A recent editorial in Christchurch's Press (Saturday, December 9, A21) highlights the wishful thinking and hypocrisy that typifies mainstream media views about immigration in New Zealand.
The latest national census figures indicate that Asians now make up 9.2 percent of the population, up from 5.1 percent in 2001. Unfortunately, the Press does not specify what percentages of Asian immigrants are South Asians and East Asians. Anyone interested in obtaining such information will have to untangle it from official statistics.
Nevertheless, this is an extraordinary rapid increase and unless stricter restrictions are placed on Asian immigration, Orientals and South Asians could become numerically dominant before 2050.
The Press editorial states that "New Zealand’s way of life must be preserved" without acknowledging that the country's "way of life" was established by and for European immigrants.
Once New Zealander’s of European descent cease to be numerically dominant then the New Zealand way of life will change change and nobody really knows what it will change into.
The "Kiwi lifestyle", which the Press claims is the main reason why immigrants come to New Zealand, is in many respects the same lifestyle enjoyed by people of European origin in North American and Australia.
It is build around a high wage/cheap land relationship, which is unique to societies established by North Europeans.
Unfortunately, for many working and lower middle class New Zealanders of European and Maori descent the “kiwi lifestyle” is already under threat. Increasing house prices and stagnating wages are being reflected in declining home ownership and escalating personal debt.
Whether Asian immigration is the primary reason for this situation is open to debate, but it certainly hasn’t done anything to alleviate it.
Although Australia also has a problem with surging land prices it still offers high wages and the chance to save for retirement. Subsequently, a steady stream of disgruntled New Zealanders are heading across the Tasman on a permanent basis.
The editor of the Press also states:
“As a nation which has agreed to accept migrants from different societies, New Zealanders must do far more to make them welcome when they arrive. And this includes doing all possible to ensure that they can get a job using the qualifications they have bought with them”.
In the United States, where East Asians are a smaller and slower growing segment of the population, they are seen as enterprising self–starters who make a valuable contribution in areas like scientific research and IT.
In New Zealand, the liberal-right argues if a little Asian immigration good for the US, then a lot of Asian immigration will be great for NZ. Hence, white New Zealanders, who are already burdened by an economically under performing Polynesian population, are expected to go out of their way to help middle-class East Asian immigrants with high IQs and numerate degrees.
Given that East Asian immigrants have, on average, higher IQs than European New Zealanders, it is they who should be providing us with jobs not the other way round.
Of course for an increasing number of wealthy whites that live off property rather than wages, the quality of life of the average citizen isn’t important, and it is the former who seem to be driving immigration policy.
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4 comments:
The strong correlation in similarity between UK and New Zealand problems is quite startling.
Sam and NK,
The strong correlation between US, UK, and New Zealand problems is quite startling. That those of European descent represented one-fourth of the world's population in 1960, one-sixth at the turn of the millenium, and will only comprise one-tenth by 2050 puts all three of our countries in the same boat.
You could've been writing about Hispanics in the US. Even the population estimates are similar--the US is projected to be minority-white by mid-century. Uncanny.
New Zealand will almost certainly lose its white majority before the UK, and quite possibly before the US.
The Maori and Polynesian population is also growing rapidly and has a much younger demographic profile than the white population.
The big question is which of the three main ethnic groups will become the most numerous.
Ten years ago few would have believed that it might be the Asian group.
I'm starting to think that North Europeans must have some sort of major defect. Who is going to thank us for giving away our countries? Moral vanity, the death of a people.
I have noticed that I am working with increasing numbers of Kiwi and white South Africans professionals here in Oz.
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