'Asians most discriminated in New Zealand'

Last Updated: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 18:05

Tags: Asian people, Joris de Bres, Human rights

`Asians most discriminated in New Zealand`

Wellington: People of Asian origin -- including those from India and China -- are the most discriminated against ethnic group in New Zealand, a survey has found.

The survey released on Saturday was carried out by UMR Research with 750 people in November last year, Xinhua reported.

Asians were named by 75 percent of respondents as the most discriminated against group in the country. That figure has remained relatively unchanged for the past five years.

New Zealand Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said the issue is not new, but the country needed to focus on inclusion of Asians in all aspects of New Zealand life to break down discrimination.

He said that in the 1970s and 1980s, Pacific islanders were more discriminated against but this changed as the community became more established.

De Bres hoped attitudes toward Asians would also change over time.

"Asians are now one of our four largest population groups, and one of the fastest growing. There are very few Asians on the boards of district health boards, not enough Asian teachers in our schools, not enough Asian local councillors or community board members and Asian migrants continue to face discrimination in applying for jobs," he said.

According to the 2006 census, there were over 354,000 people of Asian origin in New Zealand, of which 23 percent were of Indian origin born in New Zealand and 22 percent were of Chinese ethnicity born in New Zealand.

The Indian High Commission in Wellington said that till November 2011, there were 107,000 people of Indian origin.

IANS

First Published: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 16:34

Comments

D.N.MAKHIJA - DELHI............INDIA
IT IS NOT A BRAIN DRAIN.....EVERY BODY IS IN SEARCH OF THE BEST PACKAGE......THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE..................CAN OUR COUNTRY PROVIDE.SO...?..................HERE MOST OF THE POLITICIANS AND BUREAUCRATS ARE CORRUPTS..............EVERY WHERE SCAMS GOING ON......HERE..SOME CLERK HAVE CRORES OF RUPEES ...... AN HONEST WELL EDUCATED MAN CANNOT GET JOB WITHOUT PAYING BRIBE..........CANNOT GET ADMISSION IN SCHOOL WITHOUT BRIBE..........CANNOT GET GOOD CONTRACT WITHOUT BRIBE.........FOR MORE DETAILS...........MEET....KIRAN BEDI......KEJRIWAL......ANNA........BABA RAM DEV..........DR.SUBRAMANIAM.................

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Howard - India
It is not problem of the western or advanced nations that we are corrupt. They will resist when excess immigration will happen and they continue losing jobs.

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Tim - Christchurch, New Zealand
It`s important to remember that the NZ government does not work for the interests of most New Zealanders, they work for business owners and the rich. When Indians are given student visas and the right to work here, it`s not because kiwis decided this is something they want, it is because the rich think they can make money out of you. This comes at the expense of born-and-raised residents. I feel very downhearted when I see the decline in pay and work conditions at the factory I`ve worked in for 14 years. There is no unity of workers and no perks workers used to enjoy. People get hired and fired quickly, and there`s one Indian after another waiting to take the next job. How would you feel? (Note, I haven`t mentioned Chinese because they have a tendency not to mix they start a small business themselves and only employ other Chinese or Asian migrants.)

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Howard - India
I agree with you. Its high time that western nations start putting a cap on immigration. So that, our nation can bear the fruits of their qualifications and expertise. India also suffering due to brain drain and thousands of students walking out of the country every year. This harmful immigration must stop which is helping no one but a small group of people on both sides. Peace.

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Tim - Christchurch, New Zealand
Indian immigrants are undermining work conditions in NZ. They come in on student visas and work in low-paid jobs, like factories, retail, etc, and provide cheapskate employers (i.e. almost all employers) with a deep pool of disposable workers that they can fall back on if New Zealand workers try to improve their lot. In my factory, Indians make up a third of staff on some days (they`re there one day, not the next). I find the situation very disappointing for New Zealanders, as we are a relatively low-wage economy and our poorest people cannot afford to compete with immigrants flooding in on short-term visas. I like the Indians I know, but I don`t want them working here. We have too many unemployed already. A fifth of kiwi kids live below the poverty line. So please DON`T come and work here, you`re donig a bad thing for poor New Zealanders..