Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Aug 10th 2005, 12:12 am
#16
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
I don't see how anyone can make a broad generalisation about a Kiwis or Brits or anyone else for that matter and it's provocative and insulting to call people w@ankers.
People can only speak as they find and relate their own personal experiences. There is bound to be some resentment towards immigrants no matter where in the world you are, NZ is no different. It's human nature to be wary of people who are different or whose cultures are different to your own.
People can only speak as they find and relate their own personal experiences. There is bound to be some resentment towards immigrants no matter where in the world you are, NZ is no different. It's human nature to be wary of people who are different or whose cultures are different to your own.
Aug 10th 2005, 12:25 am
#17
kelly Slater...mmmmmm
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 304
Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
To be honest, I dont think I ever came across a kiwi being prejudice against me in a nasty way..and to be honest - I'm a Pom with a slightly aussie accent (4 yrs living in OZ) so if anyone was going to be picked on it would be me. i have some awesome friends in NZ and yes I do get ribbed about being a pom but in a friendly way. My mates call me pozzie (pommie aussie) and joke about how I should be used to the cold being from pomgolia etc etc..but to be honest, I find it quite funny. I give as good as I get..its just friendly banter.
I had more grief when I worked in Jersey in the Channel Islands from a local who thought I couldnt do my job as I was just a bloody foreigner (granted this was by an alcoholic woman who barely left the west of the Island let alone the Island itself)
I had more grief when I worked in Jersey in the Channel Islands from a local who thought I couldnt do my job as I was just a bloody foreigner (granted this was by an alcoholic woman who barely left the west of the Island let alone the Island itself)
Aug 10th 2005, 12:26 am
#18
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
And it rubs me up the wrong way to be addressed as "an English twat" at the previous place I worked simply because someone thought it was funny so while you're absolutely right that people shouldn't all be tarred with the same brush, i've personally found many NZers to be rude, offensive, racist and bigots. Needless to say, after telling my boss that rather than drag the Kiwi across the table and punch him on the nose, I was leaving the meeting, I decided it was time to look for another job. The place i'm working at now is much better.
And i've come across the tourist's rates thing too. Upon asking a taxi driver how much it was to get home from Auckland CBD one night, I was told a figure that was more than double what I know the trip to cost. When i told him that I wasn't a tourist and if he wanted to charge tourists rates, he could get stuffed, he dropped the price by the 50% needed to put it back in line with Kiwi rates...
And i've come across the tourist's rates thing too. Upon asking a taxi driver how much it was to get home from Auckland CBD one night, I was told a figure that was more than double what I know the trip to cost. When i told him that I wasn't a tourist and if he wanted to charge tourists rates, he could get stuffed, he dropped the price by the 50% needed to put it back in line with Kiwi rates...
I thought you were a troll.. but reading back, you DO live there!! bloody glad it wasn't just us who were treated like shit! wow! it was funny in a way cos my OH bought all the lads in work pies on their last day in work and the girl in the pie shop said "Yip.. another brit on their way home, kick ya in the bollocks and send you off" and that was a bloody kiwi!! my OH keeps alot to himself and I have to drag it out of him and even now I am finding out stuff he went through there!! unbelievable!! crazy! they just didn't like a enthusiastic, hardworking English man.?!?!He is now home and has just landed a job as workshop controller.. nearly $30K he couldn't get past £17.50 an hour in NZ and he went to every garage in Dunedin!!! ****wits thought he was so good he had to start at the bottom and ******* stay there!!! DOH!!!
Aug 10th 2005, 12:51 am
#19
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by Debs70
Sorry!!! I thought you were a troll.. but reading back, you DO live there!! bloody glad it wasn't just us who were treated like shit! wow! it was funny in a way cos my OH bought all the lads in work pies on their last day in work and the girl in the pie shop said "Yip.. another brit on their way home, kick ya in the bollocks and send you off" and that was a bloody kiwi!!
