Departmental News

Posted:  Oct 28, 2020 - 11:10am

Dr. Jada Benn Torres (UNM PhD, 2006) and Dr. Gabriel Torres Colon (UNM PhD, 2008) have published  Genetic Ancestry: Our Stories, Our Pasts.  The book focuses on the scientific nature and limitations of genetic ancestry testing. Co-authored by a genetic anthropologist and a cultural anthropologist, it examines the social, historical, and cultural dimensions of how people interpret genetic ancestry data. Utilizing examples from popular culture around the world and case studies from the Caribbean, the chapters highlight how genetic technology can sometimes bolster racial thinking and serve as tools of resistance and social justice.

Jada Benn Torres is a genetic anthropologist, Associate Professor and Director of the Genetic Anthropology and Bio-Cultural Studies Laboratory at the Vanderbilt University

Gabriel A. Torres Colón is a cultural anthropologist, Assistant Professor in the American Studies Program at Vanderbilt University