26

Sep

Fighting racism with hate is not the right weapon…

Attended the MYNZ Conference 2012: RESPECT N’ REPRESENT! today, organised by Shakti Youth Amabassdors Network. I was delighted to see a conference for young people created by young people. It is also fantastic to see young people learn about respecting and representing for themselves, for who they are and who they believe in. The performances by the different schools were amazing. When everyone is buzzing over the Ching Chong Song at New Zealand Got Talent – eat your heart out – these boys and girls are way better.

NZ Got Talent – Ching Chong Song

As impressed as I am about the conference, I was sitting there feeling very uncomfortable when the issues about racism came up. Look, I deal with ethnic communities all the time and racism is a matter that comes up almost all the time as well. Not news to me. I was not surprise that young people have received racist comments, heard racist comments, and some were brave enough to say that they have been racist themselves.
I was uncomfortable with the remarks by the presenters. Surely, I know, the Chinese were subjected to awful racism because they were the only group that have to pay a poll tax. Yes the Pacific community had the dawn raid. Yes, we have migrants who have to be angelised their names to get a job. Yes, Maori land were confiscated by the crown. Yes, there is still the foreshore and seabed debate. You get my point – I am definitely aware of the racism “colour people” face. Am I angry, hell yeah! But in NO circumstances, that makes it right for us to fight racism by using racism.

What am I saying? It is NOT OK to call the Pakeha/Caucasian/New Zealand European “white people”. “White People” are equally diverse. The “white people” who took the land, ask for poll tax, initiated the dawn raid, etc etc are not the same “white people” that recently migrated from the UK, South Africa, Eastern Europe… Not all “white people” come from the same region. Not all “white people” are racist.

It is not ok to think that all white people, therefore are privileged. Yes, we know that in general, they make more money, they have a better standard of living, and blondes may have more fun (I’ve been complimented on my blonde hair even though I am not “white!”) . No, it does not mean that therefore they will look down on you just because you are coloured people.

We do need to acknowledged the history and even the current times presents discrimination and racism against people of colour skin. We all do. We all make assumptions of who people are based on their looks, not just their skin colour. However, by just saying “the white people did this” and “the white people did that”, is not going to help promote positive race relationships. Instead, it promotes victimization by making all “coloured people” victims.

I have to confess that perhaps my own perceptions on the presentation had excluded me from listening clearly and enjoy the presentation in a different way, but there is no way, I believe, that we should fight racism with racism. We should instead promote positive race relations instead.

Peace!

242 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

Politics/Youth

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26

Jan

Social Entrepreneurships in Hong Kong

So I heard that over 90% of the schools built or supported by charitable causes in China were supported by Hong Kong people. People in Hong Kong, regardless of their income, helped give those in poor villages and those who can’t afford to go to school, an education.

Hong Kong people are always generous; they were he first ones who donated $1 million to the Canterbury earthquake. People in Hong Kong are used to doing street collections every weekend; kids as the collectors and adults pay.

Social entrepreneurships in Hong Kong run as a business. It comes in different forms such as restaurants and retail. Most of it with the aim to help those in poverty and unskilled to get a job or work experience.

Social entrepreneurships in New Zealand are about how we can great opportunities that meet social needs, particularly for the grassroots. Sometimes, it is about supporting existing not-for-profit or non-governmental organisations.

A group of my friends from Hong Kong is coming over to Auckland in April to share ideas on social entrepreneurships, including indigenous business developments such as Maori tourism.

The goal of my friend is to empower the young people to become leaders in social entrepreneurships. They give back to the community, not waiting to get supported.

I cannot wait for them to come to New Zealand and share their experiences on social entrepreneurships. If you are interested to support this group of young people when they are here, please contact me on bevan.chuang@gmail.com. Only more than happy to hear from you!

486 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Auckland/Business/Community Events and Services/Personal

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24

Mar

Growing up as youth of ethnic background

I’ve attended the 9th Annual Asian Forum hosted by the Asian Network Incorporated (TANI) on Asian youth health & wellbeing: healthy body, healthy mind conference today; and have the great pleasure of seeing the movie My Wedding and Other Secrets at Rialto this evening.

