Racist nonsense on mainstream media and from politicians The "race" card is something that gets brought up in most election campaigns. Racist NZ First leader Winston Peters is notorious for his racism. The usual accusations against immigrants are that they are "stealing our jobs," and "bludging off our economy," increasing crime "on our streets" and these are all the reasons why immigration should be limited. As I mentioned before, pulling out the "race" card is not something new. It has happened time and time again in New Zealand, against Chinese, against Pacific Islanders in the 1970s, and more recently against Asians in general.
History of Immigration control in NZ Socialists say something quite different to what even liberal politicians say. We oppose all immigration control. That’s because immigration control is racist. For most of New Zealand’s history, "immigration" control has actually meant Chinese control. Cantonese migrants were first invited into the country in 1865 by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce to work in the gold mines. Only Chinese migrants had to pay a poll-tax of 100 pounds to enter NZ. At a time when the vast majority of immigrants were from the UK and Ireland, no such tax was put on them. This is blatant anti-Chinese racism. Many people know about the racism of Australian colonialism “White Australia has a black History,” but few people know about the White New Zealand immigration polices.
It is worth delving a bit into this history because it gives us an insight into how the immigration issue first came up and how we can combat racism today.
The history of what we now think of as NZ was established by one wave after another wave of immigration – Maori, Irish, Scottish, English, Pacific Islanders, Asian and so on. NZ was secured by Britain for two specific reasons. To keep expanding the British empire and to provide a base in the South Pacific (to keep it away from the rivaling French). But crucially to get rid of surplus workers in the face of massive economic downturn in the mid 1800s, by promising workers that they will get the chance of a new life and independence through land in NZ.
Thus, even from the very start British expansionism into NZ it had its own motives: The securing of land.
For the NZ ruling class they faced two serious problems. On the one had, NZ was a remote island nation with a very small population, thus an invasion from another country could’ve been done with relative ease. On the other hand the growth of the economy was continuously hampered by a shortage of labour. For politicians in NZ there were two solutions: one was to populate NZ as quickly as possible, but the other was to make sure that Britain maintained a strong military presence within the South Pacific.
They did this by insisting that migrants had to be British, and therefore loyal subjects of the Empire, who could be counted on to defend British interests and to whom in turn Britain would be forced to provide some security. While NZ's Immigration Act was to restrict the entry of Chinese into NZ, an equally important component to this was the active promotion of not just any worker from any country, but crucially British workers into NZ.
Thus the racist immigration policy of NZ didn’t grow out of sheer racism of the colonialists as many historians put it, but from the needs of NZ capitalism and British imperialism.
What about now? I’ll now fast forward 100 or so years of NZ history and bring it to the present, because to halt the analysis there, would imply that racist immigration control is a hangover from NZ’s colonial days.
The racist arguments used today, have changed surprisingly little. There are still myths about Asians stealing "our" jobs, or Asians "flooding" the country.
Lets take these arguments point by point.
Are Asians "stealing our jobs"?
Sadly, this is an argument that strongly effected the Left historically in NZ, particularly the leaders of labour moments and trade unions.This argument is based on the idea that "there is only so many jobs to go around."
Let’s look at the facts.You don’t have to rely on me to hear that the answer is “No.” Immigrants don’t steal jobs. The report published in 1994 by the NZ Dept. of Labour (hardly the most radical institution in society) found that: Migrants created at least as many jobs as they filled. Why is this? First and foremost, every extra pair of hands available for work is another mouth to feed. Immigrants need housing, food and clothing. They need transport, education, furniture and household goods.
The other economic benefit is that migrants stimulate the development of larger industry, thereby allowing the use of the latest technology and bringing down costs of production. A larger population is more likely to make more efficient use of the transport and telecommunications infrastructure without adding any extra costs: telephone connections between Wellington and DN for example, need to be installed and maintained whether the NZ population is 1 million or 4 million.
What’s more, there is no evidence to prove that immigration leads to unemployment. In fact the opposite is true. That is, if unemployment is high in NZ, there is evidence to show that it actually deters migrants from coming. The rate of immigration is determined primarily by the bosses’ demands for labour and overseas workers’ desire to come to NZ, not by the amount of jobs avaliable. In the 1930s, NZ had high, high unemployment and immigration was virtually zero, except for small numbers of refugees. In the 1950s and 60s, by contrast, employers were desperate for immigrant labour. In 1947 the government changed their immigration policy and actually paid UK immigrants to come – this assistance later expanded to the Dutch in the early 1950s. The impact of immigration tends to be positive on the Gross Domestic Product.
The second myth is that: "Asians areflooding the country."
Well again let's look at the facts.The first point is that for most of NZ’s history the vast majority of immigrants were from the UK and Ireland. It was only in the late 1980s that large number of Asian immigrants started coming to NZ. Even now Britain remains one of the largest sources of migrants into New Zealand.
In 2001, British migrants were the third largest to enter NZ. The top two countries were China, comprising 17% of all migrants, followed by India on 14%. Britain while dropping to third place for the first time in NZ history (until 2001 they were the biggest nationality to immigrate to NZ) still follows close by comprising of 12% of migrants.
And when you look at the composition of the population as a whole, any notion of being "flooded" by Asians becomes even more absurd. In 2001, 80% of the population identified themselves as European, compare this to the 6.6% of the population who considered themselves Asian. One can hardly say NZ is being "flooded" by Asians.
So, it is quite clear from the data that when Winston Peters starts talking about immigration control and “the facts,” he is simply lying through his teeth. His campaign against immigration has more to do with skin colour than immigration itself.
How do we combat racism? It is clear that immigration controls, rather than controlling racism in society, merely strengthens it. Clearly the racism of immigration controls has nothing to do with the so-called “facts” presented by the media and politicians. It is however, in the here and now, a real everyday problem that so many Asians get constant racist attacks and harassment in their workplace, in schools, on the streets, in shops, and so on.
So how do we combat racism?
What’s Peter’s suggestion? He thinks that “The best way of keeping a tolerant, open and free society is to carefully plan and adopt a policy that allows for sustainable growth with minimum social disruption.”
What he’s actually saying is that immigration must be controlled to ensure good "race relations." This is both hypocritical and racist. He is saying "we don’t want to be racist, but we recognise that Asians are the problem and we’ll do our best to keep them out." Immigration controls increase rather than hinder the growth of racism.They concede to the racists that Asian people are the problem. Socialists make no concessions to this kind of rubbish. It is not Asian people that are the problem but racism itself.
But perhaps we’d expect this racism from the likes of Winston Peters.What about the Labour Party? Well Helen Clark gave her two cents and thought that New Zealanders' attitudes towards Asian people was going through a “transitional stage.” And basically that the white majority of NZ needs to get used to a more multicultural society. The Sunday Star-Times quotes her saying “people [immigrants] have to come from somewhere to pay the pensions and taxes for the health system. It means that maybe a lot more of NZ will look like Mt Albert. And all I can say is it works in Mt Albert”. Which to me seems like a woefully inadequate answer in the face of the real and everyday anti-Asian racism that Asian people have to constantly put up with.
Unfortunately, Labour’s immigration policy is dissapointing to say the least. While media attention may be on Winston Peters' constant racist attacks, Labour’s Lianne Dalziel announced just today that they would reset the English requirement at a higher level, making it harder for migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds to enter NZ. This policy is a blatant capitulation to Peters' campaign. Dalziel’s comments were that “All the evidence shows that migrants are able to settle far more successfully in NZ if they can communicate well in English.” We should have no illusions in a future Labour Government getting rid of anti-immigration legislation or fighting racism on our behalf. Again Dalziel is accepting the logic that somehow the migrant’s inability to speak English is the problem.This is not the problem, the problem is the racism!