I thought you were a troll.. but reading back, you DO live there!! bloody glad it wasn't just us who were treated like shit! wow! it was funny in a way cos my OH bought all the lads in work pies on their last day in work and the girl in the pie shop said "Yip.. another brit on their way home, kick ya in the bollocks and send you off" and that was a bloody kiwi!!Racism is everywhere, all over the world. Unfortunately, it's just the way it is. I came up against people in my previous job who were massively racist, possibly because they were inept wankers who didn't know their ass from their elbow and just happened to be drinking buddies of the guys that owned the company. You can't fight against that, you'll never ever win.
Basically, what we've found is that the Kiwis love the English (in fact, all tourists) being in NZ, as long as they are leaving at some point. As soon as you could be taking their job, they aren't too happy about it. The fact that there is a serious skills shortage here doesn't seem to come into it and the fact that NZ is haemorraging good people to the US, UK and other countries doesn't seem to make employers up their wages accordingly. Which is just going to make the problem worse. Because sooner rather than later (and thanks to forums such as this), people coming from the UK aren't going to accept that $35k is a good wage because they know damn well what the score is. The less people that get the wool pulled over their eyes, the better in my opinion.
Aug 10th 2005, 12:57 am
#20
Mrs Shep USCIS Graduate
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: ExPat Kiwi in Indiana USA
Posts: 1,865
Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
And it rubs me up the wrong way to be addressed as "an English twat" at the previous place I worked simply because someone thought it was funny so while you're absolutely right that people shouldn't all be tarred with the same brush, i've personally found many NZers to be rude, offensive, racist and bigots. Needless to say, after telling my boss that rather than drag the Kiwi across the table and punch him on the nose, I was leaving the meeting, I decided it was time to look for another job. The place i'm working at now is much better.
And i've come across the tourist's rates thing too. Upon asking a taxi driver how much it was to get home from Auckland CBD one night, I was told a figure that was more than double what I know the trip to cost. When i told him that I wasn't a tourist and if he wanted to charge tourists rates, he could get stuffed, he dropped the price by the 50% needed to put it back in line with Kiwi rates...
And i've come across the tourist's rates thing too. Upon asking a taxi driver how much it was to get home from Auckland CBD one night, I was told a figure that was more than double what I know the trip to cost. When i told him that I wasn't a tourist and if he wanted to charge tourists rates, he could get stuffed, he dropped the price by the 50% needed to put it back in line with Kiwi rates...
It was also nice that you say many NZ'ers & not all NZ'ers because not lumping us all together makes me respect your comments.
Aug 10th 2005, 1:00 am
#21
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Location: Manchester
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
Well, I have been known to troll, but not in this case, it's too serious a topic to do so. And I wasn't the original one that shepslady was getting all annoyed at, I just happened to reply to her message.
Racism is everywhere, all over the world. Unfortunately, it's just the way it is. I came up against people in my previous job who were massively racist, possibly because they were inept wankers who didn't know their ass from their elbow and just happened to be drinking buddies of the guys that owned the company. You can't fight against that, you'll never ever win.
Basically, what we've found is that the Kiwis love the English (in fact, all tourists) being in NZ, as long as they are leaving at some point. As soon as you could be taking their job, they aren't too happy about it. The fact that there is a serious skills shortage here doesn't seem to come into it and the fact that NZ is haemorraging good people to the US, UK and other countries doesn't seem to make employers up their wages accordingly. Which is just going to make the problem worse. Because sooner rather than later (and thanks to forums such as this), people coming from the UK aren't going to accept that $35k is a good wage because they know damn well what the score is. The less people that get the wool pulled over their eyes, the better in my opinion.
Racism is everywhere, all over the world. Unfortunately, it's just the way it is. I came up against people in my previous job who were massively racist, possibly because they were inept wankers who didn't know their ass from their elbow and just happened to be drinking buddies of the guys that owned the company. You can't fight against that, you'll never ever win.
Basically, what we've found is that the Kiwis love the English (in fact, all tourists) being in NZ, as long as they are leaving at some point. As soon as you could be taking their job, they aren't too happy about it. The fact that there is a serious skills shortage here doesn't seem to come into it and the fact that NZ is haemorraging good people to the US, UK and other countries doesn't seem to make employers up their wages accordingly. Which is just going to make the problem worse. Because sooner rather than later (and thanks to forums such as this), people coming from the UK aren't going to accept that $35k is a good wage because they know damn well what the score is. The less people that get the wool pulled over their eyes, the better in my opinion.
