March 08, 2019
Māori positive about Asian links
A survey of Māori perceptions of Asia and Asian people has found Māori have a cultural edge when it came to engagement in Asia, but more work is needed to strengthen those ties.
The survey was conducted by Ihi Research for the Asia New Zealand Foundation as part of a long running programme tracking New Zealanders’ perception of Asia.
It found eight in 10 have positive feelings about Asians, but there was a three way split over immigration from Asia, with a third welcoming it, a third opposing it and a third neutral.
Regional Economic Development Minister and former diplomat Shane Jones says the survey shows Māori are very adaptable, having learned to live with the rise and fall of the British Empire and the growth of multiculturalism and multiracialism.
"I’ve been thinking for a while that exposure of Māori to the growth of China and Japan, not only through the rugby field, is good for broadening comprehension and reminding our Māori leaders that economic salvation is equally as important as cultural revivalism," he says.
Māori may also look to Singapore, which is a small state that has learned how to navigate between the powerful interests of countries like the United States and China.
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