Advertising company McCann-Erickson have started a media campaign to try and change the racist attitude to New Zealanders. Their slogan is “We’re all New Zealanders!”
Unfortunately this kind of campaign never eradicates racism. Most of these attitude-changing, educational, cross-cultural, good-will campaigns, end up merely entrenching stereotypes. The reason for this is that the ruling class, whether that be people in parliament or big business heads, have contradictory interests towards migrants and Asian people. The primary reason for ineffectiveness lies in the centrality of NZ nationalism – slogans like “We’re all New Zealanders” merely set out to enforce this. Nationalism has always been critical in generating support for NZ’s governments, sports teams, wars, cracking down on the unemployed, unionists, and of course anti-immigration policies. The ruling class cannot attack any of these ideas or institutions without threatening the major ideological tool justifying their rule.
But there is another key factor as to why the ruling class can never eradicate racism. Marx described the ruling class as "a band of hostile brothers." This is true of both NZ and Asian bosses. There is a well publicised mutual economic dependency, but there is also a serious component of competition. What most campaigns end up doing is merely stressing the importance of economic trade rather than looking at the human casualties that get affected by racism.
The Socialist Alternative The problem is racism! Socialists see changing attitudes and education, as important as they are, is not the solution. Why? Because these kind of tactics refuse to examine why racism should exist in the first place. Nobody is inherently racist or anti-Asian.
Racism exists because it reflects a material reality.People do have to compete with one another for jobs in order to survive. Capitalists or bosses are always going to look for the worker that they can pay the least in order to maximise their own profits.
Socialists ask not “Who is racist?” but “Who benefits from racism”? Karl Marx recognised this almost 150 years ago when he was writing about the huge migration of Irish workers into Britain.
The same racist tool is used today. Racism helps employers to use Asians, or immigrant workers as cheap labour. White racism not only makes it easier for the bosses to use different races as a way of pitting one race against another.
But we would still oppose immigration control even if there was no element of racism involved. Why? Because it is a consistent story that the ruling class like to use it to blame all social problems like crime, poverty, unemployment and housing shortage on there being too many people. This is a convenient excuse for the system of capitalism, where corporate greed is a priority rather than human need. Bosses don’t employ people because there are too many people. Bosses don’t employ people because the economic system is in crisis and because profit comes before people!
When capitalism is in boom, and capitalists need more workers, they’ll draw in a cheap form of labour; whether that be women, or immigrants workers. When the boom turns to slump nothing suites the capitalists more than to be able to treat these workers as “extra” and to suggest that they are the root of problem.
This is why merely “educating” somebody out of racism is so ineffective, it refuses to look at the underlying causes of why racism exists.
Revolutionary Alternative But whilst racism has real, material roots, there are material factors even more powerful that can form the basis to challenge it. That is the power of the working class. Why? Because the conditions of work and life that breed racism can also be a force making for workers’ unity. When workers are engaging successfully in battling their bosses, then native-born workers are more likely to place their confidence with collective organisation to defend their interests, and to see themselves as part of the same class as their brothers and sisters from overseas.
By contrast, when the workers’ movement is on the defensive and employers are generally able to impose their will, then workers are much less likely to look towards the class-based collective organisation and action to solve their problems. In the these situations, racism can increase its hold on white workers, both because of the psychological compensation it seems to promise, and because it offers a diagnosis of their situation that focuses their sentiments on a visible scapegoat: migrant workers.
The importance of overcoming racism within the working class is clear. NZ’s working class is a multi-cultural, multi-racial class. This means that any strike for better wages, if it wants to succeed, must overcome the racial divisions.
What can we do? When bosses say that Asians are stealing our jobs, we need to point the finger not at immigrants but at the boss with his/her obsence salary. When Peters' complains about the congested Auckland roads, we need to point the finger at the government cuts and underfunding. We need to make it obvious to our friends, workmates, family and flatmates that immigrants will have far more in common with us than wealthy mansion owners.
We need to build a movement that actively fights racism and ties these into the broader struggle. The struggle against racism is a struggle to convince workers to identify with the international working class, and to reject any identification with their bosses. This is not simply a matter of being "non-racist." It means active support for positive discrimination for the oppressed: be that migrants or Maori, and it means opposition to all immigration controls. We oppose all immigration controls. The capital of the bosses has always been free to go where it likes, so should we. Immigrants are prepared to make the massively difficult emotional, financial, and physical journey of leaving their home, family and friends.
It is an outrage that we live in world where human life and need are dictated by the corporate greed of the few. Our message to Asian people is clear: Asians are welcome here! Racists Go Home! Together we can build a movement across nation and identity to fight the system that breeds racism, oppression and exploitation.
If we’ve convinced you of any of the arguments you’ve heard tonight, then I urge you to join!
This talk was given to the Wellington branch of the International Socialist Organisation by Shomi Yoon on 26 June 2003.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Asian Vote
August 20-26 2005 Vol 200 No 3406 Listener
The opening of the Lantern Festival in February in Auckland.
by Keith Ng
How can political parties woo the largely untargeted, 300,000 Asian New Zealand voters?Chinese opera, like most performing arts, loses something without its staging, costume and cast. So it's no surprise that the lonely, unaccom-panied Chinese opera singer performing at the Chinese New Year celebrations in Parliament earlier this year was struggling to win over the politicians who had popped in for a quick chardonnay and spring roll.It was obvious that they weren't enjoying it – but would saying so show them to be cultural ignoramuses? The safe choice, as always, was to clap and smile politely.Such "cultural events" have become popular whistle-stops for political parties keen to woo the nearly 300,000 Asian New Zealanders of voting age. Not only is this a large group of voters, but it is largely untargeted, and often misunderstood. What do they care about? According to research conducted by Shee-Jeong Park at Auckland University last year, the most important issues for Asian voters are the economy and law and order, but they vote in a similar pattern to the rest of the population, with a preference for Labour (47 percent), followed by National (40 percent), and Act a distant third (six percent).Steven Young, a prominent member of the Wellington Chinese community, explains the results: "First of all, if they come from China, they think the government party must be good, and the Opposition party must be criminals! The National philosophy has more appeal to the well-established Chinese, Taiwanese, Malaysian and so on. Labour's philosophy has more appeal to the mainland Chinese."The Labour Party has traditionally been on good terms with New Zealand's oldest and, until recently, largest Asian community, the descendants of the Chinese goldminers who arrived in the 19th century. These "old Chinese" worked hard – but quietly – over the many decades to carve out a place for themselves in New Zealand, but are now struggling to cope with the new dynamics created by the arrival over the past two decades of Asian immigrants, who are mostly well-educated professionals and entrepreneurs.This new generation of Chinese New Zealanders came to the fore in 1996, when National's Pansy Wong became "the first Asian member of Parliament". Labour redoubled its efforts to court the "ethnic communities", appointing a Minister of Ethnic Affairs in 1999, and giving a formal apology to the Chinese community over the Poll Tax imposed on the original Chinese migrants.But although the Poll Tax apology was warmly greeted by the old generation, Wong was still the trump card for scoring votes with the new generation.Labour tried to recruit its own "Asian MP", but struggled. Many in the old generation saw it as a token role that would make little real difference, while few in the new generation have had enough experience in New Zealand politics. In the end, Auckland businessman Steven Ching received the support of Chris Carter and found himself 42nd on the Labour list – the third highest non-sitting MP.But Auckland University academic Man-ying Ip, warns against equating Asian MPs and candidates with community leaders, and is critical of political parties for using Asian candidates as "posterboys or postergirls" to get into the pockets of the Asian communities. "Some parties regard the Asian community as walking moneybags … Honestly, I feel angry about some of [the candidates]. I think they do the community a great disservice."Ching, for example, has been a very successful fund-raiser for Labour, as well as being a donor. This endeared him to the party hierarchy, but his list placement caused resentment among party members, who were less than impressed by his credentials as a campaigner.His selection turned sour when the Herald on Sunday reported in April that he failed to disclose a guilty plea for obstructing a fisheries officer in 2001, and alleged that he asked an acquaintance to lend him $50,000 after offering the acquaintance help to become a justice of the peace. Ching stood down from the party list pending an investigation into the claim. Last week, Labour's ruling council refused his plea for reinstatement. President Mike Williams said that nothing would change until police gave Ching the all-clear.Ching's rise and rapid fall has been the cause of much chagrin within the Chinese community, but even before the scandals there was an obvious barrier to his becoming a parliamentary representative – he barely speaks English.Language is a sensitive issue. People who don't speak fluent English need representation, too, maybe even more so, since they are less able to speak for themselves. But what good is a representative if they are unable to represent the views of their constituents?Ching, when asked why he was standing for Labour, replies: "Basically, in New Zealand, there's always two different parties in Parliament. Either National Party or Labour Party. But, they have different policy. I think Labour Party is much better. They look after old people, poor people, rich people. Equal."He didn't understand the meaning of the word "tokenism", but was able to explain Labour's strategy to get the Asian vote. "It's simple, because Labour, they select me as a candidate, that has already proved the Labour Party value the Asian community."Act MP Kenneth Wang also speaks English as his second language, though his Act-speak is fluent: "From day one I landed in this country, I was attracted to Rogernomics"; "We hate crime. We're frustrated by police chasing traffic …"
The opening of the Lantern Festival in February in Auckland.
