Jackson’s DNA breakdown is included in a post by John Bell over at the BBH Blog a few days ago.
For all the bllody noise Jackson makes one would think he would have at least 10%. He seems to be the wrong sort of Maori to me. Details follow here.
The case of Willie Jackson is interesting not only because of his insistence on a separate identity and separate entitlements for Maori (“his people”) but because of the provable disparity between fact and the impression he seeks to convey.
I have managed to find and watch again the “DNA Detective” programme Series 1, Episode 4 featuring Willie and actress Shavaughn Ruakere.
On his father’s side, Willie’s DNA results showed his ancestry to be:
33.7% East Asian
25% Ashkenazi (German) Jewish
18% Other European (substantially Welsh)
2.04% Oceanian / Maori
Interesting statements made by Willie in the course of the programme:
“A lot of it (ancestry) is anecdotal. You don’t know what is true and what’s not.”
“I don’t get too worked up about percentages of who you are. The reality is you are a product of your upbringing. I am a product of my upbringing which has been 99.9% Maori”.
“I don’t see that because I have a certain amount of Jewish ancestry that should affect me in any way whatsoever.”
I leave readers to draw their own conclusions as to what the above facts signify in terms of the current debate on ethnicity and entitlement.
John Bell’s background is:
John is a former teacher who has had a long involvement in politics and currently supports the defence of democracy and of equal rights for all.
The above is only part of John’s full post and here is a link to the rest of it. It is an informative read and the above piece on Willie Jackson is only a footnote at the end.
No Minister 
Jackson is less brown than the honkey sheila who fronts TPM.
Deport the bastard to Israel – tell the Arabs.
He probably has enough taxpayer sourced dosh to pay his own way Tinman.
BTW that does not count his Parliamentary salary.
Mean spirited post – DNA testing for origin is notoriously inaccurate in any case.
I don’t like NZs going down the apartheid path any more than you do but to make a personal attack on an individual due to DNA markers in his genetic makeup is just plain wrong!
I often agree with you, Andrei, but not this time. When Willie uses a false image of his real ethnicity to push an apartheid agenda, the more personal attacks on him, the better!
Andrei, I agree with Harry.
Jackson has made the issue – every issue – about race.
His racial heritage is germane.
No argument about the DNA testing comment though.
Andrei. Willie Jackson is quick to lay it on people like Peters, Seymour, Costello, Chhour etc that they are not proper Maori yet I suspect they may well have more Maori blood than he does..
I consider it okay to stick it back at him and others if evidence surfaces.
Mean spirited… Willie Jackson… Mean spirited… Willie Jackson… nope, don’t care.
This is all based upon a silly, decade old TV show.
I’ll guarantee you that if the test were to be repeated today the results would differ.
Attack Willie Jackson’s ideas with logic and reason by all means and I’ll probably nod my head in agreement
But attack him on the basis of a commercial DNA testing…
… nah
Andrei if you do not like my posts – don’t read them.
And even better don’t comment on them.
Pocahontas! 🙂