Asian New Zealanders

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Asian New Zealanders
Total population
718,995 people (2018)
15.3% of New Zealand's population [1]
Regions with significant populations
Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Waikato
Languages
New Zealand English  · Asian languages
Religion
34.0% No religion
26.8% Christianity
16.8% Hinduism
6.2% Buddhism
5.7% Sikhism
5.7% Islam [2]
Related ethnic groups
Asian Americans  · Asian Australians  · Asian Britons  · Asian Canadians  · Asian people

Asian New Zealanders are New Zealanders of Asian ancestry (including naturalised New Zealanders who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). At the 2013 census, 471,708 New Zealanders declared that they had an Asian ancestral background. This represents about 12% of all responses. [3]

Contents

The first Asians in New Zealand were Chinese workers who migrated to New Zealand to work in the gold mines in the 1860s. The modern period of Asian immigration began in the 1970s when New Zealand relaxed its restrictive policies to attract migrants from Asia.

Terminology

Under Statistics New Zealand classification, the term refers to a pan-ethnic group that includes diverse populations who have ancestral origins in East Asia (e.g. Chinese, Korean, Japanese), Southeast Asia (e.g. Filipino, Vietnamese, Malaysian), and South Asia (e.g. Nepalese, Indian (incl. Indo-Fijians), Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani). New Zealanders of West Asian and Central Asian ancestry are excluded from this term.

Colloquial usage of the term Asian in New Zealand, as differentiated from the Statistics New Zealand definition, primarily refers to those of Chinese ethnicity or other people of East Asian ancestry, and excludes people who trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent (i.e. South Asian ethnic groups). [4] [5]

Demographics

Asians in New Zealand in 2018 Asians ethnicity 2018 mapped.png
Asians in New Zealand in 2018
Asian New Zealanders population pyramid in 2018 Asian New Zealanders population pyramid in 2018.svg
Asian New Zealanders population pyramid in 2018

There were 718,995 people identifying as being part of the Asian ethnic group at the 2018 New Zealand census, making up 15.3% of New Zealand's population. [1] This is an increase of 235,890 people (50.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 353,046 people (99.6%) since the 2006 census. Some of the increase between the 2013 and 2018 census was due to Statistics New Zealand adding ethnicity data from other sources (previous censuses, administrative data, and imputation) to the 2018 census data to reduce the number of non-responses. [6]

There were 348,948 males and 358,650 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.973 males per female. The median was 31.3 years, compared to 37.4 years for all New Zealanders; 143,691 people (20.3%) were aged under 15 years, 188,235 (26.6%) were 15 to 29, 330,210 (46.7%) were 30 to 64, and 45,462 (6.4%) were 65 or older. [7]

At the 2018 census, 23.0% of the Asian ethnic group was born in New Zealand, up from 22.7% at the 2013 census and 20.0% at the 2006 census. Of those born in New Zealand, 64.6% were under the age of 15. [8]

Most Asian New Zealanders live in the Auckland Region. In terms of population distribution, 62.6% of Asian people live in the Auckland region, 23.9% live in the North Island outside the Auckland region, and 13.8% live in the South Island. The Puketāpapa local board area of Auckland has the highest concentration of Asian people at 49.1%, followed by the Howick local board area (46.5%) and the Whau local board area (40.3%). Hamilton City has the highest concentration of Asian people outside Auckland at 18.5%. The Chatham Islands had the lowest concentration of Asian people at 0.9%, followed by Great Barrier Island (1.6%) and the Rangitīkei District (2.1%). [9]

Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Korean are the most commonly nominated Asian ancestries in New Zealand. Chinese New Zealanders were 4 percent of the New Zealand population (2013) and Indian New Zealanders were 3 percent of the New Zealand population (2013).

