A Y-associated polymorphic locus, DYS19, was analyzed in a few ethnic groups in Asia and compared with that in Caucasians and Negroes. The locus contains 4-nucleotide repeats, (GATA)n, and the length of the repeated segments can be determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The predominant allele was 202 bp followed by 198 bp in all the 3 Asian populations examined. Long repeats that were rare in other populations were found more frequently in these Asian populations.