course, we are led by a woman. 
Only about 5 percent of the S&amp;P 500 companies have women CEOs, and women occupy just 26 percent of the executive or senior management positions at those companies.  The numbers for tech companies are worse. 
A recent study done on diversity in tech by the <a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/reports/hightech/index.cfm">U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission</a> found that tech companies employed fewer women than the nation as a whole and that fewer women served in leadership roles. The numbers from that six-year-old study found that only about 20 percent of women were in leadership roles at tech companies. Looking at the private sector in general, women served in 29 percent of the leadership roles. 
<h6>Stalled Progress</h6>
It’s instructive to look at gender equity not just because of what it means for women, but for what it means for diversity more broadly. While some statistics show <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-in-the-workplace-2019">modest improvements</a> for women in the last decade, we’re still far away from true equality in opportunity for women. 
A World Economic Forum report found that gender parity efforts in the United States were “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/12/gender-gap-report-gender-parity-how-to-speed-up-progress/">stalling</a>.” Estimates are that compensation for women across a wide range of sectors won’t reach parity with men until <a href="https://www.wraltechwire.com/2020/01/02/world-faces-100-year-wait-for-gender-parity-us-even-longer-report/">2120</a>. 
With a few exceptions, the picture isn’t much better in Silicon Valley which has seen greater wealth creation than any region in history.
<h6>My Story</h6>
I stuck my toe in the water of tech at the age of 35, when I was 5-months pregnant. Perhaps not the best time to be looking for a job, but what I encountered was a culture welcoming of women, and parenthood. 
In fact, when I had finished with negotiations and accepted the job offer I was wincing when I told the 23andMe HR director I was expecting. She immediately responded with, “Congratulations! We love babies and children and hire a lot of pregnant people. Here are some of the great benefits I’d like to tell you about&#8230;” 
Fast-forward several years, I was promoted while out on maternity leave with my second daughter. I found this remarkable because it happened to my colleague too. It might be a commentary on the sad state of affairs for how women expect to be treated during pregnancy and maternity leave, but the impact is you are signaling to women at the company that yes, you can have a child and yes, you can also be a valued colleague entrusted with increasing responsibility.
<h6>The Whole Person</h6>
A culture that welcomed the “whole-person” at work was so different,  that I started to ask leaders to take their formula and shout it from the rooftops. But then I decided that I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. 
&nbsp;
Creating culture starts and ends with your values, but when women aren’t represented in leadership, how do those values get established? Here are a few observations about how 23andMe built a workplace that is welcoming to women by welcoming the “whole-person.” This is particularly important for women, who in traditional corporate culture have to hide who they are outside of work and their responsibilities at home or risk their career. 
&nbsp;
Here are a few things we do at 23andMe that I believe support women: 
<h6>Give challenging projects to women, and then let them take credit for their success. </h6>
23andMe signed some amazing deals in the past two years that were executed by majority-female teams. One of the most important agreements the company has ever entered into came together because of the women that made it happen, all while raising very young children.
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Giving visibility into other women succeeding not only gives credit where credit is due, but it shows other women — and men — in the company that yes you can have a family and be a critical asset to the company. 
&nbsp;
<h6>Recruit VPs who care about work-life balance. </h6>
At 23andMe, 42 percent of director-level positions and above are held by women. Not only that, many people in leadership roles are parents. If you want to have a family and be an executive, it is challenging to imagine how you might do that unless you see it done. 
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That matters because you want your employees to see a path forward. You want them to feel inspired to work hard to get to the next level. People naturally want to achieve and do well. But the demands of the home can create feelings of shame and underachievement in the workplace. It is liberating, inspiring, and motivating to see a VP leaving at 4 pm on some days to pick up his or her kids. It&#8217;s refreshing to see a VP take the afternoon for a field trip with his or her child&#8217;s class. And those leaders support employees doing the same. 
As Sheryl Sandberg says in her book Lean In, if you are a person in a higher-level role, “leave loudly.” 
Again the message should be that, yes you have to get your job done, but that doesn’t mean you neglect your responsibilities at home. 
<h6>When times get tough, have your team members’ backs. </h6>
People get married. They have children. They get divorced. They get sick. They lose parents. Support them through this. At 23andMe, I have heard our founder and CEO talk about this as an underlying management philosophy. 
&nbsp;
Why does this matter for gender equity at work? Because women shoulder much of the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/women-double-emotional-labor-men-article-1.3834039">emotional and physical labor</a> of keeping families together. If you treat people well during these major life events, you acknowledge and welcome the whole person in the workplace. And, by the way, this approach helps everyone who has a full life and commitments outside of work. It&#8217;s not just for people with children. 
&nbsp;
<h6>Celebrate pregnancy and welcome children. </h6>
<div id="attachment_28106" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28106" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-300x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28106 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Playroom.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />An employee&#8217;s son, testing out the kids&#8217; room at 23andMe&#8217;s office.</div>
Anne Wojcicki, the CEO, and co-founder of 23andMe loves kids. She brings her kids into the office. She encouraged the creation of a fun kid-friendly space in our headquarters where we have games and a play structure for our kids when they are visiting. There are also several very well appointed “mother’s rooms,” where we can breastfeed or pump. And Anne has never been so excited to talk to me as when I was pregnant. She is so happy when people have babies. She encourages you to bring them into the office. And wait for the show stopper – she personally offered to babysit for me. Let me repeat that last one. The CEO of my company offered to babysit my child. 
&nbsp;
Now, if you are a CEO, don’t worry, you don’t have to babysit anyone’s kids. Company leaders set an example that can reach all the way down the organization to foster gender equity. Supporting women during and just after pregnancy, when they are most vulnerable and most at-risk for leaving, pays off in the long run. It builds deeper commitments from those women and retaining talent. It’s the kind of whole-person positivity that makes one actually feel good about their job and the place they work. 
&nbsp;
Creating and nurturing culture is hard. But intentional steps to welcome the whole person into the workplace adds more value than you might think. Not just for women, but for everybody. 
&nbsp;
When a male engineer recently told me why he came to 23andMe instead of going to Google or Facebook he said he got sick of the bro culture. He wanted more work-life balance. 
&nbsp;
Instead of adding another perk like laundry service or a sushi bar to get an edge on hiring during boom-times in Silicon Valley,  tech companies should optimize for woman-positive, whole-self work culture. 
&nbsp;
I’ll take it.