by Keith Ng
How can political parties woo the largely untargeted, 300,000 Asian New Zealand voters?Chinese opera, like most performing arts, loses something without its staging, costume and cast. So it's no surprise that the lonely, unaccom-panied Chinese opera singer performing at the Chinese New Year celebrations in Parliament earlier this year was struggling to win over the politicians who had popped in for a quick chardonnay and spring roll.It was obvious that they weren't enjoying it – but would saying so show them to be cultural ignoramuses? The safe choice, as always, was to clap and smile politely.Such "cultural events" have become popular whistle-stops for political parties keen to woo the nearly 300,000 Asian New Zealanders of voting age. Not only is this a large group of voters, but it is largely untargeted, and often misunderstood. What do they care about? According to research conducted by Shee-Jeong Park at Auckland University last year, the most important issues for Asian voters are the economy and law and order, but they vote in a similar pattern to the rest of the population, with a preference for Labour (47 percent), followed by National (40 percent), and Act a distant third (six percent).Steven Young, a prominent member of the Wellington Chinese community, explains the results: "First of all, if they come from China, they think the government party must be good, and the Opposition party must be criminals! The National philosophy has more appeal to the well-established Chinese, Taiwanese, Malaysian and so on. Labour's philosophy has more appeal to the mainland Chinese."The Labour Party has traditionally been on good terms with New Zealand's oldest and, until recently, largest Asian community, the descendants of the Chinese goldminers who arrived in the 19th century. These "old Chinese" worked hard – but quietly – over the many decades to carve out a place for themselves in New Zealand, but are now struggling to cope with the new dynamics created by the arrival over the past two decades of Asian immigrants, who are mostly well-educated professionals and entrepreneurs.This new generation of Chinese New Zealanders came to the fore in 1996, when National's Pansy Wong became "the first Asian member of Parliament". Labour redoubled its efforts to court the "ethnic communities", appointing a Minister of Ethnic Affairs in 1999, and giving a formal apology to the Chinese community over the Poll Tax imposed on the original Chinese migrants.But although the Poll Tax apology was warmly greeted by the old generation, Wong was still the trump card for scoring votes with the new generation.Labour tried to recruit its own "Asian MP", but struggled. Many in the old generation saw it as a token role that would make little real difference, while few in the new generation have had enough experience in New Zealand politics. In the end, Auckland businessman Steven Ching received the support of Chris Carter and found himself 42nd on the Labour list – the third highest non-sitting MP.But Auckland University academic Man-ying Ip, warns against equating Asian MPs and candidates with community leaders, and is critical of political parties for using Asian candidates as "posterboys or postergirls" to get into the pockets of the Asian communities. "Some parties regard the Asian community as walking moneybags … Honestly, I feel angry about some of [the candidates]. I think they do the community a great disservice."Ching, for example, has been a very successful fund-raiser for Labour, as well as being a donor. This endeared him to the party hierarchy, but his list placement caused resentment among party members, who were less than impressed by his credentials as a campaigner.His selection turned sour when the Herald on Sunday reported in April that he failed to disclose a guilty plea for obstructing a fisheries officer in 2001, and alleged that he asked an acquaintance to lend him $50,000 after offering the acquaintance help to become a justice of the peace. Ching stood down from the party list pending an investigation into the claim. Last week, Labour's ruling council refused his plea for reinstatement. President Mike Williams said that nothing would change until police gave Ching the all-clear.Ching's rise and rapid fall has been the cause of much chagrin within the Chinese community, but even before the scandals there was an obvious barrier to his becoming a parliamentary representative – he barely speaks English.Language is a sensitive issue. People who don't speak fluent English need representation, too, maybe even more so, since they are less able to speak for themselves. But what good is a representative if they are unable to represent the views of their constituents?Ching, when asked why he was standing for Labour, replies: "Basically, in New Zealand, there's always two different parties in Parliament. Either National Party or Labour Party. But, they have different policy. I think Labour Party is much better. They look after old people, poor people, rich people. Equal."He didn't understand the meaning of the word "tokenism", but was able to explain Labour's strategy to get the Asian vote. "It's simple, because Labour, they select me as a candidate, that has already proved the Labour Party value the Asian community."Act MP Kenneth Wang also speaks English as his second language, though his Act-speak is fluent: "From day one I landed in this country, I was attracted to Rogernomics"; "We hate crime. We're frustrated by police chasing traffic …"
ANTI-CHINESE FERVOUR IN THE SAMOAS
ANTI-CHINESE FERVOUR IN THE SAMOASThe great and the good turned out the day Samoa buried old Chan Mow. He had been the last “coolie” before owning a significant chunk of downtown Apia.Bought to Samoa by the Germans before World War One, Mow prospered despite a hostile New Zealand regime which even made it illegal for Chinese and Samoans to have sex. “Even now with indentured coolies, there is a very considerable mixture of races.“It appears to me that the complete destruction of the Samoan race would be the lamentable result of British occupation,” the first administrator, Robert Logan, said.Mow's 13 children, 37 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren testified to the potency of legal sex control. Ultimately, Samoans ended up swallowing the Chinese community which barely survives today in some of the names-and even that disappears as part Chinese Samoans assume chiefly title names.Anti-Chinese feeling remains though, as opposition politician A'eau Peniamina questioned China's “real motives” and warned “to be careful of the Chinese, they could run you out of business as seen elsewhere.”Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi took issue: “That is racist and I will not stand for any racism in this Parliament.”In neighbouring American Samoa earlier this year, anti-Asian feeling arose at the inauguration of Governor Togiola Tulafono where the Assemblies of God superintendent Siaosi Mageo urged the deportation of Koreans.“In the 1980s, Samoans took care of the African snail problem by using these strong brooms. Today, we seem to not be able to do anything about the new threat-the Korean snail.”One day Samoans would wake up to find they had Korean politicians and a Korean governor.“Our people will be reduced to nothing. Wake up Samoa, you are still sleeping. It is shameful, utter shameful, that foreigners come here and rule over us.”He overlooked the fact that he lived in “American” Samoa.
William Tai Tuen
Books
William Tai Yuen: The origins of China's awareness of New Zealand 1674 to 1911
06.01.06
Reviewed by Errol Kiong
It was a Flemish Jesuit's world map in Chinese that introduced China to Australia and New Zealand in 1674.