It won't be long until NZ is begging the brits to come over. Never mind 100 points
very sad situation for the brits and NZ (not that I give a damn about NZ btw.. I am still very anti).
Aug 10th 2005, 1:01 am
#22
Mrs Shep USCIS Graduate
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: ExPat Kiwi in Indiana USA
Posts: 1,865
Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
Well,
Basically, what we've found is that the Kiwis love the English (in fact, all tourists) being in NZ, as long as they are leaving at some point. As soon as you could be taking their job, they aren't too happy about it. The fact that there is a serious skills shortage here doesn't seem to come into it and the fact that NZ is haemorraging good people to the US, UK and other countries doesn't seem to make employers up their wages accordingly. Which is just going to make the problem worse. Because sooner rather than later (and thanks to forums such as this), people coming from the UK aren't going to accept that $35k is a good wage because they know damn well what the score is. The less people that get the wool pulled over their eyes, the better in my opinion.
Basically, what we've found is that the Kiwis love the English (in fact, all tourists) being in NZ, as long as they are leaving at some point. As soon as you could be taking their job, they aren't too happy about it. The fact that there is a serious skills shortage here doesn't seem to come into it and the fact that NZ is haemorraging good people to the US, UK and other countries doesn't seem to make employers up their wages accordingly. Which is just going to make the problem worse. Because sooner rather than later (and thanks to forums such as this), people coming from the UK aren't going to accept that $35k is a good wage because they know damn well what the score is. The less people that get the wool pulled over their eyes, the better in my opinion.
Aug 10th 2005, 1:09 am
#23
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Location: I'm a Brit who's lived in Auckland for the last 2 years
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by Debs70
It won't be long until NZ is begging the brits to come over. Never mind 100 points very sad situation for the brits and NZ (not that I give a damn about NZ btw.. I am still very anti).
very sad situation for the brits and NZ (not that I give a damn about NZ btw.. I am still very anti).My better half got a pretty raw deal here when we came (she was the one with the job offer) but managed to talk her way into several pay rises to actually take her up to a decent(ish) wage. She (and other brits) are asked by her company to talk to prospective employees from the UK who they do phone conferences with so that the prospectives can get a flavour of what the place is like and ask another brit any questions that they may not want to ask HR about. My OH and all the other Brits advise any prospective people to negotiate further in terms of salary (without actually saying that of course) because the salaries her company typically offer are not even market value...
And when i put in my application for residency, i waited 6 months before I was pulled out of the hat, despite having 155 points! It took me a year to sort my residency out (what with them changing the system and making me wait 3 months to apply and all that stuff). It's laughable that it caused us so much heartache and pain and now it's like getting a bus ticket.
Aug 10th 2005, 1:17 am
#24
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Joined: May 2005
Location: Manchester
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
They already are. Many many companies are finding it so hard to get good people that they are going overseas, especially to the UK and South Africa.
My better half got a pretty raw deal here when we came (she was the one with the job offer) but managed to talk her way into several pay rises to actually take her up to a decent(ish) wage. She (and other brits) are asked by her company to talk to prospective employees from the UK who they do phone conferences with so that the prospectives can get a flavour of what the place is like and ask another brit any questions that they may not want to ask HR about. My OH and all the other Brits advise any prospective people to negotiate further in terms of salary (without actually saying that of course) because the salaries her company typically offer are not even market value...
And when i put in my application for residency, i waited 6 months before I was pulled out of the hat, despite having 155 points! It took me a year to sort my residency out (what with them changing the system and making me wait 3 months to apply and all that stuff). It's laughable that it caused us so much heartache and pain and now it's like getting a bus ticket.