Women in tech: a look inside the culture of 23andMe

As we celebrate <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/african-american-scientists/">Black History Month</a>, we want to raise awareness about some of the conditions 23andMe reports on that are more common in people of African descent. 
 
<h6>Sickle Cell Anemia<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27924 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-768x996.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-790x1024.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-679x880.jpg 679w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /></h6>
About 1 in 13 African Americans have the genetic variant in the HBB gene that causes sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is characterized by anemia, episodes of pain, and frequent infections. Being a carrier does not mean you have the condition. A person must carry two variants in the HBB gene to develop this condition.
  
<h6>G6PD Deficiency</h6>
About 1 in 10 African American men have<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/g6pd-deficiency/"> G6PD deficiency</a>. People with this condition usually don’t develop symptoms unless they are exposed to certain triggers, including certain food, medications or infections.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27925 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-768x996.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-790x1024.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-679x880.jpg 679w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /> 
<h6>Hereditary Amyloidosis (TTR-Related)</h6>
It is estimated that about 1 in 28 African Americans carry a variant linked to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/a-new-23andme-genetic-health-risk-report-brings-to-light-underdiagnosed-condition/">TTR-related hereditary amyloidosis</a>. This little-known genetic condition is caused by the buildup of a protein called<a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/TTR"> transthyretin</a> (TTR). This protein buildup can damage the nerves, the heart, and other parts of the body. Because the symptoms vary widely, the condition is often misdiagnosed.
<h6></h6>
<h6>Beta Thalassemia and Related Hemoglobinopathies</h6>
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/beta-thalassemia/">Beta thalassemia</a> is a genetic disorder characterized by anemia and fatigue as well as bone deformities and organ problems. Among those who are most impacted are people of North African descent. 
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">23andMe Health + Ancestry Service</a> customers can learn more about these conditions by viewing their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/">health reports</a>.* <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27926 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1.jpg 452w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" />
&nbsp;
African Americans continue to be underrepresented in genetic research, but 23andMe is working to change that with initiatives to improve the diversity in the science we do.  
 
