Oprah Zulu

[Shockeye]

US chat show host could be a Zulu
 
Last Updated: Wednesday, 15 June, 2005, 16:25 GMT 17:25 UK

DNA experts have questioned Oprah Winfrey's belief that she is a member of South Africa's Zulu nation.
The African-American chat-show host announced during a recent visit to South Africa that she had had a DNA test that had shown her to be a Zulu.

She also told South Africans she felt "at home" in the country.

"I went in search of my roots and had my DNA tested, and I am a Zulu," Ms Winfrey said at a seminar in Johannesburg last week.

Professor Himla Soodyall of South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service said it was likely that Oprah Winfrey would have taken a mitochondrial DNA test.

"This involves tracing only one particular line in a person's ancestry, which passes from mother to all her children but then only transmitted to the next generation by her daughters," she said.

In other words, the test can trace a genetic line of a person only to their mother, their maternal grandmother, and so on, matching only one ancestor in each generation.

Identifying a person on the basis of their DNA can only be done by comparing their DNA results with the those of other people who were already tested and their data recorded in a database.

"The conclusion that she had Zulu ancestry would indicate that Oprah's mitochondrial DNA lineage must have had an identical match to someone in the global database who was identified as a Zulu individual," Prof Soodyall said.

Prof Soodyall pointed out, however, that genetic lineages did not correspond precisely to cultural or linguistic groups such as the Zulu nation.

"There is not much to distinguish between various linguistic groups, particularly the different language groups spoken in southern Africa, because they have diversified more recently - perhaps within the past 1,000-1,500 years - than genetic differences which have been evolving in our species for about 150,000 years ago," she said.

The historical movement of people around the African continent makes the situation still more complicated.

This could, however, explain how Ms Winfrey's DNA matched with a sample from a Zulu person, even though most African-Americans have ancestors who have been traced to west Africa as a consequence of the slave trade.

According to most historical accounts, the Zulu nation was consolidated only after the departure of slaves from west Africa to the Americas.

South Africa nevertheless has a special place in Ms Winfrey's heart.

"I'm crazy about the South African accent," she said. "I wish I had been born here."

[tazelbain]

"I'm crazy about the South African accent," she said. "I wish I had been born here."

I really doubt you'd have been a multi-billionaire media empress if you had been have born there. So would you really want to have been born there? 

I hate to see an American success story like Oprah dismiss her American Heritage.

[Miasma]

"I'm crazy about the South African accent," she said. "I wish I had been born here."

I really doubt you'd have been a multi-billionaire media empress if you had been have born there. So would you really want to have been born there? 

I hate to see an American success story like Oprah dismiss her American Heritage.

Yeah, I don't think (non-white) multi-billionaire media empresses were allowed under the few decades of horrifying apartheid she would have had to endure.

I can't believe she said that.

[Mesozoic]

It's pretty clear that she said that only in regards to the accent.  Picking apart peoples' words and using the worst possible interpretation is exactly what makes politicians so ridiculously guarded in their speech. 

[HaemishM]

I can't believe she cared whether she was a Zulu enough to get a DNA test.

[Shockeye]

I can't believe she cared whether she was a Zulu enough to get a DNA test.

Well, as the article points out, she may not be a Zulu at all.

[HaemishM]

I may not be Scottish, but you don't see them pricking me with needles to find out.

[WayAbvPar]

I may not be Scottish, but you don't see them pricking me with needles to find out.

Or needling your prick, for that matter.

[Paelos]

The Scots would hate you either way.

Damn Scots.

[Yegolev]

I wonder if she knows there are like eleven different languages in South Africa?  I have spoken with at least three different South Africans at length, one just today, and they all sounded pretty different to me.

[AOFanboi]

Why pick Zulu? In South Africa, rulers == ANC and ANC  ~= Xhosa. The Zulu party, Inkhata (sp?)... well, was it swallowed up by some alliance or does it still exist?

She should have gone there when the ANC vs. Inkhata wars raged - not a good time to tell people you were Zulu.

[Merusk]

Why Zulu? Because she's still an American and that's the only tribe 90% of the population would recognize if you said it.

[Paelos]

Why Zulu? Because she's still an American and that's the only tribe 90% of the population would recognize if you said it.

DING DING DING!

[Nazrat]

Oprah should trade out her diamond necklace for a South African tire fire necklace.  That way both countries win.

[Ironwood]

I don't understand :  They can actually measure the Midochlorians in your DNA now ?

OMG.