At the time, only the South Pacific and Americas were uncharted waters for China; through trade, the Chinese were already well-acquainted with the rest of Asia, the Middle East and to a certain extent, Africa.
The formation of the relationship between the Chinese and New Zealand, the country and its people, form the thrust of this book.
New Zealanders' historic perceptions of its Chinese migrants have been well-documented, but this book looks through Chinese eyes at what would be a future home for the diaspora.
But until the Chinese began flocking to the South Island during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, Christian newspapers were the major source of information about New Zealand, through which they discovered its geography, economy and people.
Maori were a regular topic in the Christian publications, often presented as savages who made astounding progress after conversion to Christianity. Despite the Euro-centric observations, the publications nevertheless provided the Chinese with the rudiments of the country.
When Chinese began arriving in the 1860s, they were impressed not so much by the natural beauty, but the auspicious feng shui elements - indicating good omens in the search for gold. But for every Chinese man who made his fortune, many would remain poor.
They faced the aggression of European miners passively, and by the 1870s the Chinese had became an integral part of the goldfields.
By 1911, when the Qing Dynasty fell, 50 years of the Chinese experience in New Zealand had been reported in bits and pieces back to the motherland.
And this is where the book suffers - but through no fault of its own. Much of those letters to China have been lost to time, so it is left to the author to reconstruct the perceptions of the time - largely through the eyes of New Zealanders, newspaper excerpts and broad summations.
But this is also where the book is at its most telling, vividly recounting the personal relationships that had formed between the Chinese and New Zealanders.
Through daily interaction, a picture of mutual respect and learning emerged between the two communities. One memorable anecdote recounts how one shopkeeper dealt with the hard-bargaining tactics of the Chinese by putting his prices up to bring them down again without a loss, leaving both parties satisfied and in good grace. But the relationship has not been without tensions. Of particular mention is the introduction of the Immigration Restriction Act in 1908. The Chinese Consul then became a clear voice dissenting against mainstream public opinion.
"Since the Act of 1908 was passed not a single Chinaman has come into New Zealand.
We would not complain so much if you treated all nations alike. But you do not treat the people of any European nation like that," the consul is cited as saying. Ultimately it was the contributions of New Zealanders such as Rewi Alley that helped to shape positive impressions abroad.
New Zealanders in China, the author notes, were perceived as much for what they were (missionaries, teachers and aid workers) as what they were not (gunboat commanders, opium traders or "as diplomats demanding concessions and extraterritoriality").
While intended as an academic account of the historical relationship between the two countries, the book is easily accessible to the general reader. It is an insightful look into the ties that bind the two countries, and the groundwork that has been laid for the relationship that stands today.
Author
• More by Errol Kiong
• Email Errol Kiong
William Tai Yuen: The origins of China's awareness of New Zealand 1674 to 1911
06.01.06
Reviewed by Errol Kiong
It was a Flemish Jesuit's world map in Chinese that introduced China to Australia and New Zealand in 1674.
At the time, only the South Pacific and Americas were uncharted waters for China; through trade, the Chinese were already well-acquainted with the rest of Asia, the Middle East and to a certain extent, Africa.
The formation of the relationship between the Chinese and New Zealand, the country and its people, form the thrust of this book.
New Zealanders' historic perceptions of its Chinese migrants have been well-documented, but this book looks through Chinese eyes at what would be a future home for the diaspora.
But until the Chinese began flocking to the South Island during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, Christian newspapers were the major source of information about New Zealand, through which they discovered its geography, economy and people.
Maori were a regular topic in the Christian publications, often presented as savages who made astounding progress after conversion to Christianity. Despite the Euro-centric observations, the publications nevertheless provided the Chinese with the rudiments of the country.
When Chinese began arriving in the 1860s, they were impressed not so much by the natural beauty, but the auspicious feng shui elements - indicating good omens in the search for gold. But for every Chinese man who made his fortune, many would remain poor.
They faced the aggression of European miners passively, and by the 1870s the Chinese had became an integral part of the goldfields.
By 1911, when the Qing Dynasty fell, 50 years of the Chinese experience in New Zealand had been reported in bits and pieces back to the motherland.
And this is where the book suffers - but through no fault of its own. Much of those letters to China have been lost to time, so it is left to the author to reconstruct the perceptions of the time - largely through the eyes of New Zealanders, newspaper excerpts and broad summations.
But this is also where the book is at its most telling, vividly recounting the personal relationships that had formed between the Chinese and New Zealanders.
Through daily interaction, a picture of mutual respect and learning emerged between the two communities. One memorable anecdote recounts how one shopkeeper dealt with the hard-bargaining tactics of the Chinese by putting his prices up to bring them down again without a loss, leaving both parties satisfied and in good grace. But the relationship has not been without tensions. Of particular mention is the introduction of the Immigration Restriction Act in 1908. The Chinese Consul then became a clear voice dissenting against mainstream public opinion.
"Since the Act of 1908 was passed not a single Chinaman has come into New Zealand.
We would not complain so much if you treated all nations alike. But you do not treat the people of any European nation like that," the consul is cited as saying. Ultimately it was the contributions of New Zealanders such as Rewi Alley that helped to shape positive impressions abroad.
New Zealanders in China, the author notes, were perceived as much for what they were (missionaries, teachers and aid workers) as what they were not (gunboat commanders, opium traders or "as diplomats demanding concessions and extraterritoriality").
While intended as an academic account of the historical relationship between the two countries, the book is easily accessible to the general reader. It is an insightful look into the ties that bind the two countries, and the groundwork that has been laid for the relationship that stands today.
Author
• More by Errol Kiong
• Email Errol Kiong
Funding
Hon Chris Carter
11/02/2004
Funding for recognition of Chinese heritage announced
Chinese Heritage media kit.doc(76 kb)Prime Minister Helen Clark and Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter today announced the formation of a new charitable trust and other initiatives with the broad aim of raising awareness of the early Chinese community in New Zealand and their history, language, and culture. The announcement follows the government apology in 2002 to those Chinese and their descendants who faced statutory discrimination in New Zealand, particularly through the infamous Poll Tax. "Punitive legislation targeting Chinese alone imposed considerable hardship on earlier generations of Chinese settlers to New Zealand. It and other discriminatory immigration practices by earlier governments split families apart," Helen Clark said. “Since the apology was offered in February 2002, the government has consulted widely on how it might best contribute to reconciliation over these events. It became clear that descendants of the Poll Tax payers were deeply concerned about maintaining the unique identity of the local Chinese community.” The measures announced today were developed after consultation with representatives of those who paid the Poll Tax and their descendents. They comprise a variety of government initiatives, including:
A $5m seeding grant for a government-administered community trust;
New school resources which tell the stories of Chinese settlers in New Zealand; and
The preservation of a significant Chinese heritage site in Central Otago.It is envisaged that the community trust will fund projects to boost the study of Chinese New Zealand history, encourage cultural and language maintenance, promote greater public awareness of ethnic diversity, and support projects that strengthen the unique identity of Chinese New Zealanders. “The establishment of a trust signifies the determination of the government to secure the place of the Chinese community and its role in our nation’s history,” Helen Clark said. Chris Carter said the new initiatives marked a significant moment for Chinese people who had paid the Poll Tax and their descendants. "As Minister for Ethnic Affairs, I am pleased with these decisions because I know how much they mean to the Chinese community." From 1881, all Chinese migrants were required to pay a poll tax of 10 pounds, raised to 100 pounds in 1896, simply because they were Chinese. It is estimated that approximately 310,000 pounds were collected through the Poll Tax, between $25 and $30 million in today’s terms. Other legislative initiatives also singled out Chinese people. Their right to naturalisation was withdrawn from 1908 to 1951. They were forced to give compulsory thumbprints whenever they returned to New Zealand after travelling overseas. Reading tests in English were also imposed for new Chinese migrants when all other ethnic groups simply had to fill in a standard form.
