Old Asian, New Asian

Print publication: Jul 10, 2017

eBook publication:Jul 10, 2017

Pages: 0

RRP: $20.00

ISBN: 9780947518509

DOI: 10.7810/9780947518509

A 2010 Human Rights Commission report found that Asian people reported higher levels of discrimination than any other minority in New Zealand.

K. Emma Ng shines light onto the persistence of anti-Asian sentiment in New Zealand. Her anecdotal account is based on her personal experience as a second-generation young Chinese-New Zealand woman. When Asian people have been living here since the gold rushes of the 1860s, she asks, what will it take for them to be fully accepted as New Zealanders?

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'In this valuable introduction to the Asian New Zealand experience, Ng encourages us to walk in others’ shoes, to ask questions, and to be prepared to be part of the answer...Old Asian, New Asian explores the history and current experience of Chinese and other Asian New Zealanders, from the ‘old Asians’ like my family – who first arrived in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the nineteenth century – through to more recent ‘new Asian’ immigrants.' – Alison Wong, Landfall Tauraka Review

'Ng’s book Old Asian, New Asian tells the story of Chinese New Zealanders’ struggle to be recognised as natural and equal citizens in a country they call home, but which has treated them with suspicion and unfairness from the beginning... Ng examines what it means to be a second-generation Chinese New Zealander today, and the hurt that stems from the wide belief that Kiwi and Asian identities are mutually exclusive.' – Cass Manson, Newsroom

'This book, written by a young second-generation Chinese New Zealander, gives many examples of the racism that Asian New Zealanders experience. Ng defines racism as both prejudice (attitudes) and discrimination (acts). She points out she uses the terms “Asian” and “Chinese” more or less interchangeably but in fact most of her material is about Chinese. The statement on the cover conveys her hope that: “Perhaps at some point we will no longer be asked to justify our presence or prove our worth.”' – Judith Morrell Nathan, Scoop Review of Books

'A persistent streak of anti-Asian sentiment is rooted in the history of New Zealand, says Emma Ng, a second-generation Chinese New Zealander and author of the new book Old Asian, New Asian.' – Radio New Zealand

'In order to constructively address anti-Asian sentiment, development of a proud Pākehā identity seems vital.' – The Spinoff