(Oh and the Scots don't need your prick.  We have enough pricks over here...)

[Yegolev]

(Oh and the Scots don't need your prick.  We have enough pricks over here...)

Aren't most of those in Edinburgh?

[Paelos]

(Oh and the Scots don't need your prick.  We have enough pricks over here...)

Aren't most of those in Edinburgh?

No they're in sheep.

[Ironwood]

(Oh and the Scots don't need your prick.  We have enough pricks over here...)

Aren't most of those in Edinburgh?

No they're in sheep.

Go Forth and Multiply Yourself, God-Botherer.    :-D

[Signe]

(Oh and the Scots don't need your prick.  We have enough pricks over here...)

Aren't most of those in Edinburgh?

No they're in sheep.

You are obviously confusing Scotland with Wales.  Stupid monkey. 

[Paelos]

I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I am not ashamed. 

And really, who thinks of Wales anymore? It's like the UK's bastard son that people only reference when talking about Catherine Zeta-Jones.

[Yegolev]

And Tom Jones.

[Ironwood]

Wales is now massive.  It's everywhere.  Why ?  Doctor Who.

Don't knock it.

(Oh and Charlotte Church.  You know, for the children.)

[Yegolev]

Tom Jones kicks ass.

[Strazos]

Hey, I'm Welsh (among other things).

My aunt cared enough to recently have a test to determine the actual percentage of our blood which is Native American, and it came back with more than a high enough percentage to dance in powows or something (don't ask).

Also, it came back with between 2-7% Sub-Saharan African...So should I start putting That down on all my forms when it asks for ethnicity, or should I stay with the Pacific Islander I've been using all my life?

[voodoolily]

Oprah should trade out her diamond necklace for a South African tire fire necklace.  That way both countries win.

Yeah, I wonder how many of "her people" lost limbs for her bling.

I can only say that I'm German with any pride because my people left Germany with Katherine the Great to Russia and came to the US via Brazil in the turn of the last century. So we had nothing to do with, you know. That Horrible Thing.

[Strazos]

We're part German as well, but have no idea from which period.

My mother refuses to buy, or even test drive, and German car.

No Porsche or BMW for me to borrow. 

[Shockeye]

I can only say that I'm German with any pride because my people left Germany with Katherine the Great to Russia and came to the US via Brazil in the turn of the last century. So we had nothing to do with, you know. That Horrible Thing.

Lederhosen?

[voodoolily]

heh. no, Kraftwerk.

I just remembered that I'm part Welsh too. My paternal grandmother's family came from Wales. Dang but those people talk weird.

[Shockeye]

Dang but those people talk weird.

Pot, kettle.

[Ironwood]

heh. no, Kraftwerk.

Forward the roflcopter.

[Bunk]

Hey, I'm Welsh (among other things).

My aunt cared enough to recently have a test to determine the actual percentage of our blood which is Native American, and it came back with more than a high enough percentage to dance in powows or something (don't ask).

Also, it came back with between 2-7% Sub-Saharan African...So should I start putting That down on all my forms when it asks for ethnicity, or should I stay with the Pacific Islander I've been using all my life?

Hmm, thats interesting actually. There has been long running debate in my family about whether my Great-Grandmother was native or not. We know that the woman my Great-Grandfather lived with was native, but we can't get a clear answer on whether she was my Grandmother's mother (Great-Grandpa was a bit o' a ladies man apparently, or as some of his kids have said - a dirty old perv).  I never thought about the idea of testing for such things...

So I think I have you all covered - Im English/Scotish/Welsh/German/ and probably Micmac.

[Strazos]

Kraftwerk.

The progenitors of Electronica, kthx.

[Strazos]

So I think I have you all covered - Im English/Scotish/Welsh/German/ and probably Micmac.

I scoff at your attempt to crown yourself King Mutt of F13.

The list, which is not complete (because I will probably miss something), is as follows:

EVERYTHING within the UK/British Isles. (IE: Irish, Welsh, Scottish, English...am I missing anything here?)
French
Canadian
French Canadian
Native American
German
Spanish
Scandinavian
Greek
Lithuanian
Russian
Sub-Saharan African (apparently)
Pacific Islander (spec. Phillapino)
Possibly also Polish and Dutch.

I could be missing a few.

So I win, right? Where is my funny hat?

As an added bonus, my mother has traced our lineage back to at least the 11th AD.

[Signe]

[Strazos]

Your Link-Fu is Weak, Signe.


In other news, I have about 20 days left in Europe.