‘Reparational’ Genetics: Genomic Data and the Case for Reparations in the Caribbean

Abstract

Drawing on my population genomic research among several Caribbean communities, I consider how ongoing Caribbean reparations movements index genomic information. Specifically, I examine the intersection between genetic ancestry and calls for reparatory justice to gain insight into the ways that scientific data are utilized in social articulations of both racial and indigenous identity. I argue that when contextualized within complex historical and cultural frameworks, the application of genomic data complicates notions about biological continuity and belonging, yet is compatible with broader conceptualizations of how people imagine themselves and histories in relation to geographic origins.

Keywords

• genetic ancestry
• DNA analysis testing
• reparations
• Caribbean
• indigenous and African genetic genealogies