11/02/2004
Funding for recognition of Chinese heritage announced
Chinese Heritage media kit.doc(76 kb)Prime Minister Helen Clark and Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter today announced the formation of a new charitable trust and other initiatives with the broad aim of raising awareness of the early Chinese community in New Zealand and their history, language, and culture. The announcement follows the government apology in 2002 to those Chinese and their descendants who faced statutory discrimination in New Zealand, particularly through the infamous Poll Tax. "Punitive legislation targeting Chinese alone imposed considerable hardship on earlier generations of Chinese settlers to New Zealand. It and other discriminatory immigration practices by earlier governments split families apart," Helen Clark said. “Since the apology was offered in February 2002, the government has consulted widely on how it might best contribute to reconciliation over these events. It became clear that descendants of the Poll Tax payers were deeply concerned about maintaining the unique identity of the local Chinese community.” The measures announced today were developed after consultation with representatives of those who paid the Poll Tax and their descendents. They comprise a variety of government initiatives, including:
A $5m seeding grant for a government-administered community trust;
New school resources which tell the stories of Chinese settlers in New Zealand; and
The preservation of a significant Chinese heritage site in Central Otago.It is envisaged that the community trust will fund projects to boost the study of Chinese New Zealand history, encourage cultural and language maintenance, promote greater public awareness of ethnic diversity, and support projects that strengthen the unique identity of Chinese New Zealanders. “The establishment of a trust signifies the determination of the government to secure the place of the Chinese community and its role in our nation’s history,” Helen Clark said. Chris Carter said the new initiatives marked a significant moment for Chinese people who had paid the Poll Tax and their descendants. "As Minister for Ethnic Affairs, I am pleased with these decisions because I know how much they mean to the Chinese community." From 1881, all Chinese migrants were required to pay a poll tax of 10 pounds, raised to 100 pounds in 1896, simply because they were Chinese. It is estimated that approximately 310,000 pounds were collected through the Poll Tax, between $25 and $30 million in today’s terms. Other legislative initiatives also singled out Chinese people. Their right to naturalisation was withdrawn from 1908 to 1951. They were forced to give compulsory thumbprints whenever they returned to New Zealand after travelling overseas. Reading tests in English were also imposed for new Chinese migrants when all other ethnic groups simply had to fill in a standard form.
NZ Chinese Association 2005 Conference
Hon Paul Swain
18/06/2005
Speech to the New Zealand Chinese Association 2005 conference
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to open your Conference. Your invitation was issued to my colleague Lianne Dalziel, in her role as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Ethnic Affairs. She asked me to step into her shoes when she discovered that it would clash with a couple of personal events in Christchurch, including a wedding of a friend’s son to a young Chinese woman who originally came here as a student. Lianne asked me to take her place, as she was aware that your association had some immigration questions, and as Minister of Immigration, I am well placed to address those. I want to first acknowledge the contribution the Chinese community has made to New Zealand. Chinese migrants were among the earliest post-European arrivals to New Zealand and you therefore have a real stake in this country. The colonial immigration policies of the day saw Chinese nationals singled out for discrimination that did not apply to migrants coming from anywhere else in the world. You will be aware that last year the Prime Minister apologised, on behalf of the New Zealand Government, to the descendents of the first Chinese migrants. The Government has followed this with the formation of a new charitable trust and other initiatives with the broad aim of raising awareness of the early Chinese community. I would like to congratulate the Association in making so much progress in its objectives of looking after the welfare and interests of the Chinese community, as well as promoting and maintaining the Chinese language, heritage, arts and culture in New Zealand. A key principle of this Labour-led Government has always been to welcome and embrace the diversity of modern New Zealand. We believe that diversity is a source of strength for New Zealand. We must resist those who want to divide us. Our job must be to unite New Zealand. I thought this would be a good opportunity to touch on a couple of key areas:
What we are trying to achieve through immigration policy, and
The importance of a sound settlement strategy for new migrants, so that New Zealand is indeed the right choice.New Zealand's economic growth under Labour has been high – around 4 per cent a year since 2000, compared with a 2.4% average across the OECD. This has been reflected in the labour market, which has surpassed most expectations during the last 5 years. We now have the second lowest unemployment rate in the OECD at 3.9%. More New Zealanders than ever before – over two million – are now in work. The critical issue now being identified by NZ businesses are skill and labour shortages. To address this, the government has also put an enormous amount of effort into developing the skills of New Zealanders. This has included the establishment of 45 Industry Training Organisations. At the end of 2004 there were nearly 140,000 people in workplace training. We are also aiming to have 9,000 Modern Apprenticeships by the end of next year. Our priority will always to make sure that New Zealanders get the jobs and training needed to grow the economy. However, immigration will always play an important role in helping fill skills and labour shortages that emerge. New Zealand's immigration policy is designed to attract the skilled migrants, tourists and students who can make a contribution to society and the economy The Skilled Migrant Category, which was introduced in 2003, is already achieving this goal. The SMC moves New Zealand away from passively accepting migrants to actively recruiting those who can contribute best to New Zealand. Under the SMC, applicants submit an expression of interest and go into a pool. The Immigration Service then selects the best candidates. Tourists and international students are also important to New Zealand and there have been many initiatives to make sure they continue to be. For example, earlier this year I announced policy changes to expand the ability for international students to work while studying here and smoothing the path to gaining residence once they have finished their studies. While our immigration policy is about attracting people to New Zealand, it is also important that our borders are as secure as possible. Border security is a problem faced by most countries because some people will try anything to defraud immigration authorities. Given the increasing security concerns following September 11, it is New Zealand's right to keep out the people we don’t want and remove those who shouldn't be here. That is why we have boosted border security by more than $30 million in the past two years. For example, the government introduced Advanced Passenger Screening in 2003 and this has already stopped 650 people from entering New Zealand. This screening means that our border effectively starts when people board planes to come to New Zealand. Another step that we have recently taken to ensure that immigration policies are adhered to is the introduction this week of a Bill to regulate immigration advisors. We are regulating the industry to protect migrants and potential migrants. Most advisers act professionally and ethically but this legislation sends a strong message that the government will not tolerate the small number of crooks who prey on vulnerable people wanting to live in New Zealand. The legislation will make it an offence to provide immigration advice without a licence. Offenders could face a fine of up to $100,000, seven years imprisonment or both. I am sure your community will welcome these changes. The government is also reviewing the Immigration Act to make it more relevant to New Zealand’s needs and the international environment, which have both changed since the Act was passed in 1987. The review is part of a wider push from the government to attract skilled migrants and improve border security. I hope your association will provide input into the review. If we are to be attractive to the migrants we need for future prosperity, we must make sure that they settle successfully. With this in mind, the government is investing $62 million over four years to develop the settlement strategy to address the issues refugees and migrants face. The settlement strategy has six goals for migrants, refugees and their families. We want them to be able to:
Obtain employment appropriate to their qualifications and skills
Become confident using English in a New Zealand setting, or able to access appropriate language support
Access appropriate information and responsive services that are available to the wider community (for example, housing, education and services for families)
Form supportive social networks and establish a sustainable community identity
Feel safe expressing their ethnic identity and be accepted by and become part of the wider host community
Participate in civic, community and social activities.Another step that the Government has taken to recognise New Zealand’s growing diversity is the establishment of the Office of Ethnic Affairs (OEA) in 2001. Its aim is to help encourage and promote the strength that diversity offers our country. The OEA works with people whose culture and traditions distinguish them from Maori, Pacific Peoples or Anglo-New Zealanders. The Office also works with other government agencies like Immigration, local authorities and service providers. As well as providing policy advice, information and referral services, the OEA works closely with ethnic groups to help them build strong, integrated and healthy communities. In conclusion, the government embraces cultural diversity. Our immigration policy is one of balance. We want to be a welcoming country to migrants, tourists and students and make sure people settle well, but we also want to ensure that our borders are as secure as possible. I want to thank you once again for the contribution that the Chinese community makes to New Zealand. I wish you well for the remainder of your conference.
