May 27, 2014
Demographics give Maori Asian unease
A leading sociologist says Maori suspicion of Asian migrants could be a respponse to demographic change they feel no control over.
The Asia NZ Foundation has found that while most New Zealanders have become more positive about Asians since it started surveying the issue in 1997, Maori are becoming more negative.
They are concerned about pressure on jobs and fear Maori culture and issues are becoming submerged.
Professor Paul Spoonley from Massey University says the concern is understandable once people realist that in Auckland, the largest centre of Maori population, there are twice as many Asians as Maori.
That creates unease that commentator Professor Rangi Walker warned about 20 years ago.
"There’s a demographic change that has taken place and we really haven't talked about what we should do to recognise this new cultural diversity and I see Ranginui (Walker) was saying again at the weekend biculturalism is really important, and you've got to have a sort of multiculturalism, which comes along and sits alongside it but doesn't compete with it," Professor Spoonley says.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH PAUL SPOONLEY CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTg1MzU=
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