Our mission has always been to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. We want to make sure that we&#8217;re doing that for all people. That means broadening the diversity and including populations that are not now well represented. 
&nbsp;
<div style="float: center; text-align: justified; width: 600px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6>Diversity in Research</h6>
 
For more than a decade now, 23andMe scientists have undertaken efforts to improve diversity in our research, particularly among African Americans and people of African descent. Some of those efforts include programs like our<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/announcements/roots-into-the-future/"> Roots Into the Future</a> study, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/">African Genetics Project</a>, and the recently completed <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/african-american-sequencing-project/">African American Sequencing Project</a>. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-150x150.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-27922" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-980x980.jpg 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />23andMe now has one of the largest, if not the largest, cohorts in the world of genotyped and phenotyped African Americans who have consented to participate in research. This offers incredible potential to make new findings relevant to people with African ancestry. It has already allowed our scientists to conduct genome-wide association studies specific to people with African ancestry into such things as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00439-017-1836-1">uterine fibroids</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0307-5">alcohol and tobacco use</a>. 
 
But we want to do more, so beyond the work, we and our collaborators have done, 23andMe is also working to improve research diversity more broadly.
 
Last year, we have made available the de-identified data from 23andMe&#8217;s African American Sequencing Project through the<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/"> National Center for Biotechnology Information’s</a> database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). Participants in this project were asked for an additional layer of consent beyond 23andMe’s normal research consent process. 
 
We’ve made great strides but we still have a long way to go. Learn more about 23andMe’s research <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/">here.</a>
</div>
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, [visit  <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">https://www.23andme.com/test-info/]</a> [click <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">here</a>].

Raising Awareness

by Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D., product scientist at 23andMe
When 23andMe scientists added a “<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/filipino">Filipino</a>” population to our Ancestry Composition report two years ago, customers were excited to see their Filipino ancestry reflected in their results for the first time. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27890" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-300x211.png" alt="" width="300" height="211" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-300x211.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-768x541.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-1024x721.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-880x620.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-1180x831.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map.png 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Only, there was a twist! Many customers with no known Filipino ancestors were getting 5 percent, 20 percent, even 50 percent or more of this ancestry, and were understandably confused.
In response to customer feedback, our team performed more analyses and confirmed that we were missing a big part of the story — or maybe a better way of saying it was that we were missing a big part of the human migration story.

