“Unraveling My Ancestral Origins: A Journey Through DNA Testing”
Family name Freitas
Untangling the roots of my family tree with an iGENEA DNA test was an enlightening journey. Revealing unexpected North African roots, Sephardic Jewish ancestry, and connections to indigenous South American tribes, my understanding of my identity, history and family name Freitas has dramatically changed.
I’ve always been curious about my family’s past, and the iGENEA DNA test gave me the insight I needed. As soon as I received my DNA kit in the mail, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of excitement. It was like stepping into a time machine, ready to trace my ancestry back thousands of years. My parents always told me we were of Portuguese descent from the Freitas family, but I had no idea about the richness and diversity I would discover.
The first shock was the strong North African link in my DNA. I had always associated the Freitas name with Portugal, but here was evidence of a far more varied past. It seemed that my ancestors probably migrated from the region that is now Morocco to Portugal. This was a surprise and expanded my understanding of Freitas’ geographical origins.
A second revelation was finding out about Sephardic Jewish roots in my DNA. Portuguese history is certainly intertwined with the Jewish diaspora, but knowing that my Freitas ancestors were likely part of this history was enlightening. It puts context to the stories of religious persecution my grandma used to narrate and also explains my family’s tradition of lighting the Shabbat candles, an act not typically associated with Christian-Portuguese culture.
Lastly, I was particularly intrigued by the significant match in my DNA to indigenous South American tribes, primarily the Tupi and Guarani. This suggests that some of the Freitas family moved to the New World during the Portuguese colonization era, and intermarried with the indigenous communities.
Such discoveries through my DNA test have reshaped my understanding of my own identity. It is sobering to realise the blend of cultures, trials, and migrations that brought me here – a product of North Africa, Sephardic Jewry, and Indigenous South America. Though I’m still a Freitas, I now appreciate the surprisingly diverse tapestry that my family name covers. This has sparked a wish to learn more and connect deeper with my multi-faceted past.
N. Freitas