Between the 2001 and 2013 censuses, the proportion of the New Zealand population born in Asia almost doubled in size from 6.6% in 2001 to 11.8% in 2013. Some cities have seen a sharper increase in Asian born population, such as Auckland where 23% of all residents were Asian in 2013. [10]

Asian Ethnic groups in New Zealand, 2001–13 census [11]
Ethnicity2001 census2006 census2013 census
Number %Number %Number %
Chinese New Zealanders 100,6802.81139,7313.62163,1014.07
Indian New Zealanders 60,2131.6897,4432.52143,5203.58
Filipino New Zealanders 11,0910.3116,9380.4440,3501.01
Korean New Zealanders 19,0260.5330,7920.8030,1710.75
Japanese New Zealanders 10,0260.2811,9100.3114,1180.35
Fijian Indian New Zealanders1,9830.065,6160.1510,9290.27
Sri Lankan New Zealanders 6,0420.177,0410.189,5610.24
Cambodian New Zealanders5,2680.156,9150.188,6010.21
Thai New Zealanders 4,5540.136,0570.168,0520.20
Vietnamese New Zealanders 3,4620.104,7700.126,6600.17
Taiwanese New Zealanders3,7680.115,4480.145,7150.14
Malaysian New Zealanders 2,0520.063,5370.094,7970.12
Asian (not further defined)3,9270.112,1600.064,6230.12
Indonesian New Zealanders 2,0730.063,2610.084,1370.10
Total Asian New Zealanders238,1796.64354,5529.18471,70811.76

Discrimination

Immigration

The political party New Zealand First has frequently criticised immigration on economic, social and cultural grounds. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has on several occasions characterised the rate of Asian immigration into New Zealand as too high; in 2004, he stated: "We are being dragged into the status of an Asian colony and it is time that New Zealanders were placed first in their own country." [12] On 26 April 2005, he said: "Māori will be disturbed to know that in 17 years' time they will be outnumbered by Asians in New Zealand", an estimate disputed by Statistics New Zealand, the government's statistics bureau. Peters quickly responded that Statistics New Zealand had underestimated the growth-rate of the Asian community in the past. [13]

In April 2008, deputy New Zealand First party leader Peter Brown drew widespread attention after voicing similar views and expressing concern at the increase in New Zealand's ethnic Asian population: "We are going to flood this country with Asian people with no idea what we are going to do with them when they come here." [14] "The matter is serious. If we continue this open door policy there is real danger we will be inundated with people who have no intention of integrating into our society. The greater the number, the greater the risk. They will form their own mini-societies to the detriment of integration and that will lead to division, friction and resentment." [15]

Race-based discrimination and violence during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Asians, specifically Chinese New Zealanders and others of East Asian origin, reported several instances of discrimination during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In a study of 1,452 participants who identified as from Asian descent published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, 40.3% reported experiences with racism. The most common forms of racism were microaggressions and verbal attacks occurring predominantly in public places, social media, mainstream media and schools. A significant number of participants, nearly 50%, of high school and tertiary students "reported experiencing racism during the pandemic." [16] In Rolleston, Canterbury, an email was sent to a Chinese-origin student's parent, which reportedly said, "our Kiwi kids don't want to be in the same class with your disgusting virus spreaders." [17] Canterbury has a very small population of Asians. One significant finding from the same study, "Asian New Zealanders’ experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with life satisfaction," is that participants living in rural areas are significantly more likely to experience racism than participants living in urban areas. However, there are numerous reports of "racial outbursts" and "microaggressions" reported by several New Zealand news outlets. [16]

In response to the rise in racism against Asians, the New Zealand government has commissioned reports to combat racism. According to the The New Zealand Herald , "Labour MP Raymond Huo said the coronavirus had become the number one issue among the local Chinese community both for efforts to ensure safety of family members and for the incidents of racial abuse it was bringing." [18] In response to the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, hundreds of people marched in Auckland protesting against Asian hate and racism on March 27, 2021. During the rally, Labour MP Naisi Chen said "Racism has been part of the country for a very long time," calling on the Asian community to step forward and serve in government. [19]

