Although you are not a native English speaker, and I'm not a native English reader, it's incredible how realistically I can imagine the scenes, as intense as if I'm watching the movie.
Considering the first paragraph.
Genetics - I guess no, we have Neatderthal's DNA, viruses...
Consciousness - doesn't always helps. In many countries, the atheism is punishable by death. Alan Turing was (basically) murdered for loving men. And human beings from Australia have exhibited in zoo parks only 150 years ago.
So it's probably the third option"Other humans perceiving them as humans" - tricky...
Maybe the fact that we're both not native speakers is important in this case... :D
The question what makes humans is a really tricky one and actually one I think a lot about. Especially with human organs being grown in animals, this will be a problem for the near future.