Both the forum and the movie touched on aspects of what it is like for the ethnic youth to grow up in New Zealand. The struggle to keep your culture alive; the struggle of dealing with two different worlds (and can sometimes be really different); and finding out who you are and your relationship with everyone around you.

One of the speakers at the forum told us a story about a young Chinese girl who have relocated to Adelaide was admitted to the hospital because she was having feelings of breathlessness and chest pains. Tests were done and medical history were check and no one could find anything wrong with her. Only until a Chinese nurse spoke to her to find out that she was actually experiencing lonliness and depression. The story have reminded me the first time I experienced anxiety attack. In a split second I thought I had a massive heart attack and I was going to die. Unfortunately my GP did not do any follow-ups with me after my tests came out normal. Neither did the counsellors I have visited thought these physical symptoms were important. Not until recently I managed to realise that they were anxiety attacks and that from time to time I still experience it. Just learning how to overcome it.

Many years ago I did an interview about my life and view as an immigrant to New Zealand. For me, it was a real struggle to grow up as a 1.5 generation, particularly when I was going through teenage year, the time you wanted to find out who you are and how you can relate to your peers. This is not unique to me, or the Rosanne Liang as featured in the movie. This is happening around the two young people who spoke this morning, one from Korea and the other from Burma; and many other students from Dio who were present at the conference.

I strongly believe that the stories and voices of 1.5 generations, and other youth of ethnic background should be heard by more. I guess that one of the reason My Wedding and Other Secrets is such a hit (not only because it is really well done and it is a brilliant personal story) is because the general public is finding this fascinating. At the same time, those of us of ethnic background can relate to this.

I think it is important for young people to speak out, reach out and find out who can help them along the way. There are many of us who have gone through the same path, and know how hard it is to be a youth of ethnic background. Please – do reach out. There are people who can just be there, be your company.

794 days ago Short URL Comments

Youth

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22

Mar

Auckland – The Most Liveable City in the World

I’ve attended the launch of the MacroAuckland research by the Auckland Communities Foundation tonight, opened by Mayor Len Brown. I have the privileged to take part in the research as the Settlement Support Coordinator – Auckland City for the Auckland Regional Migrant Services, looking at migrants and refugees settlement.

I was thrilled to see that the report is a very great capture of the social issues in Auckland, that we could all work together to make Auckland an even better place. The research highlighted some of Auckland’s paradoxes:

  • Increasing numbers of Aucklanders are attending cultural event of other ethnic groups, yet only half of Aucklanders consider our increasing diversity a good thing.
  • Boarding houses for ‘rough sleepers’ have available beds, yet homeless Aucklanders are sleeping on the street.
  • Pacific Island students are remaining in schools for longer than average, yet their tertiary enrolment rates are still low.
  • Young people are more likely to take risks around water, yet almost half of those drown in Auckland are over 45 years old.
  • Children’s health outcomes differ dramatically across Auckland, yet perceptions of health by parents across all three of Auckland’s district health boards are virtually the same.
  • The majority of Aucklanders say they take action to save energy all or most of the time, yet Auckland’s energy consumption is increasingly rapid.
  • Auckland’s overall crime rate is decreasing, yet Aucklanders are feeling less safe.
  • There are stereotypes about unemployed Aucklanders choosing to be beneficiaries, yet when a new supermarket opened in South Auckland in 2010 offering 150 new jobs, more than 2,500 people lined up to apply.

From the research the Auckland Communities Foundation has done, they have identified the following priorities for Auckland to action:

  • Early childhood education
  • Migrant & refugee settlement
  • Youth transition
  • Environment
  • Youth health
  • Housing

And these are some of the issues that philanthropic organisations and people have been encouraged to focus on. These are what needed to address so that Auckland can become a better, and more livable city in the world.

No doubt this will be discussed at tomorrow’s Unleashed Auckland, Mayoral Invitation on how to make Auckland a better place. Update y’all tomorrow!

796 days ago Short URL Comments

Auckland

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