CHineseINK

BEING MAORI CHINESE MIXED IDENTITIES – MANYING IP

A Marsden-funded research project led by Associate Professor Manying Ip from the School of Asian Studies at The University of Auckland, with support from Professor Margaret Mutu, head of the Department of Maori Studies, has given insight into a previously unexplored area: the evolving dynamics between Maori and Chinese in New Zealand.

The project examined the relationship between Maori as New Zealand’s indigenous people, the tangata whenua, and Chinese as the country’s earliest and most sizeable non-European immigrant group. This relationship was traced from the earliest encounters in the late nineteenth century when it was cordial and close, to contemporary times when it has become more complicated.

The researchers used oral history interviews with elders of both communities, in-depth interviews with young urban Maori and new Chinese immigrants, as well as focus group meetings. Census data were also examined, as well as opinion polls and a specially designed bilingual online survey. Media analysis was conducted on both Maori and Chinese language media in order to examine the possible influence of these on the popular views of both groups.

Early interactions between Maori and Chinese centred around market garden semi-rural regions, and the results of the research showed that the relationship between the two groups was close and cordial during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Fond memories of warm interactions are still evident in the rural regions where Chinese market gardens once flourished.

In contrast, contemporary relationships unfolding in urban centres involve considerable tension and social distance between the two ethnic groups. Each group tends to stereotype the other, and it is common for both to feel that the Government favours the other. In smaller centres, where there are more frequent, meaningful social contacts between the groups, there is much less stereotyping and racial fear.

The results show that the Chinese view of Maori appears negative on the surface, but their responses to specific issues indicate that they are more positive and sympathetic towards Maori than Pakeha on specific Treaty issues. Chinese views of Maori are more sophisticated than expected: more multi-faceted and dynamic. There is evidence that Chinese empathy towards Maori stems from their feeling of being “equally marginalised” by Pakeha.

The study included a group of people with mixed Maori-Chinese descent, and showed that they often feel “caught in between”. The younger generation in this group are typically more comfortable with their mixed heritage than their parents or grandparents. Many younger Maori-Chinese people have typically shown great pride in their mixed heritage, which they increasingly regard as an asset rather than a liability.

The Chinese media research showed that Maori issues loom rather large on the Chinese horizon and there is a general desire to know more about Maori because they were regarded as very important to the acceptance of the Chinese by New Zealand society.

The research on Maori media found no reporting of Maori relationships with, or opinions of, Chinese in the nineteenth century Maori newspapers. A twentieth century government publication for Maori, however, contained some positive reporting and noted the Maori-Asian ancestral connections, and Maori Television featured a major documentary series on China and several documentaries relating to Chinese, as well as a children’s cartoon series based on a Chinese folk hero.

The study found that social contact between Maori and Chinese and acculturation of Chinese migrants could both be key drivers for a better Maori-Chinese relationship, and the longer immigrants stay in New Zealand, the more sympathetic they become towards Maori. Overall, the results of this research will help provide a basis of knowledge from which better ethnic relations could develop.

For more information contact:

Assoc Prof Manying Ip

The University of Auckland

my.ip@auckland.ac.nz

NEW ZEALAND CHINESE ASSOCIATION

National President’s Speech at the Chinese New Year Parliamentary Reception in the Grand Hall, Parliament Buildings on 19 February 2008.

Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Helen Clark; Minister of Ethnic Affairs & Minister of Education, Honourable Chris Carter; Ministers of the Crown and Members of Parliament, Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China; Mr Zhang Yuan Yuan, Distinguished guests, Members of the Chinese Community, Ladies and gentlemen.

The New Zealand Chinese Association would like to wish everyone here tonight a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year. Gong hei fait choi, sun nean fal lock.

On behalf of all the guests here tonight, I wish to thank the Prime Minister and the Minister of Ethnic Affairs for graciously hosting this parliamentary function to celebrate our Chinese New Year. This event, to welcome the Year of the Rat, is highly appreciated by the Chinese community.

Prime Minister, i still remember very vividly being present for your public apology to the Poll Tax payers and their descendents at a similar reception on Chinese New Year Day, 12 February 2002. This was a very emotional and historical occasion for the Chinese community who had personally suffered hardship and injustices under the past selective discrimination.