It was true that people with the highest proportion of “Filipino” in their ancestry estimates were actually of Filipino descent (over 90 percent on average), but this so-called “Filipino” ancestry reached an average of 75 percent in customers from Samoa, 71 percent in Tonga, 68 percent in Guam, 18 percent in Hawaii, and even 34 percent among customers from Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27891" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Filipinio-Ancestry-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="304" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Filipinio-Ancestry-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Filipinio-Ancestry-Map-300x152.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Clearly, this update was not just identifying Filipino ancestry, but a shared genetic heritage that was spread across nearly two-thirds of the circumference of the globe.
Our ancestry scientists realized right away that this shared ancestry was a reflection of human migration and the major expansion of seafaring people who spoke Austronesian languages that began around 5,000 years ago near Taiwan and spread across a vast part of the world.
We renamed the population to “Filipino &amp; Austronesian,” and the population description was updated to shed light on this shared linguistic, genetic, and cultural history.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27892" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Expansion-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="275" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Expansion-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Expansion-Map-300x138.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Here are our favorite stories about the “Austronesian Expansion,” from out-of-this-world navigation techniques to the gut bacteria that hitched a ride across the sea.
<h6>The Final Frontier</h6>
Around 5,000 years ago, Austronesians began a millennia-long expansion into the Pacific from Taiwan. They carried their knowledge of navigation and farming more than halfway around the world. They expanded through the Philippines and Indonesia all the way to Hawaii in the east and Madagascar in the west. During this <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21074440">expansion</a>, the Austronesians mixed with people they met along their way, including the indigenous Filipinos, Papuans (whose ancestors are thought to have arrived over 50,000 years ago), and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25137359">Southeast Asian</a> mainlanders.
Polynesian culture later emerged from Austronesian societies in Tonga and Samoa. It spread to the equatorial islands of the central Pacific — including French Polynesia — as recently as 1,000 years ago. Soon after, Polynesians settled the far-flung lands of Hawaii, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). This late, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21187404">rapid settlement</a> is thought to explain the remarkable similarities between the cultures and languages of the remote Pacific.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27889" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-Taiwan-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-Taiwan-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-Taiwan-Map-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>Way-finders</h6>
Long before the European Age of Exploration, Polynesian voyagers were crossing thousands of miles of uncharted water, settling one uninhabited island after another. Almost all knowledge of traditional Polynesian navigation is lost to time, but their techniques likely included:
<ol>
<li>“<a href="https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2009.52">Wave-piloting</a>,” which involves sensing the reflections and refractions of ocean swells off of distant islands.</li>
<li> Following birds or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26857090">turtles</a> to land.</li>
<li> Spotting island-hugging bioluminescence.</li>
<li> Relying on memorized star maps as a guide — a skill highlighted in the 2016 animated film, Moana.</li>
</ol>
Only a handful of Pacific Islanders carry the traditional knowledge of wave piloting, but in 2006, researchers accompanied a Marshallese wave pilot on a journey between islands. To navigate the journey, the wave pilot relied only on his ability to read the ocean swells. In a test of the wave pilot’s skill, the researchers set the ship miles off-course while the navigator slept. But soon after he woke up, the wave pilot had the ship back on course, having correctly interpreted the pattern of waves reflecting off a nearby island.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27888" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Way-Finders.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Way-Finders.png 750w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Way-Finders-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6></h6>
<h6>Language on the move</h6>
Before DNA shed light on the origins of Austronesians, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19164742">studies of their languages</a> pointed to an Austronesian origin closely related to the indigenous people of Taiwan. A team of scientists in New Zealand built a database of simple words from 400 Austronesian languages, and by focusing on cognates (similar words that mean the same thing), the team was able to build a family tree of Austronesian languages — with indigenous Taiwanese Formosan languages at the root. Branching from there were the languages spoken in the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Fiji, and finally, the closely related Polynesian languages, such as Samoan, Maori, Tahitian, and Hawaiian.
This language tree mirrors the genetic relationships of a number of other living things found throughout the Pacific — from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19164753">gut bacteria</a> to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26499243">paper mulberry</a> plants (used to make barkcloth). Researchers believe these different organisms originated in Taiwan and hitched a ride across the Pacific with the Austronesian voyagers.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27887" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Language-Tree.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Language-Tree.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Language-Tree-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
<h6>Melanesian Exchange</h6>
The ancestors of Melanesians — the indigenous inhabitants of Near Oceania — reached the islands of the western Pacific much earlier than the Austronesians. They arrived on these islands well over 50,000 years ago. Today this ancestry is common in populations from Papua New Guinea to Fiji, a distance spanning over 2,500 miles. But, the oldest human remains found on Vanuatu (an archipelago between New Guinea and Fiji) and on islands further East aren’t Melanesian. So when did the Melanesians reach Vanuatu and who was there before them?
A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29501328">recent study</a> of ancient human remains from Vanuatu showed that Austronesian settlers first reached Vanuatu around 3,000 years ago. Soon after, people with Melanesian ancestry began to arrive. Today, even though <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29487365">Vanuatuans speak primarily Austronesian languages</a>, they have mostly Melanesian ancestry.
It seems that early Melanesian voyagers halted their eastward migration in the Solomon Islands. They only ventured further into the Pacific after a new wave of voyagers — the Austronesians — passed through the region to settle Vanuatu, Tonga, and other remote Pacific islands. Today, almost all populations in the remote Pacific have more than 25 percent Melanesian ancestry. This is despite initial settlement by Austronesians.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27886" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vanatu-Ancestry-Timeline.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vanatu-Ancestry-Timeline.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vanatu-Ancestry-Timeline-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>Indonesian Melting Pot</h6>
Indonesia is genetically diverse. This is not particularly surprising for a 3,000-mile-wide nation made up of more than 17,000 islands.
Austronesian ancestry is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25137359">found throughout Indonesia.</a> But where the inhabitants of the large western islands have strong genetic ties to the Southeast Asian mainland, the inhabitants of the islands east of Bali have very little.
The most likely scenario is that a western group of Austronesian voyagers mixed with people in southern Vietnam or the Malay Peninsula. This mixed population likely continued on to settle western Indonesia. Eastern Indonesia, on the other hand, is home to people with a combination of primarily<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22396590"> Austronesian and Melanesian</a> ancestry.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27885" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Migration-Heat-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Migration-Heat-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Migration-Heat-Map-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>The Malagasy Mystery</h6>
The Malagasy people of Madagascar speak an Austronesian language, but Madagascar is a world away from Southeast Asia. Malagasy people also have African ancestry. So who reached Madagascar first and where did they come from?
Although the African continent is much closer, there is cultural, genetic, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27247383">archaeological</a>, and linguistic evidence pointing to an initial settlement of Madagascar by Austronesian voyagers between 1,200 and 1,500 years ago. This was followed by the arrival of Bantu speakers from southern East Africa.
Linguistic and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15793703">genetic studies</a> showed that the Austronesian founders of Madagascar were most closely related to present-day groups living in central and eastern Indonesia (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27381999">1</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27188237">2</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25880430">3</a>). These studies also revealed that<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28716916"> African ancestry</a> is generally higher in Madagascar’s coastal lowlands. Austronesian ancestry reaches higher levels in the country’s central highlands.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27884" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madagascar-Migration.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madagascar-Migration.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madagascar-Migration-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />Customers can see these stories on the <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/filipino/">Filipino &amp; Austronesian Ancestry Detail Report</a> page. Not yet a customer, find out more about 23andMe’s Ancestry + Traits service <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">here</a>.