18/06/2005
Speech to the New Zealand Chinese Association 2005 conference
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to open your Conference. Your invitation was issued to my colleague Lianne Dalziel, in her role as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Ethnic Affairs. She asked me to step into her shoes when she discovered that it would clash with a couple of personal events in Christchurch, including a wedding of a friend’s son to a young Chinese woman who originally came here as a student. Lianne asked me to take her place, as she was aware that your association had some immigration questions, and as Minister of Immigration, I am well placed to address those. I want to first acknowledge the contribution the Chinese community has made to New Zealand. Chinese migrants were among the earliest post-European arrivals to New Zealand and you therefore have a real stake in this country. The colonial immigration policies of the day saw Chinese nationals singled out for discrimination that did not apply to migrants coming from anywhere else in the world. You will be aware that last year the Prime Minister apologised, on behalf of the New Zealand Government, to the descendents of the first Chinese migrants. The Government has followed this with the formation of a new charitable trust and other initiatives with the broad aim of raising awareness of the early Chinese community. I would like to congratulate the Association in making so much progress in its objectives of looking after the welfare and interests of the Chinese community, as well as promoting and maintaining the Chinese language, heritage, arts and culture in New Zealand. A key principle of this Labour-led Government has always been to welcome and embrace the diversity of modern New Zealand. We believe that diversity is a source of strength for New Zealand. We must resist those who want to divide us. Our job must be to unite New Zealand. I thought this would be a good opportunity to touch on a couple of key areas:
What we are trying to achieve through immigration policy, and
The importance of a sound settlement strategy for new migrants, so that New Zealand is indeed the right choice.New Zealand's economic growth under Labour has been high – around 4 per cent a year since 2000, compared with a 2.4% average across the OECD. This has been reflected in the labour market, which has surpassed most expectations during the last 5 years. We now have the second lowest unemployment rate in the OECD at 3.9%. More New Zealanders than ever before – over two million – are now in work. The critical issue now being identified by NZ businesses are skill and labour shortages. To address this, the government has also put an enormous amount of effort into developing the skills of New Zealanders. This has included the establishment of 45 Industry Training Organisations. At the end of 2004 there were nearly 140,000 people in workplace training. We are also aiming to have 9,000 Modern Apprenticeships by the end of next year. Our priority will always to make sure that New Zealanders get the jobs and training needed to grow the economy. However, immigration will always play an important role in helping fill skills and labour shortages that emerge. New Zealand's immigration policy is designed to attract the skilled migrants, tourists and students who can make a contribution to society and the economy The Skilled Migrant Category, which was introduced in 2003, is already achieving this goal. The SMC moves New Zealand away from passively accepting migrants to actively recruiting those who can contribute best to New Zealand. Under the SMC, applicants submit an expression of interest and go into a pool. The Immigration Service then selects the best candidates. Tourists and international students are also important to New Zealand and there have been many initiatives to make sure they continue to be. For example, earlier this year I announced policy changes to expand the ability for international students to work while studying here and smoothing the path to gaining residence once they have finished their studies. While our immigration policy is about attracting people to New Zealand, it is also important that our borders are as secure as possible. Border security is a problem faced by most countries because some people will try anything to defraud immigration authorities. Given the increasing security concerns following September 11, it is New Zealand's right to keep out the people we don’t want and remove those who shouldn't be here. That is why we have boosted border security by more than $30 million in the past two years. For example, the government introduced Advanced Passenger Screening in 2003 and this has already stopped 650 people from entering New Zealand. This screening means that our border effectively starts when people board planes to come to New Zealand. Another step that we have recently taken to ensure that immigration policies are adhered to is the introduction this week of a Bill to regulate immigration advisors. We are regulating the industry to protect migrants and potential migrants. Most advisers act professionally and ethically but this legislation sends a strong message that the government will not tolerate the small number of crooks who prey on vulnerable people wanting to live in New Zealand. The legislation will make it an offence to provide immigration advice without a licence. Offenders could face a fine of up to $100,000, seven years imprisonment or both. I am sure your community will welcome these changes. The government is also reviewing the Immigration Act to make it more relevant to New Zealand’s needs and the international environment, which have both changed since the Act was passed in 1987. The review is part of a wider push from the government to attract skilled migrants and improve border security. I hope your association will provide input into the review. If we are to be attractive to the migrants we need for future prosperity, we must make sure that they settle successfully. With this in mind, the government is investing $62 million over four years to develop the settlement strategy to address the issues refugees and migrants face. The settlement strategy has six goals for migrants, refugees and their families. We want them to be able to:
Obtain employment appropriate to their qualifications and skills
Become confident using English in a New Zealand setting, or able to access appropriate language support
Access appropriate information and responsive services that are available to the wider community (for example, housing, education and services for families)
Form supportive social networks and establish a sustainable community identity
Feel safe expressing their ethnic identity and be accepted by and become part of the wider host community
Participate in civic, community and social activities.Another step that the Government has taken to recognise New Zealand’s growing diversity is the establishment of the Office of Ethnic Affairs (OEA) in 2001. Its aim is to help encourage and promote the strength that diversity offers our country. The OEA works with people whose culture and traditions distinguish them from Maori, Pacific Peoples or Anglo-New Zealanders. The Office also works with other government agencies like Immigration, local authorities and service providers. As well as providing policy advice, information and referral services, the OEA works closely with ethnic groups to help them build strong, integrated and healthy communities. In conclusion, the government embraces cultural diversity. Our immigration policy is one of balance. We want to be a welcoming country to migrants, tourists and students and make sure people settle well, but we also want to ensure that our borders are as secure as possible. I want to thank you once again for the contribution that the Chinese community makes to New Zealand. I wish you well for the remainder of your conference.
