O'Flaherty1 |
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Written by Steven Young | |
Tuesday, 09 October 2007 | |
How comfy are
you in your own skin?
By Brian O’Flaherty
iBall Sep 10, 2007
MUSING a month ago about Bananas Going Global I wondered what would
happen at this Chinese Association conference, the third – and, they say, the
last.
In a way it would be a shame if this were the last, though it’s easy to
understand why the workload which has fallen on the
As for where it is/was going, cultural consultant and visionary Wong
Liu Shueng sees the three conferences as steps on a road to – where? I’m not
sure. What did emerge as the conference progressed were two themes – identity
and acceptance.
Let’s deal with acceptance first. The core of the conference was
probably the opening session on the second day, Reshaping Multiculturalism. The introduction in the programme
announced: “Monoculturalism is dead” and asked “Is Multiculturalism Established
in
Professor Paul Spoonley of
This is not the place to discuss Maori-Pakeha politics, but some
Chinese take the view that because of the Poll Tax, a degree of discrimination
and lack of acceptance among other things, they have reason to make common
cause with Maori grievances. Hence, I presume, Professor Mutu’s presence at the
conference.
Manying Ip, Associate Professor in Asian Studies at Auckland
University, said unequivocally that New Zealand was not multicultural –
multi-ethnic, yes, with over 200 ethnic
groups, but not multicultural. Without defining either term she asked whether
“mainstream
She described a cartoon based on a news item about population changes
in which a white male observed “we’re being genetically modified”. This, she
said, was the response of the people she termed mainstream New Zealanders. It
appeared she considered the comment negative. I suggest it was neither negative
nor positive. It was simply an observation.
Was she being over-sensitive? I can’t say, but I can say not everyone
automatically feels bad about genetic modification, especially of this kind.
Some of the cultural baggage that goes with it can be problematic, but outside
of extremism mutual respect should sort that out, as it does for a young
Frenchwoman I met last week at the wedding of a Chinese friend. She’s a
Buddhist, her partner’s not. She’d be pleased if he adopted her belief system,
but he’ll do what he’ll do and she’s happy with that.
On this so-called genetic modification, which happens in all but the
most closed societies, Professor Spoonley had some interesting statistics. It’s
projected that by 2016 Auckland’s white population (he used the term pakeha but
I’m not sure what it means) will grow 40,000 to 860,000; the Maori population
will also rise 40,000 to 183,000; the Pacific Island population will increase
to 260,000, a rise of 8000; and the category “Asians” will double to 400,000 –
near enough to 25 percent of greater Auckland.
“We do,” I thought – and then “what about the engineers, scientists and
surgeons driving cabs? The CVs that are binned because employers can’t see past
the Asian name on the first line?” That seems to be where
There was some discussion of
James Ng reported on the affairs of the Poll Tax Heritage Trust and he
was followed by Kenda Gee, who plays a similar role in the trust’s Canadian
counterpart. Apparently the Canadian government adopted a policy similar to
that of the
The concept of these compensations, like the larger settlements Maori
have been negotiating for years, is interesting.
The settlements being negotiated by Maori are big enough to be useful
and the $5 million accepted by Chinese – they didn’t want money – is a token.
But I can’t get away from the feeling that the sins of the fathers are being
visited on the sons, which makes no more sense to me than the religious concept
of original sin. I don’t oppose the settlements largely because I’ve been too
apathetic to analyse the arguments on which they are founded – my fault
entirely if I elected David Lange, which I think I might have done. It was a
long time ago.
Then when Kenda Gee mentions the word contrition the hairs on my neck
start to prickle. He wants me to feel contrite for something someone did six
generations back? Not in a million years. I will answer for every deed I’ve
done, but asking me to take on the misdeeds of others, past or present,
absolves them of responsibility. I am not my brother’s keeper. We’re each
responsible for our own salvation, and I don’t use the term in the religious
sense.
But I’m getting away from identity. What is it in the 21st
century?
Is it being concerned about the remains of 499 corpses which sank with
the SS Ventnor off the Hokianga coast in 1902 – bones possibly buried in the
sands of Hokianga because a mariner’s stupid decision thwarted the intention to
send them to
Or is it as Andrew Young said, chairing a session, “being comfortable
in our own skins”?
Then there’s Richard Yan. Certainly now is now and the future is a gift
unopened, but in his eyes “I’m not sure in 20 or 30 years it will be relevant
looking or being Chinese…It’s not about being Chinese; we’re global citizens”.
Then with a curve ball,
Or is it Liu Shueng, discussing her concern for the remains of the
Ventnor’s cargo: “This is my journey that links my past to my present and my
future”.
Or
Or Sou Chiam:”We have to be proud to be Chinese New Zealanders”.
Or perhaps Jilnaught Wong quoting William
Or writer/actor Sonia Yee, at the time playing in a professional
production a role which could have been played by a white actor: “I want to
escape stereotypes with collaboration”.
As one with little recognisable past and no concern for the gap, I’ll
go along with Andrew Young: I’m comfortable in my own skin.
How about you? |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 October 2007 ) |
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