What is Austronesian ancestry?

Juan Fernandez had made many presentations about his Dominican heritage and the island’s Native Taíno population. But he’d never been caught off-guard by such a simple and direct question before:
&nbsp;
“Do you actually have any Taíno ancestry?”
&nbsp;
Thus launched a journey of discovery for Juan — to find out about his ancestors and, in turn, his own identity.

<div id="attachment_27355" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27355" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan-1024x630.jpg" alt="" class="size-large wp-image-27355" width="1024" height="630" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan-1024x630.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan-300x185.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan-768x473.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan-880x542.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan-1180x726.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Juan.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Juan Fernandez during one of his presentations.</div>
Starting with newly released genetic research (see Sidebar), Juan found that Taíno DNA is, indeed, found throughout people of Caribbean descent. And then, after purchasing a kit from 23andMe, Juan awaited the moment of truth — was the Taíno story also his own?
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A few weeks later, he opened the results on his computer screen. Sure enough, Juan had 10 percent Native American ancestry — and the answer to the question that had launched his journey.
<h6>Why Ancestry Matters</h6>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">An Ancient Connection
Native Caribbean ancestry, primarily  Taíno, is still found among Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans.
 
Researchers showed this definitively in 2018 by extracting DNA and sequencing the<a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/ancient-genome-study-identifies-traces-of-indigenous-taino-in-present-day-caribbean-populations"> first ancient human genome from the Caribbean.</a> This offered clear genetic evidence linking the ancient Taíno people to those with Caribbean ancestry living today.
 
On average, Puerto Ricans have around 12 percent of this Taíno ancestry. But over 60 percent of their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/maternal_haplogroup/">maternal-line</a> ancestry<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28912065"> is of Taíno origin</a>.
 
