Introduction

About 100 mainly-Asian people attended this conference in Auckland on 12 July 2005 to discuss Asian participation in New Zealand's electoral system.  Keynote speakers voiced their concerns and issues on civil participation by sharing their experiences and opinions with the wider public.

The conference was sponsored by the Electoral Enrolment Centre with the aim of encouraging Generation 1.5 Kiwi Asians (Asian-born, NZ-raised) to enrol to vote.

The event attracted people from various age groups, including the 1.5ers, as well as first and second generation Kiwi Asians. Attendees were from diverse backgrounds - Asian grassroot organisations, local and central government, students, academia, and 1.5 generation members.  Also present were members of non-profit organisations and Asian news media who gave the conference significant coverage.

This document summarises the keynote speakers' contributions.  The summaries have been approved by the contributors.  The views expressed are each contributor's own and not those of the Electoral Enrolment Centre, other electoral agencies, or the government.  

The conference was facilitated by Gavin Ellis, media consultant and former editor-in-chief of the New Zealand Herald.

Manying Ip

Associated Professor, School of Asian Studies, the University of Auckland

Manying Ip was born in Guizhou, a remote interior province of China, where her parents had taken refuge after the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. While she was still young, her family returned to Hong Kong. There she received traditional Chinese education at home, and English education at school. She graduated with a BA Honours in history from the University of Hong Kong. In 1974, Manying immigrated to New Zealand and completed her postgraduate studies, gaining an MA in Chinese literature and a PhD in History from the University of Auckland, where she is currently Associate Professor of Chinese in the Asian Studies Department. Professor Ip is a long-time researcher on Chinese New Zealanders and more recent immigrants from Asia. She is a highly respected public advocate for the Chinese communities. In recognition of her work, she was awarded the Suffrage Centennial Medal in 1993 and the ONZM (Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit) in 1996. Many of her works including four books on Chinese New Zealanders have won much critical acclaim: Home Away From Home: Life Stories of Chinese Women in New Zealand (1990), Dragons on the Long White Cloud (1996), Unfolding History, Evolving Identity: Chinese in New Zealand (2003), and a recent bilingual work: Aliens at My Table: Asians as New Zealanders see them, co-authored with Nigel Murphy (2005). Her research project New Chinese New Zealanders 1986 - present, was made into a television documentary New Faces Old Fears which won a Finalist Qantas Award in 2004. The articles she published on the new Chinese have been widely cited.   Her current research is on interactions between Maori and Chinese.

Asian political involvement and the role of 1.5ers.

There has been a significant increase in Asian population and changing profiles of the communities in the last decade.  The post 1987 arrivals is a well-educated, articulate, and politically aware cohort.  According to Statistics New Zealand 2001 Census data, 70% of the Chinese immigrants, 59% Indian, and 92% Korean are new arrivals with less than 10 year's residence in New Zealand. They belong to the highly skilled professionals and business class - the bourgeoisie who are the backbone of democracy. This has raised the popular desire for more ethnic candidates and Asian MPs in the parliament.

There have been incidences politicising the Chinese communities. For example, the 1993 'Inv-Asian' article, the 1996 pre-election anti-immigrant campaign and the 2002 poll-tax apology. Positive outcomes of these events have empowered the communities.  There also have been positive shift of power relationship to rapidly heighten ethnic political awareness.  Legislation such as the 1993 Electoral Act allowing provision of interpreters in the polling booth and the 1996 electoral law giving permanent residents the right to vote all facilitated the political involvement of new Asians.

Following on the law changes, direct participation was attempted through new experiments in the political arena such as Asian minority coalitions.  However, in 1996, the Ethnic Minority Party pulled 0.12% of the national vote and the Asia Pacific united Party gained only 0.002% of the national vote. This demonstrates the fact that parties along ethnic lines are not a panacea.

Contributions of 1.5 generation of Asian New Zealanders play crucial roles in the shift of power relationship and political landscape. For example, a study of the link between age and English language skills among recent Chinese migrants shows that younger Asians are mostly proficient in English, and therefore much more au fait with New Zealand political developments. With language proficiency (in their heritage Chinese language as well as English), political acumen, local knowledge and support from their own community network, the 1.5 generation of Asian New Zealanders have the advantages in positioning themselves as quality leaders in the mainstream society to articulate the aspirations of both old settlers and new immigrants.