Mini-me kiwis are hair free
03.03.06By Cherie Taylor
It's small, green and looks like a grape but bite into it and you're in for a surprise. Slice one open and the inside looks just like a kiwifruit - only smaller. In fact it's a kiwiberry - a close relative of the fruit formerly known as the Chinese gooseberry - and this month Geoff Oliver's workers will be grading and packing more than 30 tonnes of the tiny fruit for export. This year, the Te Puke Fruitpackers Kiwi Produce director is exporting the fruit to nine markets including Germany, Britain, Australia, Japan and some other Asian countries. Oliver has been in the kiwifruit industry for 20 years and started growing the small, hairless fruit four years ago. "It's ideal for us. We were looking for something different to grow and thought this is a similar crop that we can grow easily," he said. He employs 35 workers, and up to 60 during the main season, at his Paengaroa pack house. The team harvests 65 canopy hectares of kiwifruit and 3.5ha of kiwiberries, and packs for several other kiwiberry growers in the district. Kiwiberries are harvested before kiwifruit, normally in late February or early March. "It's a good little fill-in during the off-season," said Oliver. "We tend to harvest the crop one day and pack the next. It's hard, fiddly work." Kiwiberries, themselves formerly known as arguta or baby kiwifruit, were becoming popular. "It is a neat little niche product that has its place in the market." Kiwiberries grow well in areas where the climate is suitable for growing Hayward green and gold kiwifruit. There are four varieties of the tiny fruit: red, green and two Hort-Research varieties, K2D4 and C3C3. The small berries weigh from 5g to 20g and have a smooth, edible skin. They are best eaten when the fruit has darkened or softened otherwise they can taste a little tart, and are full of fibre, potassium, sodium, vitamins C, A and E, calcium, magnesium and iron. - DAILY POST (ROTORUA)
It's small, green and looks like a grape but bite into it and you're in for a surprise. Slice one open and the inside looks just like a kiwifruit - only smaller. In fact it's a kiwiberry - a close relative of the fruit formerly known as the Chinese gooseberry - and this month Geoff Oliver's workers will be grading and packing more than 30 tonnes of the tiny fruit for export. This year, the Te Puke Fruitpackers Kiwi Produce director is exporting the fruit to nine markets including Germany, Britain, Australia, Japan and some other Asian countries. Oliver has been in the kiwifruit industry for 20 years and started growing the small, hairless fruit four years ago. "It's ideal for us. We were looking for something different to grow and thought this is a similar crop that we can grow easily," he said. He employs 35 workers, and up to 60 during the main season, at his Paengaroa pack house. The team harvests 65 canopy hectares of kiwifruit and 3.5ha of kiwiberries, and packs for several other kiwiberry growers in the district. Kiwiberries are harvested before kiwifruit, normally in late February or early March. "It's a good little fill-in during the off-season," said Oliver. "We tend to harvest the crop one day and pack the next. It's hard, fiddly work." Kiwiberries, themselves formerly known as arguta or baby kiwifruit, were becoming popular. "It is a neat little niche product that has its place in the market." Kiwiberries grow well in areas where the climate is suitable for growing Hayward green and gold kiwifruit. There are four varieties of the tiny fruit: red, green and two Hort-Research varieties, K2D4 and C3C3. The small berries weigh from 5g to 20g and have a smooth, edible skin. They are best eaten when the fruit has darkened or softened otherwise they can taste a little tart, and are full of fibre, potassium, sodium, vitamins C, A and E, calcium, magnesium and iron. - DAILY POST (ROTORUA)
America's Cup -
Yachting: America's Cup fever hits China
03.03.06 4.00pm
VALENCIA - The links between China and the America's Cup have been strengthened today with the announcement of a "China sails into the America's Cup" concert, which will be staged in Beijing on 1 April this year. The aim of the concert is to celebrate China Team, the first Chinese challenger in the long history of the America's Cup. "The challenge from China Team adds new excitement and energy to the legend of the America's Cup," said Paco Latorre, the communications director of the event organisers. The concert in April will feature up to 15 Chinese stars, including Mo Wen wei, Wang Li hong, Su you peng, Rong Zu er, Chen Hui lin, Zhao Wei, Yu Quan, Chen Kun, Zhou Xun. They will perform at the Tian Qiao Theatre, with the show broadcast on China Central Television, China's largest TV network. Bruno Troublé, the initiator of the Louis Vuitton Cup, said the challenge by China Team is crucial for the development of sailing in China. "The scores aren't important at this stage," he said. "What matters is that the crew is developing through competing with and against the best sailors in the world." The team is recruiting Chinese sailors in collaboration with the Chinese Yachting Association and will build its racing yacht in China, beginning later this summer. China Team is a collaboration between a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and the French Le Défi, which competed in the last two Louis Vuitton Cups. America's Cup racing begins this season with the Louis Vuitton Acts 10 and 11 from the 11th to 21st of May.
03.03.06 4.00pm
VALENCIA - The links between China and the America's Cup have been strengthened today with the announcement of a "China sails into the America's Cup" concert, which will be staged in Beijing on 1 April this year. The aim of the concert is to celebrate China Team, the first Chinese challenger in the long history of the America's Cup. "The challenge from China Team adds new excitement and energy to the legend of the America's Cup," said Paco Latorre, the communications director of the event organisers. The concert in April will feature up to 15 Chinese stars, including Mo Wen wei, Wang Li hong, Su you peng, Rong Zu er, Chen Hui lin, Zhao Wei, Yu Quan, Chen Kun, Zhou Xun. They will perform at the Tian Qiao Theatre, with the show broadcast on China Central Television, China's largest TV network. Bruno Troublé, the initiator of the Louis Vuitton Cup, said the challenge by China Team is crucial for the development of sailing in China. "The scores aren't important at this stage," he said. "What matters is that the crew is developing through competing with and against the best sailors in the world." The team is recruiting Chinese sailors in collaboration with the Chinese Yachting Association and will build its racing yacht in China, beginning later this summer. China Team is a collaboration between a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and the French Le Défi, which competed in the last two Louis Vuitton Cups. America's Cup racing begins this season with the Louis Vuitton Acts 10 and 11 from the 11th to 21st of May.
Purse snatching a Crime
Death for purse snatching
03.03.06 5.20am
A southern Chinese province has extended the nation's widespread use of the death penalty to "purse snatchers". Amnesty has called for the decision, in Guangdong province, to be overturned. The previous maximum penalty for violent theft of bags or purses had been three years' jail - now the minimum sentence. Motorcyclists in Guangdong have grabbed purses from pedestrians, sometimes using knives to cut the straps. Amnesty said the death penalty decision would not cut crime levels.
03.03.06 5.20am
A southern Chinese province has extended the nation's widespread use of the death penalty to "purse snatchers". Amnesty has called for the decision, in Guangdong province, to be overturned. The previous maximum penalty for violent theft of bags or purses had been three years' jail - now the minimum sentence. Motorcyclists in Guangdong have grabbed purses from pedestrians, sometimes using knives to cut the straps. Amnesty said the death penalty decision would not cut crime levels.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Steven Young Thesis
http://beta.acks.org/ NZST 511 STEVEN YOUNG
October 2005
FROM ASSIMILATION TO MULTICULTURALISMEvidence of an evolving model of settlement for the Chinese community in New Zealand from 1950 to the present.
1. INTRODUCTION
In the literature review undertaken as the first part of this exercise I reviewed the early history of the Chinese in New Zealand which included their first arrival as sojourner gold miners, their later move to urban centres and official discouragement of further migration and racial discrimination in the form of the Poll Tax and restrictions on the migration of women. I noted that at the beginning of the Second World War the Government allowed only the temporary entry of a group of Chinese women and children as a humanitarian measure, but at war’s end the Government relented and allowed them to stay and also allowed further family reunification - but not migration of unrelated persons. As a result more children were born, but because of cultural isolation, (arising from generally uneducated parents and the Communist takeover of China) these all grew up adopting the English language and local culture and lost contact with their Chinese heritage. I concluded that it also appeared to be official policy to encourage assimilation of the Chinese into the host culture in the hope that within a generation or two the Chinese would be fully merged through free inter-marriage and the “problem” of their existence as a separate racial group would largely disappear.
October 2005
FROM ASSIMILATION TO MULTICULTURALISMEvidence of an evolving model of settlement for the Chinese community in New Zealand from 1950 to the present.
1. INTRODUCTION
In the literature review undertaken as the first part of this exercise I reviewed the early history of the Chinese in New Zealand which included their first arrival as sojourner gold miners, their later move to urban centres and official discouragement of further migration and racial discrimination in the form of the Poll Tax and restrictions on the migration of women. I noted that at the beginning of the Second World War the Government allowed only the temporary entry of a group of Chinese women and children as a humanitarian measure, but at war’s end the Government relented and allowed them to stay and also allowed further family reunification - but not migration of unrelated persons. As a result more children were born, but because of cultural isolation, (arising from generally uneducated parents and the Communist takeover of China) these all grew up adopting the English language and local culture and lost contact with their Chinese heritage. I concluded that it also appeared to be official policy to encourage assimilation of the Chinese into the host culture in the hope that within a generation or two the Chinese would be fully merged through free inter-marriage and the “problem” of their existence as a separate racial group would largely disappear.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Bill Tung - Passed Away
http://yummycelebrities.com/2006/02/08/bill-tung-fighting-illness/
February 8, 2006 l Filed Celebrities' News, Hong Kong Celebrities
Hong Kong famous horse-racing commentator Bill Tung (董驃) is figthing his illness, he has been troubled by illness since last September. Best wishes and get well soon Uncle Bill.