Interestingly, evidence of Taino ancestry is almost completely absent from the islands formerly controlled by Britain and France, such as Jamaica and Haiti.
</div>
While the Ancestry Composition statistic pleased Juan, the exact figure was less important than the two generational forces it represented:
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First, it meant that the Taíno legacy had survived. This despite being declared extinct by Spanish colonists at the end of the 16th century. Neither enslavement nor disease had fully extinguished a population that once numbered in the hundreds of thousands across the Caribbean.
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And second, the discovery represented a bridge from Juan’s past to his future. A father of three, he had noticed an “invisible barrier” starting to form between his kids and their Dominican heritage. So the chance to share the full richness and complexity of their ancestry was a chance to break through this intergenerational blockade.
<h6>What’s Next</h6>
Empowered by his new genetic insight, Juan plans to share the story of the Taíno with even more people — including at the Cultural Commission of the Dominican Republic in New York. 
“This story doesn’t belong to me,” said Juan. “It belongs to the 1.1 million Dominicans in the US.”
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As for himself, Juan feels that his 23andMe experience “gave me the critical meaning to my search for identity. Being part of any diaspora leaves you in a cultural limbo; a foreigner in your country and a foreigner in the motherland. Now I know where I belong.”
&nbsp;
Want to make your own ancestry discovery? Check out your <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/">Ancestry Composition</a> &#8211; including the newly released <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry/23andme-improves-reports-for-caribbean-and-latin-american-customers/">Recent Ancestry in the Americas feature</a> for people with Caribbean and Latin American heritage. Or if you’re new to 23andMe, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/?myg02=true">purchase a kit</a> to start your own journey.

Now I Know Where I Belong

Formally launched last year as one of several initiatives to expand diversity in genetics research, 23andMe’s<a href="https://research.23andme.com/populations-collaborations/"> Populations Collaborations Program</a> supports researchers working with understudied populations from locations as wide-ranging as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Honduras.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992-300x199.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27128" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992-300x199.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992-880x585.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992-1180x784.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/iStock-91697992.jpg 1256w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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“We’re encouraged by the interest we’ve seen from researchers working with these populations,” said Anjali Shastri, Ph.D., a 23andMe Research Project Manager. “We believe this program can provide critical support for academic researchers working with groups traditionally understudied in genetics research. We hope this ultimately will help improve our understanding of the richness of human genetic diversity and expand the benefits of genetics research to all populations.”

<h6>Populations Collaborations</h6>
The<a href="https://research.23andme.com/populations-collaborations/#requirements"> program</a> — which is soliciting another round of proposals due July 31, 2019 — offers qualified researchers genotyping of samples from understudied populations around the world. 23andMe is particularly interested in populations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands. 

The Populations Collaborations Program adds yet another dimension to 23andMe’s efforts to further equity and diversity in genetics research, while ensuring that the work among these groups is<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01163-0"> just and equitable</a>.
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The program includes a grant to support project costs, such as  transportation and local staff support. Typically the projects selected under this program involve researchers who are partnered with local institutions with ties to the communities that are being studied to ensure research is conducted in culturally-sensitive ways and benefits serve community needs. 
In addition, successful applications typically include provisions for returning to the communities to share the research results when possible. 23andMe gives preference to studies that engage local researchers and community members in the project, and we provide additional support for community investments. Proposals are evaluated both for their scientific merit, as well as how the work may benefit the people being studied. Importantly, the work is overseen by ethics review boards in both the U.S. and the country where the work is done, and researchers must obtain informed consent from participants.
<h6>23andMe&#8217;s Research Diversity Efforts</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25983" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1080_double_icon_wtext_01.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The Populations Collaborations Program is one of more than half a dozen initiatives 23andMe has launched over several years to help improve representation in genetic research. From our<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/roots-into-the-future/"> Roots Into the Future project</a> launched in 2011, to our recently completed<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/african-american-sequencing-project/"> African American Sequencing Project</a>, the goal of these efforts has been to expand the diversity within our database and in genomic research. 
It also complements 23andMe’s <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/fast-recruitment-for-23andmes-global-genetics-project/">Global Genetics Project</a>, which is an ongoing effort to recruit individuals to participate in 23andMe research from communities in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, who are not currently well represented in genetic research.  
This program will not only improve the ancestry and health experiences of our customers, but will also help facilitate novel discoveries within understudied communities. In the case of the African American Sequencing Project, the reference data panel created from that work will be made available to qualified researchers conducting important health studies through an NIH database.
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Interested researchers can find out more about this opportunity <a href="https://research.23andme.com/populations-collaborations/">here</a>.