Bharat Jamnadas

Senior Reporter, Asia Down Under

Bharat Jamnadas is a familiar face on Asia Down Under and one of the originals on the team. He is Indo-Fijian, born in Fiji and came to New Zealand in 1988.

In Fiji, Bharat was president of the Journalists Association of Fiji, active in the anti-nuclear movement and was involved in organising one of the first Nuclear Free Pacific conferences in 1975. He was also a national executive member of the Red Cross, a committee member of the Fiji SPCA successfully lobbying against the introduction of greyhound racing in Fiji. He was also a senior reporter for the Fiji Times and came to New Zealand for some respite after a hectic time reporting the first Fiji coup and lived for 18 months in Raglan before moving to Auckland. He joined Asia Down Under when it began in 1994.

Music is one of Bharat's great passions and he managed a band in Fiji in the 1970's, in which George Speight played saxophone. Ironically the band was named "Racial Harmony" and George Speight of course went on to stage the second Fiji coup in 2000.

For a number of years, Bharat has been one of the organisers for the Grey Lynn Festival in Auckland and had early involvement in WOMAD festival. He also helps organise Auckland's annual Festival of India.

His second great passion is food.  Bharat whips up a wicked curry and his recipes have been printed in Cuisine Magazine and in Julie Biuso's award winning cookbook, Fresh. Bharat has worked as a chef and restaurant manager in both Fiji and New Zealand. His restaurant, The Java Room in Fiji was described by Lonely Planet as one of the best eateries in Suva.

He is currently completing an MA in communication studies at Auckland University of Technology.

'Migrant participation'

As New Zealanders, having the right to vote is to have your voice heard and views known. This means that new residents in the country have the same rights when it comes to freedom of expression and demonstration, as well as the right to be different by committing to issues such as education, employment and health that are relevant to them.

Introductions of ethnically orientated educational workshops and various promotional activities for new arrivals will continue to encourage Asian communities to be politically active.  Election is a chance we have every three years to decide not only who we should vote for but what party we should vote for in the elections.  This is an opportunity for people who have been in New Zealand for a while to tell other new arrivals how the system works.

Immigration into the country is a hot topic in every election year. While some political parties will attempt to woo your votes by making you feel included; others can be offensive. It's important to concentrate on the parties who are worthy your vote.

Ethnic vote is becoming more important, which will help form your future and the future of the children who depend on many of us in New Zealand today. You should get involved and read what each party promises and figure out if these promises are sincere and possible.  You must vote!  By not voting, you are not only doing a disservice to yourself, but to the children for whose future you choose to come to the country.

The rights don't stop at the ballet box - you have the same rights as any other New Zealanders when it comes to freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration.

Tze Ming Mok

Writer and Anti-Discrimination Worker

Tze Ming Mok was born in Auckland in 1978 to migrant parents. As well as being a writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, reviews and journalism, she makes occasional forays into political activism and full-time bureaucracy. Her writing has appeared in theNZ Listener, Sport, Meanjin, Poetry New Zealand, JAAM, and in Landfall issues 206, 207 and 208. In 2004 she was co-winner of the Landfall Essay Prize. That year, she also organised a multicultural march to Parliament against racism and hate-crimes. During the year of the Tampa asylum-seeker crisis off the coast of Australia, she was a Refugee Status Officer for the New Zealand government. She has lived in Chengdu, Cairo and Wellington but always returns to Auckland.

'Participatory citizenship of young people in Asian countries'

Tze Ming explored the relationship between identity and political participation based on comparisons of youth civil activities, and how Asian youths' political behaviour differs between Asian countries of origin and New Zealand.

Identities of 1.5 generation Kiwi Asians were described along two axes - positivity and negativity towards host society, and positivity and negativity towards one's culture of origin. This was exemplified by perceptive analyses of two 1.5 generation New Zealand Chinese, and how they are empowered residing and acting in the host society.

The first case study examined a young 1.5 generation Hong Kong New Zealander, and his conflicts between patriotism towards New Zealand and trans-nationalism, starting with the quote, "I act like a citizen, and I think like a citizen, but I feel like an immigrant."

