What ethnicity is my son?

[Will_2007]

Bit of an odd question. My wife and I have just had our first child , and I’m filling in the ‘Registration of Birth’ form. We both have PR so the little fella is/will be an NZ citizen (even though we’re not!). We’re both British, but like most Brits are a bit of a mixed bag ethnically, being mostly Anglo-Saxon but with a bit of Celtic thrown in. I can’t really remember what UK paperwork asks when it comes to ethnicity, but I seem to recall I used to tick ‘white’ as my ethnicity. Here in NZ, I have been asked if I was ‘NZ European’, to which I respond ‘No, I’m European European’.

On the ‘Registration of Birth’ form, for me and my wife I’m guessing that ‘British’ would be the best description of our ethnicity (even though British is arguably not strictly an ethnicity). But what about our son? Is he now NZ European, being a New Zealand-born child of European immigrants? Or would his ethnicity be the same as ours?

I will probably just ring Internal Affairs to see what their definitions are, but thought I’d see what the ENZ hive-mind thinks first.

Also, I assume that once this form is received and processed (and the birth cert issued) then he will automatically be an NZ citizen, or is there anything else we need to do?

Any help gratefully received.

Will

[Kanga]

If you reside here permanently you are NZ European/ pakeha.

[James 1077]

Or add in a "none of your business" box and tick that ... which is my normal response to an ethnicity question.

[JandM]

White European New Zealander (in any order), for all of you? They're not asking after your citizenship status. In this context, I think it's how YOU see your racial and ancestral heritage and present attachment.

[dharder]

Congratulations on the birth of your baby

As pointed out above, I think you tick whatever takes your fancy. There's no legal defintion, as far as I am aware, of any of these, and it is very much a case of how you identify.

Daniela

[Duncan74]

I tend to opt for 'Other - Yorkshire'. You may not be fortunate enough to do the same.

[ralf-nz]

http://www.stats.govt.nz/surveys_and...efinition.aspx provides some information on this.


Amongst others there is a a brief definition according to which

'Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizenship. Ethnicity is self perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group.'

[Manks]

I tend to opt for 'Other - Yorkshire'. You may not be fortunate enough to do the same.

Thankfully I'm more fortunate. I can put Lancashire...

[Duncan74]

http://www.stats.govt.nz/surveys_and...efinition.aspx provides some information on this.


Amongst others there is a a brief definition according to which

'Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizenship. Ethnicity is self perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group.'

See above. I'm from Yorkshire. So in relation to questions regarding culture then I need to either say Yorkshire or Not Applicable....

[tywil]

I would just put down "human". Congratulations by the way