23andMe’s Populations Collaborations Program Supports Research in Understudied Groups

By Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D., a 23andMe Ancestry Scientist
Puerto Rican writer Aurora Levins Morales reflected on what it means to have mixed heritage in her poem, “Child of the Americas,” which concludes:
“I am not African. 
Africa is in me, but I cannot return. 
I am not Taína. 
Taíno is in me, but there is no way back. 
I am not European. 
Europe lives in me, but I have no home there. 
I am new. History made me. My first language is Spanglish. 
I was born at the crossroads 
and I am whole.”
In the poem, Levins Morales acknowledges her diverse roots—a combination of African, European, and Indigenous American—but chooses to celebrate and identify with her Puerto Rican identity.
Today, the Americas are a genetic crossroads, home to many people like Levins Morales, with identities forged by waves of migration and a fusion of cultures.
<h2>A New Feature Which Explores Latino &amp; Caribbean Ancestry</h2>
In our ongoing efforts to deliver a more intuitive and comprehensive 23andMe Ancestry Composition report, we’ve released a new feature called “Recent Ancestry in the Americas” for customers with ancestry from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. In tandem with <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry/23andme-updates-ancestry-composition/">23andMe’s Ancestry Composition</a> report, this new feature enables these customers to explore their heritage in a more recent timeframe — following the mixing of historically separate populations that occurred in the Americas over the last few hundred years.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27091 size-large" title="Mexico and Central America" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example-1024x366.png" alt="" width="1024" height="366" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example-1024x366.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example-300x107.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example-768x275.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example-880x315.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example-1180x422.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mexico-Example.png 1216w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
In addition, customers with ancestry from Jamaica, Haiti, and 10 other countries in the Caribbean may see an exciting new level of detail about places their ancestors may have lived. This is in the form of more granular maps. Over time, these maps will continuously update to reflect the growing size and diversity of 23andMe’s database.
<h2>What does the word “Latino” or “LatinX mean?</h2>
We use Latino or the gender-neutral term LatinX to broadly describe any person from, or with roots in, Latin America. That includes a vast area encompassing Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Sometimes, people use the word Hispanic, Latino, or LatinX interchangeably, but Hispanic is a little more specific. Hispanic includes anyone from a Spanish-speaking country in the Americas, but not, for example, someone from Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking country. It’s also important to note that being Latino could mean that a person has European ancestry, African ancestry, Indigenous American ancestry, or often a mix of the three.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6>Recent Ancestry in the Americas 
</h6>
(new countries marked in green)
The Caribbean 
Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
Mexico &amp; Central America 
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama
South America 
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
</div>
<h2>What’s included in this update?</h2>
In each of the three new reports, customers will see a brief genetic history of the region, a map highlighting sub-country regions where we have found evidence of their recent ancestry, and educational content to provide additional scientific and historical context. We’ve also included short stories that sample aesthetics, flavors, and traditions that may inspire customers to connect with aspects of their heritage.
We encourage customers to contribute ideas for future stories by leaving feedback at the link included in each Ancestry Detail Report.
<h2>How can I find these new Ancestry Detail reports?</h2>
If you have ancestry from one of these regions, this new section will appear below your percentages in your<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/"> Ancestry Composition</a> report.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-27097 size-medium" title="Central American Food" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Vignette-mobile-282x300.png" alt="" width="282" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Vignette-mobile-282x300.png 282w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Vignette-mobile.png 485w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 282px) 100vw, 282px" />
You can access these new reports through Ancestry Overview, the <a href="https://you.23andme.com/ancestry/all-reports/">all-reports</a> tab, or find them in <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/details/">Scientific Details</a>.
Not yet a customer? <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">Visit our store</a>!
Notably, “Recent Ancestry in the Americas” should complement your Ancestry Composition percentages. Together, both results should help you better understand your ancestry and how it may have changed over time.
<h2>A snapshot of genetic diversity in the Caribbean and Latin America</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-27090 size-medium" title="Caribbean, Jamaican, Puerto Rican ancestry composition" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile-240x300.png" alt="" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile-240x300.png 240w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile-768x960.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile-819x1024.png 819w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile-704x880.png 704w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile-944x1180.png 944w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Caribbean-mobile.png 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />
