report on Asian families in NZ

[Oregonkiwi]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11679004

Asian families are more vulnerable than other Kiwis despite doing reasonably well financially, a new report says.
Almost all (91 per cent) Asian two-parent families with children have at least one person in paid work, and 81 per cent earn what the report calls "adequate income", above 60 per cent of the median net family income.

But 19 per cent say they have experienced unfair discrimination in the past year, 32 per cent say they can't easily express their identity, 46 per cent feel unsafe walking alone in their neighbourhood at night, 53 per cent are dissatisfied with their working hours and pay, and a massive 58 per cent - more than any other ethnicity - are paying more than a quarter of their after-tax incomes on housing, which the report calls "unaffordable".

The report, an annual update on family wellbeing by the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (Superu - formerly the Families Commission), challenges popular perceptions of Asian migrants as rich and secure.
"Asian couples with younger children appear to be more vulnerable in relation to economic security, housing, and hours of work and pay," it says. "These families are more likely to experience discrimination and to feel uneasy about expressing their identities. .....

[gcapd]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11679004

This is disheartening. We come from Asian ethnicity.
My dad arrived in New Zealand 9 years ago to work in the Dairy the time when NZ was in dire need of workers in the industry. My mother joined him here 6 years ago. Both of them worked hard for living and for us their children with no gaps of unemployment at all. Both of them have been paying government taxes same as what an NZ citizen would pay depending on salary income level.
My youngest brother after finishing college in our home country decided to join us here 2 years ago. He enroled in the college here and was accepted, then he succesfully graduated from year 13. During this time our residency application at Immigration was in process as my dad has been working in a skilled job, meeting the required income, work experience, excellent English skill, character requirement and qualification. We all thought we as a family be reunited at last through a residency grant but it never happened.
To cut the long story short, my youngest brother was forced to return to our country because he was not eligible for any government funding for university or for a SIT ZERO Fees and he would have to be foreign fee paying student. We have indeed seen as a family and with the testimonies of other Asian communities who have put down roots here in NZ that there is quite an injustice being served to us who have been working hard and paying taxes to the government for long years on a longterm temporary visa.
We were disappointed to see our hard earned income taxes refusing us of essential benefits from the government. Is it not that taxes have to serve back its citizen in return for their welfare accorded the basic rights to education, health, and financial assistance? Is not the taxes for the people and for its kin? For nearly 10 years of hardwork, my parents were refused of a Kiwisaver, my youngest brother was refused to entering the university or any other educational institution paying as what an ordinary NZ citizen do, we were refused to be reunited in a country where my parents have put down roots, and refused of any other retirement benefits.
It is alarming to note where the taxes are going to---- Ministry of Social Development 26.20%, Ministry of Health 17.02%, and Ministry of Education 15.06%. It dawn in my mind, what makes us foreign workers different from workers of the citizen of this country? Should we not also be afforded the rights and benefits as what would others have?
Now my mother who had worked in this country has a heart problem, paying massive amount of money for any medical tests required by Immigration before getting her visa renewed. Soon, after those tests and she be found no longer fit to do any work, will be forced back home too in our country after the government has used her to help build this economy leaving my father behind who continues to work and pay taxes, and when he too becomes ill, aged, and weak, be sent home with nothing but a meager savings in his hand.

[batgirl1001]

The report is not solely specific on Asian families in NZ but does highlight the issues faced by the Asian ethnicities in NZ. It's quite a broadbased report and analysis seems to indicate the importance of family in maintaining social cohesion, structure and assimiliation. Across multi-ethnicities whether European, Asian, Pasifika it seems to indicate commonality in issues like housing, cost of living, job security and health whereas in specific reference to integration, it highlights to some extend the difficulties in Asian communities have in NZ integrating into the NZ culture. The report does indicate education, a mastery of language and skills in demand are the determiners on how successful a person does integrate into the culture.

[Jerry Maguire]

I can totally relate to this --> are paying more than a quarter of their after-tax incomes on housing, which the report calls "unaffordable".

I expected housing to be expensive but in my current experience of house hunting (for rental), I have found that it is not only unbelievably difficult , it is also way too expensive.

Difficult - yes, house hunting is always difficult. I am referring to certain nuanced suggestions made by some agents or owners that make one uncomfortable and kinda self-disqualify from getting the house one wants.