My better half got a pretty raw deal here when we came (she was the one with the job offer) but managed to talk her way into several pay rises to actually take her up to a decent(ish) wage. She (and other brits) are asked by her company to talk to prospective employees from the UK who they do phone conferences with so that the prospectives can get a flavour of what the place is like and ask another brit any questions that they may not want to ask HR about. My OH and all the other Brits advise any prospective people to negotiate further in terms of salary (without actually saying that of course) because the salaries her company typically offer are not even market value...
And when i put in my application for residency, i waited 6 months before I was pulled out of the hat, despite having 155 points! It took me a year to sort my residency out (what with them changing the system and making me wait 3 months to apply and all that stuff). It's laughable that it caused us so much heartache and pain and now it's like getting a bus ticket.
Thats cos we're all going home!!
Every expat we met was deeply unhappy! we travelled from Dunedin to Auckland and spoke to loads of us.. same old story.. tragic. Total waste of money, time, energy, stress, goodbyes... and all for what? absolutely nowt! a life of scrimping and scraping and being treated like a leper in the workplace!! great idea then eh? ......................... NOT!
Points are 100 now then? can they get any lower? NOPE.. they will let anyone in.
Aug 10th 2005, 1:27 am
#25
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by Debs70
Points are 100 now then? can they get any lower? NOPE.. they will let anyone in.
You basically need a job offer or a degree now to get the pre-requisite amount of points.
I don't know how widely this was reported outside NZ either but when the pool system opened, at first they were picking people out who had 195 points or better. Of those people picked out, more than 60% of them I think had lied on their forms and were asked to reapply (or put back in the pool with less points). They shouldn't have been asked to reapply, they should have been asked to piss off IMHO. They were the ones trying to blag their way in and making the ones of us who hadn't lied and tried to do it properly wait for months and months. The immigration system in this country is deeply deeply flawed and the people staffing the immigration offices are (a) non-english speaking in many cases (great if you're Chinese but shit if you want to speak to someone in English) and (b) completely fekking inept.
Last edited by NZ Climber; Aug 10th 2005 at 1:32 am.
Aug 10th 2005, 1:40 am
#26
Banned
Joined: May 2005
Location: Manchester
Posts: 307
Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
Yep, they've been at 100 for nearly a year now I reckon. I've had residency for more than 8 months and was pulled out of the pool in June 04 and in the two or three months following me being picked out of the pool, the points dwindled to 100 very quickly indeed.
You basically need a job offer or a degree now to get the pre-requisite amount of points.
I don't know how widely this was reported outside NZ either but when the pool system opened, at first they were picking people out who had 195 points or better. Of those people picked out, more than 60% of them I think had lied on their forms and were asked to reapply (or put back in the pool with less points). They shouldn't have been asked to reapply, they should have been asked to piss off IMHO. They were the ones trying to blag their way in and making the ones of us who hadn't lied and tried to do it properly wait for months and months. The immigration system in this country is deeply deeply flawed and the people staffing the immigration offices are (a) non-english speaking in many cases (great if you're Chinese but shit if you want to speak to someone in English) and (b) completely fekking inept.
You basically need a job offer or a degree now to get the pre-requisite amount of points.
I don't know how widely this was reported outside NZ either but when the pool system opened, at first they were picking people out who had 195 points or better. Of those people picked out, more than 60% of them I think had lied on their forms and were asked to reapply (or put back in the pool with less points). They shouldn't have been asked to reapply, they should have been asked to piss off IMHO. They were the ones trying to blag their way in and making the ones of us who hadn't lied and tried to do it properly wait for months and months. The immigration system in this country is deeply deeply flawed and the people staffing the immigration offices are (a) non-english speaking in many cases (great if you're Chinese but shit if you want to speak to someone in English) and (b) completely fekking inept.
Think my OH realised the wages were low when the Master Tech at work informed him he earned $18.50/hour! and thats for 20+years service, all singing all dancing! LOL! a master tech in the UK is earning £35,000 EASY!
Aug 10th 2005, 4:15 am
#27
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
In answer to the question, IMO Yes, SOME kiwis are very anti Brit. Not all....but there is so much resentment from the ones who have the chip on the shoulder, you will never get past that. They are fixed in their attitudes and can be rude, abusive and nasty.