<h3>The Caribbean</h3>
<div>
The <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">Ancestry Composition breakdown</a> of 23andMe customers from countries in the Caribbean typically reflects southern European, West African, or Native American ancestry. While customers from Spanish-speaking islands generally have a combination of all three of these ancestries, customers from Haiti, Jamaica, Grenada, or other smaller islands have little Indigenous heritage and a much higher proportion of West African ancestry. This is a result of the large numbers of enslaved Africans transported to the Caribbean over nearly four centuries.
<h2>What is the Caribbean?</h2>
The Caribbean, sometimes called the West Indies, includes any islands and surrounding coasts of the Caribbean Sea. The more than 7,000 islands and islets form an arch that spans from the Leeward Islands to the west up through the tip of Cuba to the east. The region&#8217;s rich and diverse culture and history consists of a blend of indigenous, African, European, Indian, and Chinese influences.
</div>
<div>
Did you know?
Native Caribbean ancestry — primarily from the Indigenous Taíino peoples who once called these islands home — is still found in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic (former colonies of Spain). But it is almost completely absent on the islands formerly claimed by Britain and France. On average, Puerto Ricans have around 12 percent of this Taíno ancestry, but over 60 percent of their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/maternal_haplogroup/">maternal-line</a> ancestry <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28912065">is of Taíno origin</a>.
</div>
<h3>Mexico &amp; Central America</h3>
<div>
Customers from Mexico &amp; Central America often have a combination of Native American,<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-27102 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mobile_avg_ancestry_mexico_central_america@3x-248x300.jpg" alt="" width="248" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mobile_avg_ancestry_mexico_central_america@3x-248x300.jpg 248w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mobile_avg_ancestry_mexico_central_america@3x-768x929.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mobile_avg_ancestry_mexico_central_america@3x-847x1024.jpg 847w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mobile_avg_ancestry_mexico_central_america@3x-728x880.jpg 728w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mobile_avg_ancestry_mexico_central_america@3x.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px" /> southern European, and West African ancestry in their DNA. However, the breakdown varies throughout the region. Native American ancestry generally reaches its highest levels in Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala. West African ancestry ranges from an average of 2 percent in Mexico to over 40 percent in Belize. Today, most 23andMe customers with Mexican or Central American ancestry have at least 1 percent African DNA. This reflects admixture many generations ago, early in the Transatlantic Slave trade.
Did you know? 
 Among 23andMe customers from Mexico &amp; Central America, the predominant African ancestry is Senegambian &amp; Guinean. The predominant African ancestry in much of the Caribbean and the United States of America is Nigerian.
</div>
<div>
<h3>South America<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-27100 size-medium" title="South American, Brazilian, Colombian, Venezuelan ancestry composition" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile-196x300.png" alt="" width="196" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile-196x300.png 196w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile-768x1176.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile-669x1024.png 669w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile-575x880.png 575w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile-771x1180.png 771w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/South-American-mobile.png 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px" /> 
</h3>
23andMe customers from Ecuador or Peru typically have over 45 percent Native American ancestry. Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay customers tend to have less than 10 percent of this genetic heritage. Indigenous ancestry remains highest where there were once large agricultural civilizations. However, many factors likely contributed to the variable rates of Native American ancestry across the continent.
What about African ancestry?
For 23andMe customers from Colombia or Venezuela, the most common African ancestry is Senegambian &amp; Guinean. Customers from Brazil typically have more Angolan &amp; Congolese ancestry. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Portugal transported as many as five million enslaved Africans to Brazil. These enslaved Africans were primarily from Angola and the Congo River basin. Today, an African genetic signature peaks among 23andMe customers with roots in the east Brazilian state of Bahia.
</div>
Did you know? 
23andMe customers from Guyana and Suriname have high levels of African genetic heritage? The region is often considered more culturally and politically aligned with the Caribbean than the rest of South America.
<div>
To learn more about these regions&#8217; genetic history and diversity, check out the educational modules near the top of each new report! 
<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/caribbean/">Caribbean Report</a> 
<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/central_american/">Mexican &amp; Central American Report</a> 
<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/south_american/">South American Report</a>
</div>
<h2>Explore Your Latino or Caribbean DNA</h2>
You can go directly to your ancestry reports overview to learn more. Not yet a customer? Check out everything you can learn about your ancestral origins using <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">23andMe’s Ancestry Service.</a>

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