Bill Tung or Tung Biu, often regarded as Uncle Bill is the most popular horse-racing commentator and show host in Hong Kong. His humor and bold critics on his show has managed to attract lots of fans, some of his audience don’t even race horses.
Bill Tung was acting in some movies as well, including the popular “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World” (富貴迫人)with Lydia Sum (沈殿霞) in 1980s. Internationally he is probably well known as Inspector Bill Wong as Jacky Chan’s superior in movie “Police Story” and also co-starring Jacky Chan in a few other earlier movies.
For the past few years Bill Tung has spent most of his time in Macau as a show host and horse trainer and managed to become a championship horse trainer.
Get well soon Uncle Bill!
UPDATE!Bill Tung passed away on Feb-22, 2006 at age of 73. RIP Uncle Bill.
February 8, 2006 l Filed Celebrities' News, Hong Kong Celebrities
Hong Kong famous horse-racing commentator Bill Tung (董驃) is figthing his illness, he has been troubled by illness since last September. Best wishes and get well soon Uncle Bill.
Bill Tung or Tung Biu, often regarded as Uncle Bill is the most popular horse-racing commentator and show host in Hong Kong. His humor and bold critics on his show has managed to attract lots of fans, some of his audience don’t even race horses.
Bill Tung was acting in some movies as well, including the popular “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World” (富貴迫人)with Lydia Sum (沈殿霞) in 1980s. Internationally he is probably well known as Inspector Bill Wong as Jacky Chan’s superior in movie “Police Story” and also co-starring Jacky Chan in a few other earlier movies.
For the past few years Bill Tung has spent most of his time in Macau as a show host and horse trainer and managed to become a championship horse trainer.
Get well soon Uncle Bill!
UPDATE!Bill Tung passed away on Feb-22, 2006 at age of 73. RIP Uncle Bill.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
I Want My Job Back
11.02.06By Errol Kiong and Stuart Dye
Auckland heart surgeon Xiao-Zhong Chen will be forced to return to China if he is refused his job back, a situation described by one former colleague as a "tragedy and a great loss to New Zealand medicine". At an emotional party last night to celebrate his acquittal on all charges of supplying a decongestant for the manufacture of methamphetamine, or P, Dr Chen said: "I love my job, and I just want it back." While working in Auckland, Dr Chen performed 1200 heart operations and 300 lung operations, a number described as astonishing by colleagues. But he has been without income since December 2004 and has no guarantee of getting his job back. "That is the next war," said former colleague Alan Kerr. Dr Chen said last night that he would seek urgent talks with the Auckland District Health Board to see if his future lay in NZ. If not, he would have to look to a move to Shanghai. The heart surgeon's family cried tears of elation as eight not guilty verdicts were read out in the Auckland District Court. A jury of seven women and four men took 25 minutes to acquit Dr Chen of all charges of supplying Telfast for the manufacture of P. "We're just relieved, very happy that we can go back to being normal. That's the biggest thing. Normality would be very very nice," said Dr Chen's daughter, Nancy, who flew from Sydney to be by her father's side throughout the two-week trial. She was still frustrated at how police handled the matter. "If they had gone to the trouble in the first place, we wouldn't have had to go through these 1 years. "We know the stupid things he does, but it's hard for other people to understand how somebody could be so naive ... He's got no idea who Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are." She is angry the two young Chinese nationals who duped her father into supplying them with the decongestant were allowed to skip the country within 24 hours of being granted bail. Throughout the trial, Dr Chen's consistent testimony cast doubt on the prosecution's case that he knowingly supplied the decongestant tablets for a $250,000 gain. Dr Chen, 54, maintained that he thought the tablets were being shipped to a pharmaceutical company for sale in China. He believed the tablets - which are not available in China - would help people there. He said he did not know about Telfast's use in manufacturing P until he saw a January 2004 TV news item. Character testimony from colleagues and family portrayed him as honest but naive and unworldly - due to the amount of time he spent working. His wife, Wendy Tang, testified that her husband was so dedicated to work, he took textbooks on their honeymoon. The court also heard how work - not money - was what made him happy. Before the jurors retired to consider their verdict, Judge Fred McElrea told them they must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the surgeon knew the tablets were being used to make P. Dr Chen now hopes the Medical Council will reinstate his licence, which was suspended when the charges were laid. At the time, he was working as a cardio-thoracic surgeon at Green Lane Hospital. He had been on a short-term contract and was on the verge of full-time employment with specialist registration. Dr Chen had the opportunity to sign a contract while his name and details of the case were suppressed by the court. It would have meant he would have been suspended on full pay. But he told management what was happening and has been out of work since. Not being able to work has been difficult. "I want to work," he said. "I enjoy every day, weekend and night, working in the hospital." Dr Kerr said Dr Chen was "a truly first-class surgeon". "If he isn't re-employed, it would be a big loss to New Zealand medicine."
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Auckland heart surgeon Xiao-Zhong Chen will be forced to return to China if he is refused his job back, a situation described by one former colleague as a "tragedy and a great loss to New Zealand medicine". At an emotional party last night to celebrate his acquittal on all charges of supplying a decongestant for the manufacture of methamphetamine, or P, Dr Chen said: "I love my job, and I just want it back." While working in Auckland, Dr Chen performed 1200 heart operations and 300 lung operations, a number described as astonishing by colleagues. But he has been without income since December 2004 and has no guarantee of getting his job back. "That is the next war," said former colleague Alan Kerr. Dr Chen said last night that he would seek urgent talks with the Auckland District Health Board to see if his future lay in NZ. If not, he would have to look to a move to Shanghai. The heart surgeon's family cried tears of elation as eight not guilty verdicts were read out in the Auckland District Court. A jury of seven women and four men took 25 minutes to acquit Dr Chen of all charges of supplying Telfast for the manufacture of P. "We're just relieved, very happy that we can go back to being normal. That's the biggest thing. Normality would be very very nice," said Dr Chen's daughter, Nancy, who flew from Sydney to be by her father's side throughout the two-week trial. She was still frustrated at how police handled the matter. "If they had gone to the trouble in the first place, we wouldn't have had to go through these 1 years. "We know the stupid things he does, but it's hard for other people to understand how somebody could be so naive ... He's got no idea who Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are." She is angry the two young Chinese nationals who duped her father into supplying them with the decongestant were allowed to skip the country within 24 hours of being granted bail. Throughout the trial, Dr Chen's consistent testimony cast doubt on the prosecution's case that he knowingly supplied the decongestant tablets for a $250,000 gain. Dr Chen, 54, maintained that he thought the tablets were being shipped to a pharmaceutical company for sale in China. He believed the tablets - which are not available in China - would help people there. He said he did not know about Telfast's use in manufacturing P until he saw a January 2004 TV news item. Character testimony from colleagues and family portrayed him as honest but naive and unworldly - due to the amount of time he spent working. His wife, Wendy Tang, testified that her husband was so dedicated to work, he took textbooks on their honeymoon. The court also heard how work - not money - was what made him happy. Before the jurors retired to consider their verdict, Judge Fred McElrea told them they must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the surgeon knew the tablets were being used to make P. Dr Chen now hopes the Medical Council will reinstate his licence, which was suspended when the charges were laid. At the time, he was working as a cardio-thoracic surgeon at Green Lane Hospital. He had been on a short-term contract and was on the verge of full-time employment with specialist registration. Dr Chen had the opportunity to sign a contract while his name and details of the case were suppressed by the court. It would have meant he would have been suspended on full pay. But he told management what was happening and has been out of work since. Not being able to work has been difficult. "I want to work," he said. "I enjoy every day, weekend and night, working in the hospital." Dr Kerr said Dr Chen was "a truly first-class surgeon". "If he isn't re-employed, it would be a big loss to New Zealand medicine."
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