Your subsequent announcement of the reconciliation package on 11 February 2004 and the setting up of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust later in 2004 has provided appropriate closure of the Poll Tax grievance issue. The Poll Tax descendant community will be eternally grateful for this courageous action by you and your Labour Government.

The annual income from the trust is being used to fund projects that provide tangible support for our Chinese New Zealand history, our Cantonese heritage language, our unique identity and Chinese arts & culture, particularly that of the early settler Chinese community.

As you and many others are aware, the New Zealand Chinese Association, worked tirelessly from the early 1990’s on the Poll Tax issue, and as a national organisation with many Poll Tax descendants as members, we have initiated or enhanced many activities with the financial support of the Poll Tax Trust.

Major NZCA events that have benefited from the support of the Poll Tax Trust include the series of very successful Banana events which examined the identity of Chinese New Zealanders both in a local and global context, two Leadership Camps attended by about 40 young Chinese on each occasion to learn more about their cultural heritage
and to acquire leadership skills, and the annual Easter Sports Tournament & Cultural Event which attracts many participants and supporters from throughout NZ.

Our assocation is the only truly national Chinese organisation in NZ whose aims and and objectives are summarised by the following succinct mottos:

• Serving NZ Chinese for over 70 years with 13 Branches nationwide

• Leading NZ Chinese into the future

NZCA considers it is very important that we enhance the relationship of the descendants with all Chinese residents in New Zealand and the wider New Zealand community. This should produce a stronger and united Chinese community and a stronger multi-ethnic society in New Zealand for the benefit of all New Zealanders. “We are all childen
of migrants. The only difference is when our parents came here”.

I am tonight launching a fundraising appeal for a gift by all Chinese New Zealanders to the NZ Olympic Team going to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. It is proposed that the gift will sit outside the NZ Team living area in the Olympic village and be presented to the Chinese Olympic Committee
at the end of the games.

This is an unique opportunity which may not re-occur in our lifetime to demonstrate to all NZers that NZ Chinese feels an integral part of our adopted country and that we greatly appreciate the opportunities to settle here and enjoy the better lifestyle here. And to China, our former home country, the gift signifies that NZ has fully accepted Chinese as worthy citizens who have made immense contributions to their new home country.

Messrs Ron Sang and Guy Ngan, eminent NZ Chinese artists, have organised an appropriate design for the gift consisting of a two metre long modern stylised dragon (symbolising China) with a greenstone pearl on its tongue (symbolising Maori) on a granite base at a total estimated cost of about $40,000. The sculpture needs to be completed by mid - May to ship with other equipment for the NZ Olympic Team.

A charitable trust is already in place and hence any donations made are tax deductible. The names of all persons and organisations who donate $1,000 and more will be suitable engraved on the sculpture for all to see. (And if you are ready to write that cheque out now, please see Harvey Wu or myself after this speech).

At this stage, I would like to introduce Mr Dave Currie, Chef de Mission, and Robyn Wong, Team Services Manager for the NZ Olympic Team who will ensure safe delivery of our gift to Beijing and the handover to the Chinese hosts after the games. I now unveil a model of our gift for you all to view.

Once again, I wish to thank the Prime Minister and the Hon Chris Carter for hosting this Chinese New Year celebration, and thank you all for attending.

Kai Luey

I attended the NZ China Friendship Society dinner to celebrate Spring Festival/Chinese New Year at the newly renamed Dragon Restaurant in Tory Street. The Society, once regarded as a hot-bed of communist sympathisers in the 1960s, is now very much regarded as New China’s oldest friend in New Zealand and is the “home” of many European  “old China hands” - the most famous being Rewi Alley. Its celebrations are duly attended by the Ambassador, the Mayors of Wellington and Porirua and by Foreign Affairs officials.

I noted that Ambassador Zhang Yuanyuan arrived attired in a formal “Mao” suit, a form of dress these days usually reserved for State funerals and dire announcements of national significance. As the Ambassador cheerfully told everyone later, China’s Foreign Ministry had instructed all Chinese ambassadors worldwide to attend Spring Festival celebrations in formal dress; however in the southern hemisphere, Wellington’s autumn heat and the Dragon’s lack of air-conditioning had conspired against the Ministry, forcing the Ambassador to deliver his speech in shirt sleeves.

Mayor Kerry Prendergast cheerfully noted that Wellington had “sister-city” relationships with not one, but two Chinese cities, Xiamen and Beijing (there is a Chinese term for that, but I’ve forgotten it) and wanted help and support from both for Wellington’s long-awaited Chinese Garden. She also announced that she had been invited by the Municipal Government of Beijing to the 2008 Summer Olympics and would just have to make time in her busy schedule to attend. It’s tough work being Mayor but someone has to do it.

We had a NZ Foreign Affairs official at the table who reported good progress in concluding the NZ China free-trade agreement - China’s first with an OECD country. Unfortunately he was on the opposite side of the table because I was just dying to ask him why New Zealand did not have a single ethnic-Chinese New Zealander in its negotiating team in however junior a position - demonstrating a lack of sensitivity to New Zealand’s Chinese population, blindness to an obvious diplomatic opportunity and the “whiteness” of the upper levels of New Zealand’s government.

The Dragon Restaurant is still much as I designed it. In its second incarnation they replaced the stainless steel handrails around the stage with faux Chinese patterned wood and painted the walls brown; in this, its third incarnation they didn’t replace the bone plates with fresh ones and the waitress asked the customers to help clear the table.

A NZCFS dinner always ends with a quizz about China - with the guests at each table forming teams. The 25 written questions are so obscure that even the Ambassador, senior foreign affairs officials and diplomatic staff from two countries, two mayors, the headmaster and headmistress of two of Wellington’s great schools, the Chancellor of Victoria University and Google on a cellphone cannot agree the answers and the evening ends in uproar.

From R to L: Lee Kit from Hong Kong (inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Bolton Street Cottage), Siv Fjaerestad (Curator of Enjoy Art Gallery, Cuba Street) and a friend discuss Lee’s upcoming visual arts project.

Haining Street (and the parallel Frederick Street) - was the heart of Wellington’s original Chinatown.

Nigel Murphy wrote: Probably the most notorious incident in the street took place in 1905, when Joe Kum Yung was shot by Lionel Terry outside no 13, to draw attention to his anti-Asiatic views. In his statement to the duty officer when he handed himself and his revolver in, he said: “I have to tell you that I am the man who shot the Chinaman last night. I take an interest in alien immigration and I took this means of bringing it under public notice.”

You can search my main website for details of the incident.

The centenary of the incident was marked by a street theatre re-enactment at the very site, attended by about 300 people and many dignitaries. Mayor Kerry Prendergast offered to make a brass plaque to commemorate the incident and its centenary. It has now been installed.

New Zealand Chinese Language Association Inc proudly announces the release of the revised Second Edition of Pamela Yeh’s

“Legends and Tales from Ancient China”

Comprising 25 traditional stories written in Modern Chinese characters, and Pinyin with English translations.

Comes with a CD with sound tracks in Mandarin, English, and Cantonese;

CD also includes written script in full form traditional Chinese characters.

A most valuable resource for learners of Chinese, and for Chinese learners of English at all levels.

Every Chinese speaking family should have a copy in their home to enable children to know these stories as told to our parents and grandparents.

Cost: $30 plus $2.50 post & packaging

Order Form

Newly re-elected Mayor Kerry Prendergast launched the Asian Events Trust’s programme to celebrate the Year of the Rat in 07 February 08. Rebecca Tom (left), Stephanie Tims and Linda Lim, have been doing this work under contract to the Wellington City Council for seven years and each year the event gets bigger and better. What began as a street parade down Courtenay Place, with a hundred people, ten floats and a Lion dancing in a pear tree has grown into a not-so mini Asian Arts Festival. Indeed there is some danger that by 2010 Wellington could have a 10 month long International Festival of Wearable Chinese New Year Managerie. Good on them for developing a vehicle that helps get a share of China’s cultural diplomacy allocation for Wellington.

One thing that is bound to get bigger is the Falun Gong marching band, now that they have won the right to join this year’s Wellington Farmer’s Christmas Parade. These occasions must be a great treat for its members who travel long distances from throughout New Zealand to join our local family festivities. In Auckland, the City of Triangle Television, the jury is still out, and for now so are they

The Xiamen Association and the Sakai Association, flag bearers for Wellington’s sister cities in China and Japan respectively, held a joint Christmas celebration at Hede Japanese Restaurant. There was a minimum of formalities before we were able to enjoy the meal which included menu items which were variously, and confusingly, intended for individuals, couples, trois and quadruplets. Some piggies got double rations and some, like Tom Yuan (Wellington City Councils Asian Liaison Officer who had to go the airport during the festivities) got none.

WXA and WSA are the natural homes of those with cultural or business links with China and Japan respectively and it appears the political sponsorship of the Council makes all the difference in gaining access and making an impact in those cities.

I have been working on a film about the Chinese in Molesworth Street which is the heart of the Government Centre. Originally created as a contribution to Wellington City Council’s InSite/IntensCity urban design/arts project, I arranged to interview a number of Wellington Chinese identities at the sites of their former businesses.

The stars of the film are Mrs YH Lowe, Laywood Chan representing his father Dan Chan, Ken Chan, Alan Tso, Willie Wong, Sonny Tom and the baby of the group, Richard Young, who had businesses opposite the Railway Station, at the Court of Appeal, the Accident Compensation Building and the State Services Commission. An on-site summing up was provided by Nigel Murphy from the National Library, also conveniently located on Molesworth Street.

The interviews were all conducted in four hours with camera and sound technicians arranged by Siv Fjaerestad from Enjoy Art Gallery who was also the director. Best Boy and stills photographer was Peter Wong. Willie Wong got hold of the genuine props (used in every scene!) and acted as Transport Master. Christine Chan-Hyams was copyright adviser.

Film and sound editing has taken some time, because in zero-budget film-making one is rather dependent on the goodwill and time availability of the post-production team, and this is a busy time of the year for students of film who must submit their own projects to the University for assessment. As this film is being made on behalf of the Wellington Chinese Association, we are trying to arrange Chinese translations and subtitles.

The world premiere of this film will be held in February 2008, coincidentally, just before the International Festival of the Arts, at the New Zealand Film Archive. We have negotiated a deposit agreement with the Film Archive which will make the film available for viewing to (but not copying by) students and researchers. Copyright in the film will be jointly vested in the Wellington Chinese Association and Enjoy Art Gallery. We have model releases from the participants; nevertheless any future use of the images must respect the personal dignity and cultural sensitivities of those portrayed in the film and the community they represent.

Apart from the stars of the film and the production team, the premiere will be attended by representatives from Enjoy Art Gallery, the Wellington City Council and Asia NZ Foundation. We hope that there will be good turn-out from the local Chinese community.

Already this new connection with the arts community has had some beneficial spin-offs. The Association has been asked to support a project organised by Enjoy in which No Chinatown Malaysian installation artist Kah Bee Chow will work in Wellington as part of a national One Day Sculpture project. Members will be invited to interact with the artist during a research visit and later witness the creation of a work in 24 hours. Also, in 2008, we will have the opportunity to support the visit of a Hong Kong artist taking up a painting residency in the Bolton Cottage in Bolton Street – part of New Zealand’s increased interaction with Asia.

*Ching Kong refers to Wellington’s Clear Harbour. Our budget was probably smaller than Peter’s; about $27 for the tapes and miscellaneous items, plus $66 for the cost of the wrap party.

I joined a class of International MBA students for dinner at the invitation of the course director Dr Paul McDonald. The course gives students, who are highly motivated but have business and family commitments, the opportunity to attend lectures delivered face-to-face by Victoria academic staff in Hong Kong, and to receive a genuine Victoria University degree. The course is coordinated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Asia-Pacific Business Institute.

Most members of the class tour New Zealand as part of the course experience. It was thought that as students in a Victoria MBA programme they should know something of New Zealand’s history and culture, but as Chinese they would be interested in the history and culture of the Chinese in New Zealand.

So once again I was able to dine out on my favourite subject, by giving a talk that started by contrasting the Treaty of Waitangi with the Treaty of Nanjing and ended by asking how the Chinese were going to take a full part in a New Zealand which is becoming increasingly bicultural (with a special place reserved for Maori in its constitutional arrangements).

It struck me later that these students already had experience of special constitutional arrangements. After the British took Hong Kong under the Treaty of Nanjing they limited the constitutional rights of the Chinese living there for 100 years. When the British left Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China and while the people have the privilege of continuing to live there, once again they have limited political rights. No wonder Hong Kong people just concentrate on making money instead.