Expensive - yes, I expected it to be expensive and yes, it is area specific. But I am finding that any 'decent' home (again, this varies with how big or how young your family is), is at least $580-$590 per week! With these rates, I am wondering if I can afford to stay in areas considered 'good schools lesser prone to crime'!! Some of these places I have been to, are not worth the asking price. If I want to 'talk' about the rent, for instance, agents just look the other way and pretend not to hear. I am not so sure if that treatment is set for 'Asians' but whatever. I don't care to look at such behavior through any lens. But, that's how it is. I'd be happy to find a decent place with good schools and grit it out for a year. Then, take a deep breath and take a huge plunge and .. buy my own place (which is another battle in its own right).


Of course, I have a job and I cannot complain about my salary either. I also agree with - "education, a mastery of language and skills in demand are the determiners on how successful a person does integrate into the culture." Folks, so far in my experience, are accommodating (except on roads! :P) and polite. No one expects you to know 'how' it works here and are more than willing to give you your time to learn.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[Super_BQ]

Is not the taxes for the people and for its kin?

You should consider how New Zealanders are treated in Australia. If they don't immigrate there under the skilled category migrant (ie. just hop on plane and fly over), they pay all the taxes like normal citizen but get little or nothing back from the Australian gov't. But that's a different story to this discussion.

Family cohesion is important, but not as important as to allow a window of abuse. Far too many cases where new migrants (via the family reunification category) have migrated to NZ and end up on the WINZ 'emergency benefit' scheme. While illegal, they make up fake documents of rental agreements to show their case to WINZ that they need funding to live. While at the same time, their ie children (who sponsored them and become NZ resident / citizen) manage to mortgage on another house where say their parents live in and generate a rental income for all the rooms in the house ; double dipping). Note: i'm speaking of these migrants that came earlier prior to the change in NZ Immigration laws - MUCH more difficult to do this today. Now i'm not so sure if other ethnicities are so greedy as the Asians in milking the system. I do know that I pay my fair share of taxes and it sucks to see migrants getting a free ride.

[Oregonkiwi]

"More than half of Chinese living in New Zealand feel unsafe: survey" http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...nd-feel-unsafe

[Super_BQ]

I'm not surprised with the survey results however, like there's no limit to how much $$ the Chinese desire, the same can be said with safety ; there's no amount of level of safety that will satisfy them. It's a cultural issue and if they're coming from China, they're use to checking if the doors are locked 5 times a day. My FIL is like that and the door handles appear more wobbly over the years (from routinely wiggling the hand to see if the door is locked).

[Oregonkiwi]

"More than half of Chinese living in New Zealand feel unsafe: survey"

another story on this survey:http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/nation...o-tackle-crime

[Sen2016]

Is NZ racist? Especially against people from Asia? Really?

I'm from French Polynesia, so it's not so far away from NZ. We also have Polynesian (and we share some words with Maoris) and we do have some "white people". And immigration is from Asia in first if we excluded "skills migrants" from France and so.

The fact is, and I'm sorry and I don't want to be racist, but when people from Asia come here, they don't try to be integrated with the local culture. I don't speak about giving their own culture up, but I do believe when you move to live abroad and when you are from the 2nd generation of migrants, you should think and behave like "native" people.

If we look by %, how many Asian owners engage non-Asian workers in NZ?

I used to live in NZ for around 2years, 1year in Australia (Perth) and 3years in New Caledonia. I'm sorry but some, and I can't say strongly almost of them, but some people from Asia they don't do anything to assimilate the local culture.
They stay between them, they work between them, they eat their culture foods and they still follow their own custom.

And when we ask why? It's usually because they feel unsafe, or they think we will judge them or we will laugh because they don't speak our language well. That's ironic because how can you improve to learn a language if you don't do anything to meet local people.

My flatmates in Auckland were from Korea and Malaysia (Chinese Malay). When I was looking for something on Trademe, my Korean flatmate only used to use a Korean website. And that's still true in 2016.

PS: in 3 years in NZ and OZ, I'm sorry but I've seen more Polynesian and Aborigene homeless than Asians or Westerners

[Oregonkiwi]

"What’s the deal with denial? A NZ Chinese woman on ‘Kiwi-ness’ and casual racism" http://thespinoff.co.nz/featured/26-...with+denial%3F