When do you become a Kiwi?

[Lupin]

When you get the blue stickers? When you get the permit? When you get a mortgage? When your children declare themselves to be one? When you get on the plane? When you decide you're here forever? After x number of years?

It's interesting I think. I was chatting to a not-so-happy in NZ British Ex-pat the other evening and he made a comment about NZers being very proud of what little (!) history they had and before I had a chance to think I responded by correcting him and saying we. He thought the idea of him being a Kiwi was funny, despite the fact that he owns a home here , has two kids in Kiwi schools, etc, etc. He declared himself British through and through.

I ask my kids and they earnestly declare they're Kiwi (the four year old follows the enthusiastic nine year old's lead), my husband says he's Kiwi because despite only having lived here for a quarter of a year he owns land here, has citizenship and Kiwi genes and would like to stay here forever. I pondered it for quite a while as I do feel Kiwi, but my think-links are not. I know so little of NZ history, culture, geography and politics and sometimes feel quite alien here so I'm not sure I really think of myself as Kiwi....yet.

Are you a Kiwi? If so when did you become one? If not, could you envisage becoming one and at what point?

[wiki]

After 10 years in the UK the only time I refer to myself as British is when I talke about soccer and say "we" to comment on the English football team - and that's only because NZ has no soccer pedigree to be proud of

According to my passport I'm as British as anyone born here, but in my heart I'm a Kiwi through-and-through and always will be - even if I lived here for 30 years.

But I think that reflects on me being 22 when I left NZ. Three of my siblings were born in the UK but left when they were all under-five and none of them consider themselves British.

[jubjub]

Hmmm, thats a hard one, I think it creeps up on you, and when we recently went away, I referred to here as home, not the UK. You also find yourself talking differently, picking up phrases and sayings from your new kiwi pals, and its now rare they catch me out with something! Although cough lollies caught hubby out at the weekend when he went for cough sweets (or cough drops as they are in Glasgow!)

I dont think I will ever call myself a kiwi as such, but I feel pretty much integrated into life here, so feel a member of the NZ society.

I was thinking of a comparison between being married, or just living together, no real different in commitment in most cases, but there is a piece of paper with marriage, maybe difference between PR and taking citizenship? Not sure what I am trying to say with that really!

OK, that was a ramble, hopefully it makes a bit of sense!

[nippa&pippa]

This questions had been covered before, here http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1295

For me, I will be british even I am jamaica-born
For my children will be kiwi as they won't remember UK like me don't remember jamaica.
The baby i am expecting will be kiwi .

[Lupin]

Thanks, that thread was really interesting. I couldn't be done with reading it all but managed a few pages. I thought this quote the most interesting

i agree that we will always be british and also in the eyes of kiwis always british how ever long we are here

because I have found nothing to be further from the truth; Kiwi's like Aussies seem to accept their immigrants as NZ citizens much earlier than I think the British in Britain do. My mother (emigrating to Oz) says she will no doubt be an Oz to the Aussies as soon as she lands as has noticed that is she is more likely to be asked "how long have you been an Australian?" there as an immigrant whereas in Britain you are likely to be asked "where are you from?". Perhaps the fact that most Kiwi's are only a couple of generations Kiwi at best and therefore have more flexible notions of citizenship. I don't know, but it is interesting. Sorry to have posted on something that has already been discussed to death! I'll check before I post again

[Leccy-Lee]

Just out of curiousity and a side note...

When do you start to pick up the kiwi accent and lingo (if at all?)
I now i been on holidayto USA for a month once and without even noticing it i came home with a slight american twang if only for day or so.
So have you got a NZ accent yet? If so when did you pick it up and also how soon did you pick up the local lingo etc.

[dharder]

I don't anticipate to become a Kiwi at all. I've lived in England for 10 years now, but rather than British (which I am according to my passport), I think I would only go as far as describing myself as a Londoner.

It'll be interesting to see what the children will make out of the whole thing, they've been born here and have so far only lived here. As opposed to me, though, they will move to NZ with NZ passports, and officially be Kiwis already, so I expect it may be easier for them.

As far as accents go, I always pick those up really quickly, even if I don't want to. I think that is partly because English is my second language, so I don't really have such an 'ingrained' accent to begin with.

When I lived in the States, I had a US accent, I now have a British one, and am sure it won't take too long before I start saying 'heaps' instead of 'lots' all the time, and no one will be able to tell if I'm talking about pigs or (clothes-)pegs anymore.

Daniela

[Jenny & Mark]

Just out of curiousity and a side note...

When do you start to pick up the kiwi accent and lingo (if at all?)
I now i been on holidayto USA for a month once and without even noticing it i came home with a slight american twang if only for day or so.
So have you got a NZ accent yet? If so when did you pick it up and also how soon did you pick up the local lingo etc.

I've heard that the accent you have in your mid- to late twenties will tend to be your accent for life; although I really hope mine will change - not that I am ashamed of it - it would just make me more Kiwi.

Cheers, Mark.

[stu70]

The feelings of belonging are all about our experiences. For some who flee their homeland even under duress, the home they left behind remains their identity. So it will really boil down to how your mind feels about your new association with this adopted land. Do you feel "connected" to the new place? Do you feel like you are now "home"? If the answers are yes then no matter what your accent or the time you have spent in the new environment, you will feel a "local". Buying property or raising families alone will not bring you any closer to feeling like you are one though.

[Ana&Steve]

Steve and I feel that since we want to go to NZ and call it home, we will make every effort to become Kiwi. Not to say we won't have pride in where we came from or what we've accomplished. I think one of the biggest reasons we have this mentality is because of the problems SoCal faces every day with illegal (and legal) immigration, and the aggressive attitudes towards Americans the immigrants show. When I patronize a business in the States, I don't want to be treated poorly just because I'm American.
If one comes to a country with the intention of gaining something for oneself and one's family, one should respect the country's culture and people. (even if in your heart you still consider yourself your first nationality)
BTW, this is just my opinion, and not a criticism of ANYONE! Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts.
As to when to consider yourself a Kiwi, I'd say it's when you decide you are; it can happen at any time during the process!