Share

PBS' 'Finding Your Roots' looks into political leaders' past

Share

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., hopes this season of his popular PBS series “Finding Your Roots” helps a divided U.S. see how all Americans have unique family links and how those family histories tell the story of the country.

Now in its fifth season, the series takes advantage of new advancements in genealogy and genetics to look into the history of American celebrities. In upcoming episodes Gates and his team investigate the pasts of diverse subjects like former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin.

“I get lots of letters and lots of comments and they tell me they love the way we can use DNA in combination with the paper trail to solve family mysteries,” said Gates, director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. “We couldn’t do this 10 years ago.”

Gates said investigators were able to locate some of Ryan’s ancestors in Germany back to 1531. They also found that the former Republican leader is a descendant of Ashkenazi Jews, based on his DNA. “He almost fell over,” Gates said. “As the brothers on the streets say: DNA don’t lie.”

The show on Ryan and Gabbard, who is running for president, airs on most PBS stations on Tuesday.

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

Gates said he’s especially proud that a previous show this season was able to help former “Saturday Night Live” star Andy Samberg find his biological grandmother and grandfather. His mother, who was adopted, never knew her biological mom. She turned out to be from a German-Jewish family that emigrated to Berkeley, California, during World War II.

But the show’s detectives not only located photos of the missing couple but also found half-siblings and cousins. The series filmed an emotional reunion with Samberg, his mother and their family.

___

Associated Press Writer Russell Contreras is a member of the AP’s race and ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation