How much "African" or "Asian" do we have in our malagasy heritage and does it matter ?
Par lrakotom | 17 avr, 2006The question has been asked over and over. The answer seems simple: the first settlers ( beside the native vazimba) sailed from Malaysia followed by another wave from the African Coast. Therefore, we can trace malagasy roots to both continents and it reallu shouldn't matter which part is the most prominent. Yet, the question keeps coming back because 1) some people deny all together part of that heritage 2) as seen in the african-american community, the exact route that leads back to our ancestors has a strong mysterious appeal on us.
I am discussing this because I watched a tv show were DNA analyses from a pool of celebrities (Oprah Winfrey, Chris Tucker, Quincy Jones..) traced their heritage back to a specific region of Africa and also they were able to get a % of ethinicity they have. Exemple: Chris Tucker: 70% Angola, 20% (native american), 5% (european), 5% ( asian). The results matter a great deal to them because of the historical circumstances of the migration of their communities.
I went to a website called myheritage.com that scanned my picture and matched with look-alike celebrities: the results are here. I found it interesting that I was matched with exactly 2 african-americans and 2 asians. It seems to me that the 2 continents are equally mixed in me.
So when asked whether I am African or Asian, I answer both. I am African not only from an heritage point of view but also from a geopolitical perspective. I am and feel also just as much Asian. Perhaps someone will point that you are neither and malagasy are their own ethnicity. It is a judgement call at this point and I's rather embrace all of my roots than discarding them.