The second case study examined the views of another young 1.5 generation Taiwanese New Zealander who calls for an 'Asian Pride movement'.  Tze Ming described her as a 'fobulous' multilingual and multicultural individual who is at ease in different contexts, using multiculturalism and cross-cultural connectivity to redefine what it means to be a New Zealander, and therefore making space for herself at the centre of New Zealand identity. 

Both case studies clearly displayedcommitment to civil involvement by being vocal and resistant to marginalisation, and challenging the notion of stereotypes faced by many Asian immigrants.

Robert Khan

Managing Director, Radio Tarana

Born in Fiji, Robert came to NZ when he was 13 and has spent most of his years in Auckland. A graduate of AucklandUniversity and MasseyUniversity, he has worked in the International Marketing Sector in Europe for two years. In 1996, Robert started his own venture in Ethnic Media - Radio Tarana New Zealand's first fulltime commercial Ethnic Radio Station. Radio Tarana has developed over the years as a market leader in Ethnic Media. Robert has created history in New Zealand Ethnic Broadcasting, which has seen his company become the first Asian Radio Broadcaster to be officially rated in Auckland's Mainstream Radio Market with a 5% rating (2004 AC Nielsen Radio Ratings). He has also been instrumental in bringing BBC Hindi and Urdu Service to New Zealand airwaves on a daily basis.

Robert has a passion for sports including Rugby League, rugby and cricket. He is married to Prakashni Khan, an Indo Fijian and both are involved in various community projects. 

Robert is currently working on various projects for Radio Tarana which will be another first platform for ethnic broadcasters in New Zealand.  Robert acts as a New Zealand Indian Community representative to various media groups and organisations including government departments.

'Ethical role of ethnic media and election issues in the Indian community'

Research indicates that Radio Tarana is one of the most prominent ethnic media agencies proving its popularity and significance in the mainstream media. A recent Nielsen Media Research survey reported the station drawing in 5% of Auckland radio listeners.  52% of Tarana Listeners 'decide where to buy from' as a result of listening to radio

Unlike most ethnic media that concentrate on what is happening back home, Radio Tarana provides more local content, by which listeners are influenced, ultimately having an impact on their decision making process.

For Election 2005, Radio Tarana has incorporated visual power to enhance the brand of the project by raising the importance of strategic alliances with newspapers and television. Opinion polls were conducted in the Indian community, aimed to measure the popularity and interest of the listeners and to create a platform in what the community thinks. This has given the community an edge in knowing what political awareness they have.

The role of ethnic media is to educate the community about the election process and make them to be heard through the democratic process rather than staying in isolation. Success of the poll has helped plan and assist the creation of an environment for the upcoming election.

Conor Roberts

Administrative Vice President, AucklandUniversity Student Association 2005

Conor is currently completing the honours year of his Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies at the University of Auckland. He is focusing on New Zealand Politics and the policy process. This year, Conor is the vice president of the Auckland University Students Association, which represents over 19,000 members. He sits on the University Council and Senate committee.

Conor is a volunteer with the refugee and migrant services.  This year, Conor has been engaged in programmes of activities in getting young people enrolling to vote at the University.

'Political relevance to young people and ethnic minorities.'

Issues faced by ethnic minorities are similar to those faced by youths. What is missing is relevant discussions on matters that are important to members of these groups.

There have been difficulties with getting young people to vote and how that impacts on their representation in the political process and therefore how their interests are furthered.Although the overall enrolling rate is on track, the enrolment rates for Auckland youths, aged between 18 and 24 are problematic, suggesting that young people have low levels of political interest and regard it personally irrelevant.

The Auckland University Student Association has been working towards engaging young people to enrol to vote by creating an environment and the atmosphere that young voters can relate to, such as rock-n'-roll, aiming at getting the young people interested in the process. 

Educating young people to enrol vote is one way to raise awareness and importance of civil participation and acknowledging their valuable contributions to the democratic process.

Conor also shared his experience working with a refugee family settling in New Zealand. He has been deeply involved in the settlement process for the family to start a new life in a completely different environment, from looking for a place to live to taking them around for daily activities such as doing grocery shopping. Educating them on how they can benefit from utilising relevant civil resources, such as taking part in the New Zealand democratic process has taught them how to have their say.