See also

Asians in other countries

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of New Zealand</span>

The demographics of New Zealand encompass the gender, ethnic, religious, geographic, and economic backgrounds of the 5.2 million people living in New Zealand. New Zealanders predominantly live in urban areas on the North Island. The five largest cities are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Tauranga. Few New Zealanders live on New Zealand's smaller islands. Waiheke Island is easily the most populated smaller island with 9,420 residents, while Great Barrier Island, the Chatham and Pitt Islands, and Stewart Island each have populations below 1,000. New Zealand is part of a realm and most people born in the realm's external territories of Tokelau, the Ross Dependency, the Cook Islands and Niue are entitled to New Zealand passports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Island</span> One of the two main New Zealand islands

The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of 113,729 km2 (43,911 sq mi), it is the world's 14th-largest island, constituting 43% of New Zealand's land area. It has a population of 3,997,300, which is 77% of New Zealand's residents, making it the most populous island in Polynesia and the 28th-most-populous island in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Region</span> Region of New Zealand

Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region, is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of 8,049 square kilometres (3,108 sq mi), and has a population of 550,500.

New Zealanders of European descent are mostly of British and Irish ancestry, with significantly smaller percentages of other European ancestries such as Germans, Poles, French, Dutch, Croats and other South Slavs, Greeks, and Scandinavians. European New Zealanders are also known by the Māori-language loanword Pākehā.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese New Zealanders</span> People in New Zealand of Chinese ancestry

Chinese New Zealanders or Sino-New Zealanders are New Zealanders of Chinese ancestry. The largest subset of Asian New Zealanders, many of the Chinese immigrants came from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or other countries that have large populations of Chinese diaspora. Today's Chinese New Zealand group is also composed of diasporic communities from Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore. As of 2018, Chinese New Zealanders account for 4.9% of the population of New Zealand, and are the largest Asian ethnic group in New Zealand, accounting for 36.3% of Asian New Zealanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of New Zealand</span>

English is the predominant language and a de facto official language of New Zealand. Almost the entire population speak it either as native speakers or proficiently as a second language. The New Zealand English dialect is most similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with some key differences. The Māori language of the indigenous Māori people was made the first de jure official language in 1987. New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) has been an official language since 2006. Many other languages are used by New Zealand's minority ethnic communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian New Zealanders</span> New Zealander citizens with Indian origin or descent

Indian New Zealanders are persons of Indian origin or descent, living in New Zealand. The term includes Indians born in New Zealand, as well as immigrants from India, Fiji, as well as other regions of Asia, parts of Africa such as South Africa as well as East Africa, and furthermore, from other parts of the world. The term Indian New Zealander applies to any New Zealanders with one or both parents of Indian heritage. Although sometimes the Indo-Kiwi definition has been expanded to people with mixed racial parentage with one Indian parent or grandparent, this can be controversial as it generally tends to remove the ethnic heritage or identity of the foreign parent or grandparent which may be termed as insensitive to those with mixed parentage, who tend to value both their Indian and non-Indian parents and grandparents.

Korean New Zealanders, also referred to informally as Korean Kiwis, Kokis or Kowis, are New Zealand citizens and residents of Korean ancestry. The 2018 New Zealand census found 35,664 Koreans in the country, virtually all from South Korea, making them the third-largest Asian population there, and more than 0.75 percent of the total population of New Zealand.

Filipino New Zealanders refers to New Zealanders who migrated from the Philippines or descendants born in New Zealand of Filipino ancestry.

American New Zealanders are New Zealand citizens who are of American descent of American-born citizens from the United States. American New Zealanders constitute a small minority of New Zealand's population.

Grovetown is a small town in Marlborough, New Zealand. State Highway 1 runs past the settlement to the west, and the Wairau River flows past to the northeast. Spring Creek is about 2.5 km to the north, and Blenheim is about 3.5 km to the south. To the east is Grovetown Lagoon, an oxbow loop of the Wairau River. The settlement had a usual resident population of 357 at the 2018 New Zealand census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch New Zealanders</span>

Dutch New Zealanders are New Zealanders of Dutch ancestry. Dutch migration to New Zealand dates back to the earliest period of European colonisation. The 2013 census recorded 19,815 people born in the Netherlands and 28,503 people claiming Dutch ethnicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Auckland</span> Population data of Auckland, New Zealand

The Auckland Region is New Zealand's most populous territorial authority and Auckland its most populous city. In the 2018 census, 1,571,718 persons declared themselves as residents of the region – an increase of 156,178 people or 11.0% since the 2013 census. The Auckland Region accounts for about one-third (33.4%) of New Zealand's population. Auckland has a large multicultural mix, including the largest Polynesian population in the world.