One person my Oh worked for told my OH and another Brit working at her firm that 'she wishes all Brits would P*ss off out of HER country and go back to their own"......she hadn't one nice word to say about a Brit, any Brit, so yes, I suppose she can be accused of tarring ALL Brits with the same brush too.
I guess for every one nice Kiwi, you will find one nasty one too.....
At face value, on the street , in the shops, etc.......they can be nice, but take a job which they think should have gone to a Kiwi and you see a very different side to some of them.
There was a programme on NZ TV not long ago regarding Migrants and Kiwi attitudes, so they ran a poll......"Do you want migrants in NZ?".......
It was as high as 79% saying NO.
Suppose that answers the question really. I think most dont really want us here but need us.
One person my Oh worked for told my OH and another Brit working at her firm that 'she wishes all Brits would P*ss off out of HER country and go back to their own"......she hadn't one nice word to say about a Brit, any Brit, so yes, I suppose she can be accused of tarring ALL Brits with the same brush too.
I guess for every one nice Kiwi, you will find one nasty one too.....
At face value, on the street , in the shops, etc.......they can be nice, but take a job which they think should have gone to a Kiwi and you see a very different side to some of them.
There was a programme on NZ TV not long ago regarding Migrants and Kiwi attitudes, so they ran a poll......"Do you want migrants in NZ?".......
It was as high as 79% saying NO.
Suppose that answers the question really. I think most dont really want us here but need us.
Aug 10th 2005, 4:24 am
#28
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by Rascal
One person my Oh worked for told my OH and another Brit working at her firm that 'she wishes all Brits would P*ss off out of HER country and go back to their own"......she hadn't one nice word to say about a Brit, any Brit, so yes, I suppose she can be accused of tarring ALL Brits with the same brush too.
Even the Maori aren't the original occupants of the country, they're immigrants too if you go back to the beginning.That's something that I can never work out, the level of hypocrisy here can be a bit much sometimes. It's sad.
Aug 10th 2005, 4:46 am
#29
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by NZ Climber
Presumably she was one of the pureblood Maoris that don't actually exist anymore? Even the Maori aren't the original occupants of the country, they're immigrants too if you go back to the beginning.
That's something that I can never work out, the level of hypocrisy here can be a bit much sometimes. It's sad.
Even the Maori aren't the original occupants of the country, they're immigrants too if you go back to the beginning.That's something that I can never work out, the level of hypocrisy here can be a bit much sometimes. It's sad.
The girl in question was, believe it or not.....part Brit!!
Yep, her mum was a brit who came to live here at age of 12.....but the girl hated Brits with a vengance and I mean REALLY hated Brits......was always dropping comments about 'soft Brits' who run home etc.......wishes they would all p*ss off out of HER country........
I told her once that I wished her mum had done just that then the likes of her wouldn't have been born.
But not before a lot of abuse had come from her first!
Aug 10th 2005, 5:01 am
#30
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Re: Are New Zealanders overtly prejudiced against UK migrants?
Originally Posted by Rascal
Nope not Maori who I find to be so nice TBH, I find them most welcoming and polite, well the ones I have had dealings with.
The girl in question was, believe it or not.....part Brit!!
Yep, her mum was a brit who came to live here at age of 12.....but the girl hated Brits with a vengance and I mean REALLY hated Brits......was always dropping comments about 'soft Brits' who run home etc.......wishes they would all p*ss off out of HER country........
I told her once that I wished her mum had done just that then the likes of her wouldn't have been born.
But not before a lot of abuse had come from her first!
The girl in question was, believe it or not.....part Brit!!
Yep, her mum was a brit who came to live here at age of 12.....but the girl hated Brits with a vengance and I mean REALLY hated Brits......was always dropping comments about 'soft Brits' who run home etc.......wishes they would all p*ss off out of HER country........
I told her once that I wished her mum had done just that then the likes of her wouldn't have been born.
But not before a lot of abuse had come from her first!
At least I'll never be accused of being prejudiced................. I dislike everyone Cheers, John