At 12:02 AM 12/06/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>So though on the whole I'd agree that the U.S. has a
>diverse population, I'd argue that this is not unusual worldwide or through
>history, and should not in itself be enough to explain major waves

I would like to strongly agree.
My own family history sounds like a tribe wandering in the wilderness of 3
continents in the past several hundred years. Picking up and dropping
languages and nationalities as need be (they even emigrated into and out of
North America twice in the past couple of centuries)  always leaving genes
behind and picking up a few local ones :)
On a less personal note I work in a community with a high aboriginal
(native american) population. Nutritionists have found that is it lack of
exposure to milk that has made the population lactose intolerant.
Introducing small amounts of milk gradually as the children begin school
has them drinking milk without problems within months. Unfortunately the
lactase producing sites in the gut do not rebuild as easily or sometimes at
all in adults. It has little to do with their ethnicity and more to do with
their eating patterns.  Or so it has been explained to me. Perhaps one of
the nutrition experts on line could elaborate.
I think it would be wise not to blame too many culturally derived outcomes
on race/ethnicity. Humans are still humans after all.


Rhoda Taylor, B.A., IBCLC
Vancouver Island, Canada

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