Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Hi people
Living in PCUK I'm not sure about asking this.... but as we're trying to build a picture of life in NZ I suppose I should get it out of the way.

I had a conversation recently with someone who had spent time in NZ and one of his "observations" was that you had to be "wary of certain ethnic minorities", most of his comments didn't come across as racist but centered around the lifestyle, attitudes and behaviour of said ethnic minorities, he also said that in his experience this seemed to be confined to areas of the north island and he hadn't come across it in the south. Can anyone confirm or deny (hopefully) this.

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Can't believe no one's answered this! I'm only posting cos I can't believe 41 people have looked but not replied!
Now I'm only talking about a two week visit here,hardly experience enough to answer such a deep query,but I do remember that each party very much kept to themselves-not a lot of integration,dunno about schools though.
Doesn't really help,but at least you've had a reply!!

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

We are in Auckland, and yes you are absolutely right, but then it is a city so you can expect to have less reputable places, doesn't mean you have to live there though! And yes also in NZ you have some not so good people, no different to anywhere else in the world!!!
There is a high population of ethnic's from various places, most of which are good people, just perhaps not so fortunate as us !!
Crime, aswell it happens and not infrequently!
You just need to as aware here as anywhere else!!
Apart from all that we love Auckland and live in a great neighbourhood, have nice neighbours, and feel safe to let our kids play out doing things should be doing, unlike when we were in the UK

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

I dare reply too!...

Yes I find that people are still segretated :)

But I think that is is mostly because many immigrants are still 1st generation!
If you immagine certain parts of London and North England there are big areas of the communities that are not of origional UK decent but they are considered English, because many of them were born in England and they consider themselves English. I am sure with the next generation things will become more intergrated!!

Hey and all the 'Dairys" (corner shops) are run by Indians, but hey good on them, someone has to do it, they are the only ones prepared to put in the hours and work to make them a success!!! Because majority are all open till at least 8.30-9pm at night and goodness time what time they open in the morning, certainly before I get up!!!!

At work we have a lot of good natured mikey taking about the various trates of the various nationalities, I work with Maori, English, Kiwi, Indians and Asian (what we call people from China, Japan etc) and as long as you are prepared to accept peoples differences it is quiet enlightening and interesting!!! especially when you sometimes have to explain a joke about 5 times!!!

Just be prepared... all people know about the UK (unless they have been there) is what they see on Coronation Street so they think we all live in small terrace houses with no garden and spend all day in the pub!!!

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

And it gets dark at 2 in the afternoon :rolleyes:

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Sounds like a massive generalisation! Who are these "certain ethnic minorities" ?

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Of course, if you immigrate, Catzohm, you too will be an ethnic minority...

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Point taken! His comments were mainly about people of a pacific origin and suggested a lot of drunkenness and antisocial behavior ( same applies to any UK town centre when the payday cowboys are on the loose)

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Perhaps the answers you are looking for, can be found in everybodies lack of response to your question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :confused: It is maybe not a subject beople feel comfortable discussing in a public forum :scared:

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

the whole world has problems and therea re good and bad in everyone. I was told when I moved to NZ not to move to any towns that I coudl not pronounce!
:scared: So far , so good.

Don't ask!
 

I’m an ethnic minority in my house and I find the question extremely offensive………….just because I am from a different planet does not mean to say I have to be discriminated against! :D :D :D

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

I suppose house prices will give you an indication of what is and what is not a desirable area to live in.

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

I work with many pacific islanders and am great friends with all of them. They are very generous, kind people and have offered lots of support to me since I arrived. Interestingly, they think the British are all party people who like their drinks (and I can't disagree witht them!) They have many interesting stories to tell and I have learnt a lot about their culture and their homeland. Generally, they are quite wary of us, just as we are of other cultures, but once you get to know them they're not so scarey! There are also good and bad, just as in any other culture.
I think what I'm trying to say (and not doing a very good job) is that if you make the effort to integrate, they will return that effort. Hope that helps :confused:

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Nice to know that my "source" is generally way off the mark. Personally we take people as we find them, if they're bad they're bad, if they're good they're good, don't matter much to us where they come from. All for the "one world" principle myself.

Re: Dunno if I dare ask!
 

Had my 2nd 'odd' encounter with Maori peeps last weekend and apart from this all has been well so it's not a bad thing but ....

We were out for a stroll with the dog around the Hamilton Lake (the dog can come here too and that's unusual for this part of the world but it has to be on the lead - fair enough). Anyway there's a big sailing club there that gets used by the Sea Scouts, etc. but there's also a place there that the maori peeps use for their Waka (canoe) training.
Fine. However, on this particular day, we walked through them (there was a large gathering of about 200 people doing this, that and the other and dogs (running loose - one rule for them and one for us, like the gyps in the UK, sorry!) and we got the distinct feeling that 'they' did not want 'us' walking through their group. The stares and the feeling of breathing down our neck was not nice. I even smiled at a couple to break the iceonly to get an evil glare.

Have been here 2yrs and prior to this only time I've experienced it was in Cambridge in a veggie store when a kid of about 5 was playing witha truck on the floor and he said to my OH 'Pakeha (whitey)' and carried on playing.
I'd like to stress this was not an everyday feeling here. I've heard it's that feeing in parts of Gisborne and up north.