Sri Lankan New Zealanders, also known informally as “Sriwis”, are New Zealanders of Sri Lankan heritage living in New Zealand. This includes at least three Sri Lankan ethnic groups in New Zealand: the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamil and Burghers. Sri Lankans in New Zealand span over 140 years emigration. In 2013 there were 9,579 Sri Lankans in New Zealand and increased to 16,830 by 2018.

Australian New Zealanders refers to New Zealanders whose origins are in Australia, as well as Australian migrants and expatriates based in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German New Zealanders</span> People

German New Zealanders are New Zealand residents of ethnic German ancestry. They comprise a very large amount of New Zealanders in terms of heritage, with some 200,000 people from the country having at least partial German ancestry. New Zealand's community of ethnic German immigrants constitute one of the largest recent European migrant groups in New Zealand, numbering 12,810 in the 2013 census. 36,642 New Zealanders spoke the German language at the 2013 census, making German the seventh-most-spoken language in New Zealand.

Tongan New Zealanders are Tongan immigrants in New Zealand, their descendants, and New Zealanders of Tongan ethnic descent. They constitute one of New Zealand's most sizeable ethnic minorities. In the 2013 census, 60,336 New Zealanders identified themselves as being of Tongan ethnicity with 22,413 stating that they were born in Tonga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasifika New Zealanders</span> Ethnic group in New Zealand

Pasifika New Zealanders are a pan-ethnic group of New Zealanders associated with, and descended from, the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands outside of New Zealand itself. They form the fourth-largest ethnic grouping in the country, after European descendants, indigenous Māori, and Asian New Zealanders. Over 380,000 people identify as being of Pacific origin, representing 8% of the country's population, with the majority residing in Auckland.

References

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  2. "2018 Census ethnic group summaries | Stats NZ". www.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  3. "2013 Census – Major ethnic groups in New Zealand". stats.govt.nz. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  4. Rasanathan, Kumanan; Craig, David; Perkins, Rod (2006). "The Novel Use of 'Asian' as an Ethnic Category in the New Zealand Health Sector". Ethnicity & Health. 11 (3): 211–227. doi:10.1080/13557850600565525. PMID   16774875. S2CID   25205145.
  5. Syed, Jawad; Èzbilgin, Mustafa F. (2010). Managing Cultural Diversity in Asia: A Research Companion. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 485. ISBN   9781849807173 . Retrieved 11 December 2017.
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  9. "Ethnic group (detailed total response – level 3) by age and sex, for the census usually resident population count, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (RC, TA, SA2, DHB)". nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  10. "Rising Asian immigration highlights New Zealand's changing demographics". The Conversation.
  11. "Ethnic group (total responses), for the census usually resident population count, 2001, 2006, and 2013 Censuses (RC, TA, AU)". Statistics New Zealand.
  12. "Winston Peters' memorable quotes", The Age, 18 October 2005
  13. Berry, Ruth (27 April 2005). "Peter's Asian warning". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  14. "Peters defends deputy's anti-Asian immigration comments", TV3, 3 April 2008
  15. New Zealand Herald: "NZ First's Brown slammed for 'racist' anti-Asian remarks" Apr 3, 2008
  16. 1 2 "Asian New Zealanders' experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with life satisfaction". 12 November 2022.
  17. "Police investigating 'ignorant, arrogant' coronavirus email". Stuff. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  18. "Coronavirus outbreak: Calm urged as anti-Chinese sentiment felt in New Zealand". 30 January 2020.
  19. "Hundreds march against anti-Asian racism in Auckland". 26 March 2021.